SPEAKERS

Natasha Avendaño García, General Manager, Bogotá Water and Sewerage Company, Colombia

Natasha Avendaño García assumed the role of General Manager of the Bogotá Water and Sewerage Company on January 5, 2024, under the supervision of the city's Mayor, Carlos Fernando Galán.

She holds a degree in Economics and three master’s degrees: in Economics from Universidad de Los Andes, Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley, and International Taxation, Foreign Trade, and Customs from Universidad Externado de Colombia. She earned her Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley, focusing on taxation. She has also been an Economics and Economic Law professor at Universidad de Los Andes and Universidad Externado.

Her professional career includes notable positions such as Superintendent of Public Utilities from 2018 to 2022, Expert Commissioner at the Energy and Gas Regulatory Commission (CREG) during 2022 and 2023, and Director of Organizational Management at the National Directorate of Taxes and Customs (DIAN), where she had been employed since 2012 and held the position of Deputy Director of Operational Analysis. She also served as an advisor to the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit for seven years, working within the Directorate of Macroeconomic Policy and the Technical Vice Ministry.

Ana María Bernal C., Manager of SPR LATAM, SEKISUI SPR

Industrial Engineer and MBA, specialist in SWLP – Spiral Wound Lining Pipe, with 4 years of experience as Manager of SPR LATAM and representative of SEKISUI CHEMICAL's Trenchless SPR technology in Latin America. She has led the technical training of more than 300 companies in pipe rehabilitation using spiral winding and advised the technical-economic evaluation of nearly 180 projects in feasibility, design and civil works phases. Her experience includes collaborations with entities such as EAAB, EPM, EMCALI, Triple A, AyA, CESPT, CAPA, EPMAS, CEA, SACMEX and VEOLIA, among others. She has successfully managed the specification and execution of more than 60 km of rehabilitated sewer pipes, significantly improving the sanitary and stormwater infrastructure in the region. It is recognized for its innovative approach, technical mastery and commitment to sustainability and optimization of sewerage systems.

Judith Buelvas Pérez, CEO, Veolia Colombia and Panama

Judith is a professional in Business Administration, with a solid academic background backed by a bachelor's degree from EAFIT University, a Master in Business Administration and Management (MBA) from the International University of La Rioja (UNIR - Spain), a specialization in Senior Management from the University of Sinú and studies in corporate social responsibility at the Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico). She also completed specialized studies in Circular Economy and sustainability strategies from the University of Cambridge.

She has a 24-year career in the Veolia Group - a French multinational of environmental solutions in water, waste and energy - where her roles stand out as Manager of Veolia Aguas de Montería, National Director of the Water Segment, Financial and Administrative Director throughout the country, to finally become the President of Veolia Colombia and Panama, consolidating herself as one of the four female CEOs of the company globally and the only one in Latin America.

Ethel Cabrera, President, Salvadoran Water Authority

Since August 21, 2024, Lic. Ethel Cabrera leads the Salvadoran Water Authority (ASA) with a focus on sustainability and compliance with the General Law on Water Resources. Her management is distinguished by updating the National Integrated Water Resources Management Plan, ensuring compliance with regulations and promoting the protection of aquifer recharge zones, in addition to coordinating educational programs on the sustainable use of water.

With a solid track record in the environmental field, she has played key roles in ASA, the Environmental Fund of El Salvador (FONAES) and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN). Her training in Legal Sciences and specialization in environmental management and water resources position her as a leader committed to a sustainable future, prioritizing the responsible use of water as a vital resource for El Salvador.

JORGE CASTANEDA, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ADMINISTRATION OF AQUEDUCTS AND SEWERS (ANDA), EL SALVADOR

Civil Engineer with more than a decade of experience in water resources, risk management and environmental sustainability, recognized for his strategic approach and ability to lead transformations in the water sector. His solid academic background includes a Master of Science in Hydraulic Resources and various postgraduate degrees in key areas such as Operational Hydrology, Scientific Management, Project Management, Applied Environmental Management, Applied Finance and Business Intelligence. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Sustainability, strengthening his ability to address global challenges in natural resource management.

He has played a key role as a technical advisor in the formulation of El Salvador's Water Resources Law and has led innovative digital transformation initiatives in environmental assessment processes. As President of the National Water and Sewer Administration (ANDA), he leads an ambitious institutional modernization agenda focused on sustainability, the reduction of unaccounted water, energy efficiency, and the continuous improvement of organizational culture.

Emerson Castro, Investment Project Portfolio Director, PROINVERSIÓN

Graduated from the Master in Construction Management from the Peruvian University of Applied Sciences. Civil Engineer from the Federico Villarreal National University, with specialization in Public Investment Projects and Airport Design.

With more than 10 years of experience in project management, execution and monitoring, management of concession contracts in multimodal infrastructure and public services.

He has held various positions in the Ministry of Transport and Communications, as General Director of the General Directorate of Transport Programs and Projects and Advisor on Transport Infrastructure and Public Services of the General Directorate of Transport Programs and Projects and of the General Directorate of Transportation Concessions.

In addition, he has assumed positions of Advisor in the ministerial office of the Production sector, Director of Investment Planning at MINEDU and Director of Reconstruction with Changes at PRONIED.

He currently serves as Project Portfolio Director of PROINVERSIÓN, in charge of promoting the private investment system at the national level.

Fabian Folgar, VP Sales Latin America, Bentley Systems

Fabian Folgar is the VP Sales for Latin America at Bentley Systems, a leading software provider for infrastructure professionals. With over 20 years of sales and operations experience in the software industry, he has developed and executed successful business plans to expand into new and existing markets, drive revenue growth, and deliver customer value.

His mission is to help organizations design, build, and operate their infrastructure assets across LATAM region by leveraging the knowledge, experience, and expertise his clients own and Bentley's Asset Life Cycle SaS solutions. He is passionate about sustainable and resilient infrastructure solutions that address the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) challenges and opportunities his customers face.

Mario Garcia, General Manager, EMAPAG-EP Municipal Water and Sewerage Company of Guayaquil

Master in International Project Management EAE Business School - Madrid - Spain

Master in Business Administration EMBA

IDE Business Development Institute, Guayaquil - Ecuador

Master in Sanitary and Environmental Engineering Universidad del Calle - IHE Delft, Holland, Cali - Colombia

Environmental Specialist and Waste Reduction Audits Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil - Ecuador.

Civil Engineer - Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil - Ecuador

Professor: Sanitary Engineering, Hydro-Sanitary Infrastructure Works, Fluid Mechanics, Project Management.

Director, Tutor and Jury of several degree projects from 2009 to the present on Hydro-sanitary topics.

More than 20 years of experience in academic matters, through teaching and research theses on hydro-sanitary issues for undergraduate and graduate degrees.

General Manager – EMAPAG-EP Municipal Company of Drinking Water and Sewerage of Guayaquil, EP.

Jorge Gómez Reategui, Chairman, Lima Drinking Water and Sewerage Service (Sedapal)

Gómez Reátegui has a degree in Administrative and Economic Sciences from the University of Uppsala (Sweden) and has master's studies in Public Management, Public Management, Marketing, Business Management and Administration, Project Management and Planning, among others.

He has more than 25 years of experience in the public and private sectors, serving as Corporate Communication Manager of Banco de la Nación, advisor to the Senior Management of the Comptroller General of the Republic, Technical Coordinator of the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Sanitation , head of the Cabinet of Advisors of the Ministerial Office in the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, and director of Electro Oriente. Likewise, he has extensive experience as a postgraduate professor at renowned universities in the country.

He served as Commercial Manager of Sedapal from 2015 to 2017, a position from which he directed and managed all commercial and budgetary activities, managing to improve the satisfaction of the company's users.

Since taking office, Jorge Gómez has committed to making the necessary improvements in Sedapal so that more residents of Lima and Callao have access to water and sanitation services, in order to achieve the expected closure of gaps.

Andrés Gutierrez, Strategic Sales Leader Latin America, Bentley Systems

Andrés Gutiérrez leads Bentley's Digital Twin Platform adoption strategy for the water and drainage industry in Latin America and has more than 20 years of experience in digital transformation projects for organizations that design, build, maintain, and operate infrastructure assets.

Samuel Hermida Formoso, LATAM Manager, Eurohinca

A Mining Engineer from the University of Oviedo, Spain. He has participated in the design and execution of tunnels for mining, infrastructure works and desalination plants. In recent years he has been dedicated to the execution of underwater emissary tunnels for desalination plants and urban tunnels for services such as sewage, drinking water, rainwater and service passages. He has developed his career in Spain, Mexico, Qatar, Peru and Chile. He is currently LATAM Manager of Eurohinca.

Miguel Leiva, Regional Sales Manager, Cambi

Miguel Leiva, Regional Sales Manager for Colombia at Cambi, has extensive experience in the water and wastewater sector. A specialist in thermal hydrolysis technology, Miguel promotes innovative and sustainable solutions for sludge management in the region. Its focus is on optimizing wastewater treatment, encouraging resource recovery and promoting the circular economy. At the LATAM water summit 2025, we will share strategies on how Cambi's advanced technologies can transform wastewater treatment, reaffirming its leadership in sustainability and innovation.

Edward Libreros, Vice Minister of Water and Basic Sanitation, Ministry of Housing, City and Territory, Colombia

He was born in Villavicencio (Meta). He is a public administrator who graduated from the Corporación Universitaria del Caribe and a specialist in City and Territory Management from the Universidad Externado de Colombia.

He has been a candidate for the Senate of the Republic and for the Governorship of Meta, as well as general coordinator of the Petro Presidente campaign in the Amazon and Orinoquía.

His work will focus on closing gaps in water and basic sanitation and on the appropriation of water as a common good. He will strengthen dialogue with the different actors and work on collaborative management to promote transformations for the benefit of communities.

Anabell Luciano, Sector Specialist, Water Sector Office, Dominican Republic

Architect with more than 10 years of experience in the water sector, specialized in design, supervision and management of construction projects, and sustainability and efficient management of water resources. She has two master's degrees: one in Advanced Building Construction (Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Barcelona) and another in Construction Administration (Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic), complemented with training in smart city development (Wuhan Research Institute, China), hydrological planning, project management and evaluation, and environmental management.

Currently, she works as a Sector Specialist in the Water Sector Office leading strategic projects such as the National Water Pact.

It stands out for its ability to coordinate the implementation of innovative solutions that promote water resilience, sustainability and the efficient use of resources, in addition to having experience in public management and inter-institutional collaboration, in commitment to sustainable development and social and environmental well-being.

Nicolás Monterde Roca, Managing Director, Aguas de Valencia International

Nicolás Monterde Roca, a Spanish Industrial Engineer with an MBA and over 20 years of experience in the water and technology sectors, has dedicated his career to improving water processes, from operational planning to international management. His expertise particularly lies in water architecture models and the digitalization of processes as a benefit for the Integrated Water Cycle. These areas have guided his career to companies such as Idrica and GoAigua. Currently, as Managing Director at Aguas de Valencia International, he continues to tackle water-related challenges across different continents, developing projects with innovative proposals to enhance water management efficiency, as an essential resource for life.

HENRY MORENO, Water and Sanitation Principal Specialist, IDB - INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

Henry has more than 35 years of experience in the infrastructure sector, in the areas of development and implementation of policies, investment plans and programs, design, formulation and evaluation of projects, economic regulation, and promotion of business development and modernization, in public and private sector entities at an international level, especially in the area of drinking water and sanitation, an aspect that gives him a comprehensive vision of the sector. He has also worked as a professor at several universities in Colombia and has published several articles on the sector. He currently leads the development of the water and sanitation sector in several countries in the region, through the application of diverse and innovative financial and non-financial instruments. Henry holds a Master's degree in Economics and Public Policy (with an emphasis on regulation) from the Torcuato Di Tella Institute in Argentina, a specialization in Project Evaluation from the Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia, and a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the Colombian School of Engineering in Colombia.

Jacobo Moreno Mora, Export Manager, Molecor

Agricultural Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Valencia- Spain, with more than 20 years of experience in the water sector. With extensive experience in the company, initially in the national market and for 10 years in international markets, initially developing the European and North African markets with extensive commercial experience, in team management and opening of new markets. I currently hold the position of Export Manager at Molecor, focused mainly on the South American market, where we have set clear growth objectives for the coming years.

In addition to my experience, I have an Executive MBA, speak English perfectly and have an intermediate level of French. I have a strong reputation for interpersonal relationships and communication.

GUSTAVO FABIÁN MORVILLO, MANAGING DIRECTOR SOUTH AMERICA, WILO

General Manager of Wilo Argentina S.A., responsible for the platform for the Southern Cone of South America. High-performance executive with more than 30 years of experience in leading companies in the industrial and public infrastructure sectors, especially in sanitation. Specialist in the strategic direction and supervision of sales and marketing teams in Spanish-speaking markets in South America. His training includes degrees such as Senior Technician in Marketing and Industrial Mechanical Technician, providing a solid technical-commercial focus to his management.

Leandro Alberto Novak, Operational Development Manager, Paraná Sanitation Company (Sanepar)

Leandro Alberto Novak

He is the Operational Development Manager at Paraná Sanitation Company (Sanepar). He is responsible for implementing strategies in the areas of energy and operational technologies. He is a professor at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) in the area of transport phenomena.

He has more than 25 years of experience in the area of works and special projects in various sectors of the industry, such as oil, gas and automotive.

He has an academic background in mechanical engineering from UTFPR (2001). He holds a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis on Manufacturing – UTFPR (2006) and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis on Transport Phenomena and Solid Mechanics – UFPR (2012).

Francisco Ospina Ramírez, President, National Infrastructure Agency (ANI), Colombia

He has more than 22 years of experience in the transportation sector, in the public and private sectors.

He is a commercial pilot and mechanical engineer and has two specializations and three master's degrees, the latter with an emphasis on Engineering Management, Systems Engineering, aeronautical management and maintenance. During his professional career he has held management positions in Civil Aeronautics and the Colombian Air Force, as well as advisory positions on matters related to science, technology and innovation.

He held the position of General Director of the Special Unit of Civil Aeronautics of Colombia, was also Secretary of the Aeronautical Authority in the same entity and previously served as Secretary of Operational Safety and Civil Aviation, Director of Flight Standards, Commercial Pilot, Business Training Consultant, Flight Simulator Instructor and other roles in different organizations.

He is currently the President of the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI), the leading entity whose purpose is to plan, coordinate, structure, contract, execute, manage and evaluate concession projects and other forms of Public Private Partnership - PPP, for the design, construction, maintenance, operation, administration and/or exploitation of public transportation infrastructure in all its modes and of the connected or related services and the development of public private partnership projects for other types of public infrastructure.

Mario Robustelli, Technical Advisor to the Board of Directors, Agua y Saneamientos Argentinos (AySA)

With more than 30 years of experience in the field of water and sanitation, engineer Mario Robustelli has established himself as an expert in his field. He has a postgraduate degree in Sanitary Engineering, complemented by a specialization in Safety, Hygiene and the Environment, which has allowed him to address the challenges of the sector in a comprehensive manner and with a focus on sustainability.

Throughout his career, engineer Robustelli worked in important organizations such as Obras Sanitarias de la Nación (OSN) and Aguas Argentinas, where he has contributed to the improvement of water infrastructure and management in Argentina.

Currently, he works as a technical advisor to the board of directors at Agua y Saneamientos Argentinos (AySA), where his experience and knowledge in both the commercial and technical areas are essential for decision-making and the development of projects that positively impact the quality of life of the population.

Alberto Sánchez Aquino, Member of the Board of Directors, Vice President, Water Services Company of Paraguay, ESSAP S.A.

Economist. UFRR – Curitiba Brazil.

MBA in Project Management. Getulio Vargas Foundation. Brazil PM4R Master Professional. IDB Master in Government and Public Management. American University

• Specialization in Strategic Management. University of Belgrano- Argentina. 2024.

• Water 2.0 Efficient Companies for the 21st Century. IDB Academy. 2023.

• Diploma in Governance and Public Innovation. Getulio Vargas Foundation. Brazil. 2022.

• Specialization in Operational Coordination in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in the humanitarian field. UNICEF. August 2020.

• Project Management applied to the Public and Private Sector of Latin America. INDES/IDB. September 2020.

• Specialization in Public-Private Partnerships and Concessions. Faculty of Economics – University of Chile. Asunción – Paraguay. March 2019.

• Specialization in Strengthening basin organizations and water governance in Central America. La Antigua Training Center – Guatemala . AECID, UNESCO and CODIA September 2019.

Cafia Torres, Hydraulic Efficiency LATAM, IDRICA

Cafia Torres Torres is a Civil Engineer, specializing in Project Management.

She has more than 21 years of professional experience in Drinking Water Loss Control projects, sanitation and water supply studies, hydraulic modeling, design, construction and supervision of works.

She has worked in different areas, in which she has led the direction of different projects in Latin America, both in public and private companies, among which the projects for the implementation of technological tools for the management of the entire water cycle stand out, among these projects for the search for leaks with different technologies, Meter Management, Irregularities and Frauds, Pressure Management, Sectorization, Hydraulic Modeling, among others. She has also participated in innovation projects focused on the implementation of artificial intelligence seeking to optimize the processes of companies in the water sector.

She is currently responsible for IDRICA's Hydraulic Efficiency projects for Latin America, seeking to achieve the digital transformation of water operating organizations through the implementation of technological tools developed and tested by Aguas de Valencia, whose ultimate goal is the control, monitoring and improvement of efficiency indicators.

Jorge Iván Vásquez Sánchez, Senior Member of the Board of Directors, IDAAN - Instituto de Acueductos y Alcantarillados Nacionales, Panama

Panamanian civil engineer with extensive experience in water, hydroelectric and building infrastructure projects, standing out in roles such as Resident Engineer, Supervisor and Appraiser in large-scale projects, with budgets of up to B/.300 million. Currently, he is part of the board of directors of the Instituto de Acueductos y Alcantarillados Nacionales (IDAAN) as a senior member representing SPIA, contributing to the development and management of water resources in Panama.

 He has a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering, a Master's Degree in Business Administration and certifications in real estate appraisals and international valuation standards. He is an active member of SPIA and IVAPPAN, among other associations, and has been a speaker at events on sustainable urban mobility and heritage conservation.

 He is fluent in Spanish and has an advanced level of English, combining technical experience, managerial training and leadership in strategic decision-making at the national level.