PADF Welcomes Judy Brown, Julianne Canavaggio, Stephen Donehoo, and Dante Ramos as Trustees

Washington, D.C. (February 5, 2021)

The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) is pleased to welcome four new members to its Board of Trustees. The seasoned executives join a diverse group of individuals who provide strategic leadership to achieve the organization’s mission of investing resources in Latin America and the Caribbean to create opportunities for all.

“Ms. Brown, Ms. Canavaggio, Mr. Donehoo, and Mr. Ramos join the PADF Board at a time of great uncertainty in our region as we continue to confront the COVID-19 pandemic and plan for economic recovery. Their diverse talents and expertise will strengthen our efforts to advocate for continued support for Latin America and the Caribbean. The new Trustees will add their voice to the pursuit of PADF’s critical mission,” said PADF Board President Kathy Barclay.

“These four remarkable individuals bring an impressive wealth of expertise and perspectives on finance, public and government affairs, legislative processes, and foreign relations to our Board of Trustees,” said PADF Executive Director Katie Taylor. “They will play an important role in shaping PADF’s strategic direction as we strive to remain competitive in the ever-changing international development field.”

 

Judy Brown

Judy Brown is the Chief Adviser for Corporate Relations for the U.S. and Latin America at Rio Tinto Group. In this role, she leads a team that develops and manages external affairs strategies and issues to support Rio Tinto’s commercial goals in the region. She also manages engagement with multilateral and financial development institutions.

Ms. Brown started her career at Rio Tinto in 2000 and has had roles leading the company’s Corporate Relations work including leading Government Affairs and Communities globally for the industrial minerals group and building capability in Latin America and Asia Pacific.

Prior to joining the Rio Tinto group, Ms. Brown worked at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, with special focus on mineral, forest policy, and public land issues.

 

Julianne Canavaggio

Julianne Canavaggio is a Managing Director and Head of Central America & Caribbean for the financial advisory division of Lazard.

She advises companies in general strategic and transaction-specific matters regarding domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs, leveraged buyouts, restructurings, special committee assignments, and joint ventures. Ms. Canavaggio also advises companies in connection with raising debt, equity, and hybrid capital.

Ms. Canavaggio is an independent board member for Copa Holdings S.A. (NYSE: CPA), a leading Latin American provider of airline passenger and cargo service. She also serves on the board of directors of Conservatorio, a Sustainable Luxury® real estate development company, and Grupo GEA, a family office with investments in multiple industry verticals. Ms. Canavaggio previously served as an independent board member for a conglomerate of wholesale distribution operations for fragrances, cosmetics, and skin care products, as well as a Panamanian chain of department stores in the mid-high range, a general license bank authorized to operate in Panama in the banking and trust business (fiduciaria), and various family office and private equity type investment vehicles.

Prior to joining Lazard, Ms. Canavaggio worked at Arias, Fábrega & Fábrega (ARIFA) for seven years, Baker & McKenzie LLP in the U.S. for more than three years and served as Head Counsel to Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior (Bladex) (NYSE: BLX) as part of an outsourcing project at ARIFA. As an attorney, she spent almost a decade doing mergers and acquisitions transactions across a variety of industries, in both Latin America and the U.S, advising companies in a broad range of corporate and cross-border transactional matters, corporate restructurings, joint ventures, as well as corporate lending, project finance, and debt capital markets.

Stephen Donehoo

Stephen C. Donehoo is a Managing Partner at McLarty Associates where he leads the firm’s work in Northern Latin America. He is also the firm’s lead on intelligence, national security, and defense related issues.

Mr. Donehoo has advised dozens of clients on issues of strategic planning, government relations, and transaction management. His expertise is in the areas of monitoring and shaping regulatory and legislative processes; litigation support, arbitration, and settlement negotiation support activities; crisis management; risk assessment; concession/bid process support; hostage release negotiations; tariff rate negotiations; public and media relations; and motion picture production support.

Mr. Donehoo is a former military intelligence officer specializing in Latin America who provided strategic policy advice on the region while serving at the White House, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the US Southern Command, and the Army Staff. He also ran the Pentagon’s Army Operations Center 24-hour Intelligence Watch where he oversaw crisis-action support teams for Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, and numerous disaster relief deployments. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, serving on the homeland security advisory group, and he has served on CSIS’s Bolivian, Colombian, and Venezuelan working groups. He is also a member of the Americas Society, and an associate member of the Inter-American Dialogue.

He is an on-air commentator on national security, intelligence, military, and regional issues for CNN en Español, NTN-24, UNIVISION, Telemundo, BBC en Español, Radio France International, and Voice of America.

He has a BA in philosophy from Wheaton College and an MPA from the University of Oklahoma. A native of Walton County, Georgia, Mr. Donehoo was raised in Colombia, has lived in Costa Rica, Panama, and El Salvador, and speaks fluent Spanish.

Dante Ramos

Dante M. Ramos is Corporate Affairs Manager for Chevron’s Latin America Business Unit. In this capacity, he oversees Chevron’s engagement with government officials and institutions on business, policy, and legislative issues; manages media relations to convey the company´s positions; and ensures implementation of Chevron’s social investment programs to support economic growth, health, and education in Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela.

Mr. Ramos joined Chevron in 2013 as Corporate Affairs Manager for Argentina, where he was in charge of government affairs, external and internal communications, and social investment. Prior to joining Chevron (2010 to 2013), Mr. Ramos worked in the mining industry – Barrick Gold and Pan American Silver – managing government and public affairs, communication, and community relations.

From to 2004 to 2010, he was Legal Manager and then Corporate Affairs Director at Grupo Bimbo based in Buenos Aires with responsibility throughout South America – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. He was also a member of Grupo Bimbo’s regional Executive Committee and the Business Development Committee.

Mr. Ramos practiced law in Buenos Aires at Allende & Brea (1999 to 2003) and in Hamburg as foreign associate at Wessing Berenberg & Gossler (1997 to 1999) with focus on business law, mergers & acquisitions, antitrust, cross border transactions, and foreign investment law.

Mr. Ramos held a Talent Development scholarship from the German Foundation Konrad Adenauer from 1996 to 1999. He was included in “40 under 40 – The World´s 40 Brightest Young Antitrust Lawyers and Economists” by Global Competition Review in 2004. He was also distinguished as “Highly Recommended Lawyer” by Global Counsel Magazine in 2004.

Mr. Ramos obtained a Law degree from Buenos Aires University in 1995, a Legum Magister (LL.M.) degree from Heidelberg University in 1996 and an Iuris Doctor degree from Hamburg University in 1999. In 2005 he completed a Business Administration Program at IAE Business School in Buenos Aires.

About PADF

PADF believes in creating a hemisphere of opportunity, for all. We work across Latin America and the Caribbean to make our region stronger—more healthy, peaceful, just, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable for current and future generations. For nearly 60 years, we have served the most vulnerable communities, investing resources throughout the hemisphere. We partner with and enable civil society, governments, and the private sector for the greater good of the region.

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