Council of the Americas Announces Former President of Brazil Fernando Henrique Cardoso as 2016 BRAVO Honoree

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MIAMI, Sept. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Council of the Americas (COA) announced today the names of four honorees that will be recognized at the 22^nd BRAVO Business Awards on October 28 in Miami. The Bravo Awards recipients are the former President of Brazil (1995-2002), the CEOs of two leading multilatinas, and a remarkable Colombian city.

BRAVO Legacy Award
Former President of Brazil Fernando Henrique Cardoso, a thought leader and global voice on democracy, development, and social inclusion, will be recognized for his impact and contributions to the Americas. The policies pursued during his tenure as president generated stability and set the country on a path towards modernization and economic growth.

Visionary CEO of the Year
Marcos Galperín, Founder and CEO of MercadoLibre, has influenced e-commerce and entrepreneurism in Latin America through his leadership and vision for the digitalization of the region. From Mexico City to Buenos Aires, entrepreneurs are following his lead to change the region's commerce landscape. Galperín's leadership has been at the forefront of this movement, helping Latin America come of age in the digital world.

CEO of the Year
CEO of Arca Continental Francisco Garza Egloff, will be recognized for leading the company's performance as one of the world's largest Coca-Cola bottlers. Under Garza, Arca Continental has maintained a leading market position through an extensive distribution network, a diversified products portfolio, and continuous innovation. Despite economic uncertainty facing Latin America, in 2015 Arca Continental increased assets by 63 percent and net sales by 23 percent.

Transformational City of the Year
Mayor Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga will receive the award on behalf of the City of Medellín for its impressive track record of social innovation and dedication to continued modernization and internationalization. The city's Innovation District is already home to over 135 companies from 22 countries and is on its way to becoming Latin America's tech hub.

"These winners round out an exceptional group of leaders," said Americas Society/Council of the Americas President and CEO Susan Segal. "We are delighted to host our first Miami BRAVO awards gala to celebrate those behind some of the most extraordinary and successful stories in business, public service, and the non-profit sector in the Americas."

In recent weeks, COA announced leaders who will also be honored at the 2016 BRAVO Awards:

• José Antonio Meade Kuribreña, Mexico's Secretary of Finance and Public Credit, Innovative Leader of the Year Award.
• Ali Moshiri, President of Chevron Africa and Latin America Exploration and Production Company, Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón, President of Miami Dade College, Civic Leader of the Year Award.
• Patricia Villela Marino, President of the Humanitas360 Institute, Humanitarian of the Year Award.

This year marks the first time the Bravo Awards will be hosted by the Council of the Americas. Preceding the Awards, the Symposium will gather 400 business and policy leaders for a conference, considered to be one of the region's most important forums on economic and social development. For more information, visit bravobusiness.com and follow the conversation via #BRAVObiz.

Sponsors of the Council of the Americas Symposium and 22nd BRAVO Business Awards include: HSBC, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Burson-Marsteller, AES, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America, The Boston Consulting Group, Bombardier, Chubb, Emerson, Microsoft, and Softtek. Partners include CNN, Financial Times and ProMéxico.

The Symposium is organized in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank.

Council of the Americas (COA) is the premier international business organization whose members share a common commitment to economic and social development, open markets, the rule of law, and democracy throughout the Western Hemisphere. The Council's membership consists of leading international companies representing a broad spectrum of sectors, including banking and finance, consulting services, consumer products, energy and mining, manufacturing, media, technology, and transportation.

SOURCE Council of the Americas