The Latin American Business Club and the Latin American Student Association co-presented "Understanding Latin American Business: A Conversation with Jaime Gilinski" which explores the nuances of doing business in Latin America through the lens of one of the top business leaders in the region. The conversation was moderated by Ricardo Ernst, Baratta Chair in Global Business, executive director of the Latin American Leadership Program, and co-director of the Global Logistics Research Program.
This event was organized in collaboration with the Global Business Initiative (GBI), the Georgetown Americas Institute (GAI) as part of its Conversations with Leaders Series, and the Latin America Leadership Program (LALP) and with the support of Por Colombia.
Jaime Gilinski is one of the most important business leaders and deal-makers in Latin America. Born in Cali, Colombia, and a graduate of Georgia Tech and Harvard Business School, Gilinski began his career as a mergers and acquisitions banker at Morgan Stanley before building an empire of series of bank acquisitions. Last year, he launched Lulo Bank, the first digital bank in Colombia which recently reached a $400 million valuation. Gilinski also is involved in major real estate developments, including Panama Pacifico, residential and commercial development in Panama — one of the biggest property development projects across the globe. Most recently, he has become the largest shareholder of Grupo Sura, one of the largest financial services companies in Latin America, and Grupo Nutresa, one of the leading food companies in Latin America.
In addition to his significant philanthropic endeavors in Colombia, Gilinski is the chair of capital projects for The Chabad House at Harvard University. Through the Jaime and Raquel Gilinski Endowment, he supports the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard. The Gilinskis also established the Jaime and Raquel Gilinski Fellowship at Harvard Business School, awarded to MBA students from Colombia and Panama, with a secondary preference for students from other Latin American countries.