Challenges & Opportunities for Investment in the New Global Economic Landscape

William F. Maloney received his BA from Harvard University and his PhD in economics from the University of California Berkeley. Prior to his current role at the World Bank, he was Chief Economist for Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions, and Trade and Competitiveness; he was also Global Lead on Innovation and Productivity. 

His work has been referenced in The New York Times, the Financial Times, and The Economist as well as in press throughout Latin America and Asia. According to Research Papers in Economics (RePec), Maloney is ranked among the top 10% of economists worldwide, based on publications and scholarly citations. 

Karla Flores holds an economics degree from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and a master's in applied Macroeconomics from the same university.  

Before becoming the Director of InvestChile, she served as Chief Economist and led the agency’s Development and Policy Advocacy Unit. She was also senior international consultant in the Integration and Trade Sector at the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) for the southern cone, and economist in Financial Stability Management at the Banco Central de Chile. 

Amparo Cornejo holds a degree in Journalism from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and a postgraduate degree in Political Science from the same institution. In 2004, she transitioned into the sustainability field, becoming Corporate and Government Affairs Manager at the Canadian chemical company Methanex. After ten years, she joined Teck Resources as Director of Corporate Affairs and Social Responsibility. Four years later, she was promoted to Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs in Chile and, in parallel, became the first woman to join the National Mining Society (SONAMI). 

After leading Teck’s Sustainability and Corporate Affairs division for South America, in 2025 she assumed the role at the global level. Additionally, at PDAC 2025 she received international recognition for the Originarias program — developed in partnership with UN Women — which has strengthened the inclusion of more than 3,000 women in the Chilean mining sector. She also serves as a board member of the Chilean Pacific Foundation and the Chilean-Canadian Chamber of Commerce. 

Ana Lía Rojas is an Economist, with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Administration from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. With over 20 years of experience in the energy sector, she previously served as Chief of Staff at the National Energy Commission and Chief of Staff at the Ministry of National Defense. Subsequently, she held positions as General Manager of Enhol Chile Group, Sales Leader at Gamesa Corporación Tecnológica, and Leader of New Business Development at Saesa Group.  

The Renewable Energy and Storage Association (ACERA) was founded in 2003 and currently represents around 150 members including developers, generators, and national and foreign suppliers across the entire value chain of the renewable energy industry. 

Gloria Hutt is a civil engineer from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and has more than 30 years of experience in the transportation and infrastructure sectors. She served as Chile’s Minister of Transport and Telecommunications (2018–2022) and as Undersecretary of Transport (2010–2014) within the same Ministry. From those positions, she led major structural processes such as the reform of the public transport contractual model, the large-scale incorporation of electromobility, the use of technologies for road safety, the tender for 5G mobile technology, the national fiber-optic project, and the initiative for a fiber-optic cable to Asia. 

In the private sector, she was a partner and regional director for Latin America for 12 years at Steer Davies Gleave, a British consultancy, where she oversaw operations in Chile, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and Mexico. Currently, as president of COPSA, she contributes her technical and strategic vision to strengthen the development of the sector, with a focus on road safety and quality of service. 

She is a journalist from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and holds a diploma in marketing from the same institution. She is also a mentor at WoomUp. She served as Communications Manager at EuroAmerica, where she worked for seven years. Prior to that, she worked in media outlets such as El Mercurio and Canal 13, focusing on economic issues. 

She later worked as External Communications Coordinator for the CGE Group, and from 2010 to 2013 held the same position at the Ministry of Education. 

After her public-sector experience, Pilar decided to return to her financial roots and became Communications Director at Cumplo, a position she held until 2015, when she began her work at ACAFI. 

Jose started his career with Patria in 2013, joining from Blackstone. At that time, he had a key role in the successful private placement of Hidrovias. Since then, Jose has been leading Patria Infrastructure Latam efforts, excluding Brazil. He has also contributed to the development of Corporate M&A initiatives and fundraising. 

His accomplishments include the establishment of the Chilean office in Santiago; the creation, development and co-investment of Aguas Pacifico desalination platform in Chile; the investment and divestment of Atis towers in Argentina; 

and building Patria Infrastructure’s presence in Colombia’s toll road sector. 

Oltmann Ahlers is the Head of Latin America at Manova Partners, overseeing operations in Mexico, Chile, and Peru. He joined the firm in 2016, previously holding roles in transactions, asset management, and business development. 

 Prior to Manova, Ahlers led mixed-use projects at Metro de Santiago, Chile. He holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Real Estate from Columbia University. 

Macarena is an attorney from the University of Chile and became Country Managing Partner in 2018, becoming the first woman to hold that position among the Big Four firms in Chile. She also chairs EY Chile’s Executive Committee, has been part of EY’s Americas Inclusiveness Council since 2016, and is a member of EY’s Regional Board for South Latin America. 

With more than 25 years of experience, Macarena has built a distinguished professional and business leadership career. She is a member of Inbest, Icare, Comunidad Mujer, Chapter Zero, Mujer Impacta, Fundación Pro Bono, the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), and the International Women’s Forum (IWF). 

She has also served as a counselor at Sofofa for four years, sat on the board of the Chilean-North American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) for six years, and has been repeatedly recognized among the ‘100 Women Leaders in Chile’.