TOP 10 CFOs 2018

Argentina

Leandro Montero,

Montero has been the chief financial officer of electricity distributor Edenor since 2012. Before joining Edenor, he was controller and served at the investment group of Pampa Energía (2008-2012). Throughout his career he has held several positions within Pampa Energía and . Montero holds a degree in Public Accounting from Universidad de (1998) and an MBA from the IAE Business School (2005). Recently, he also completed a Top Management Program (2015) in the same university. Edenor was the Latin American company that most improved its financial stability indicators during 2017:

• Liabilities-sales ratio fell 42.4 percentage points (to 99.6% from 142%) • Gross debt-equity ratio fell 378 percentage points (to 401% from 780%) • Annual average ROIC increased 20 percentage points (to 14.8% from -5.2%)

Alejandro Basso, TGS

Basso is the chief financial officer and services VP of Transportadora de Gas del Sur, Argentina's largest gas extractor. Previously, he was vice chairman at TGS’s subsidiary Transporte y Servicios de Gas in Uruguay. He also served as member of the Board of Telcosur and Emprendimientos de Gas del Sur. Between 1987 and 1994 he worked with Pérez Companc. Basso holds a degree in Public Accounting from the Universidad de Buenos Aires. In 2017, he was instrumental in improving TGS's financial indicators:

• Liabilities-sales ratio fell 18.4 percentage points (to 68% from 86%) • Gross debt-equity ratio fell 70.5 percentage points (to 85% from 155%) • Annual average ROIC increased 18.3 percentage points (to 45.9% from 27.6%)

Norberto Romero,

Romero has held the position of chief financial officer at aluminum maker Aluar since September 2009. Before, he served in different positions at Loma Negra (InterCement) between 2000 and 2009. He went through positions such as: controller, director of control, management and investments, and director of the concrete division. He is a Public Accountant from the Universidad de Buenos Aires and holds an eMBA from IAE Business School. By end of 2017, Aluar had some of the most solid financial indicators among Argentine companies:

• Liabilities-sales ratio was 32.9% (fell 4 percentage points) • Gross debt-equity was 9.7% (fell 12.6 percentage points) • Annual average ROIC was 27.9% (increased 8.4 percentage points).

Gabriel Pablo Blasi,

Blasi is the chief financial officer at Telecom Argentina since October 2017. Previously, he served as director at Brasilagro Cia Brasileira de Propiedades Agricolas; CFO at Grupo Newsan; and director of BACS, Banco de Credito y Securitizacion. Blasi has a long career as financial director of important Argentine companies such as (2011-2016), IRSA Propiedades Comerciales (2004-2011) and Cresud (2004-2001). He has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Universidad de Buenos Aires, a master's degree in finance from CEMA and a certificate in senior management and business administration from IAE Business School. Blasi is the only CFO that has made it to this ranking two consecutive times, by improving his company's financial performance even more than the previous year:

• Liabilities-sales ratio was 51.6% (fell 1 percentage point) • Gross debt-equity was 51.2% (fell 8.7 percentage points) • Annual average ROIC was 23.6% (increased 5 percentage points).

Brazil

Roberto Bellissimo Rodrigues, Magazine Luiza

Bellissimo is the chief financial officer and investor relations officer of Brazilian retailer Magaazine Luiza since 2010. He joined the company in 2001 and held positions as head of the budget department, managing controller and chief controller. His professional career began in Bradesco BBI, in the capital markets division, between 1997 and 2001. He obtained his degree in business administration at Fundação Getulio Vargas in 1997. Magazine Luiza is the Brazilian company with the best improvement in its financial results in 2017:

• Liabilities-sales ratio fell 13 percentage points (to 44.6% from 57.6%) • Gross debt-equity ratio fell 255 percentage points (to 42% from 297%) • Annual average ROIC increased in 10.6 percentage points (to 30.1% from 19.5%)

Ivo Marcon Brum, SLC Agricola

Marcon Brum is the chief financial officer and investor relations officer of SLC Agricola since February 2010. Previously, he served as chief accounting and tax officer at Zamprogna and administrative and compliance officer at NSG Capital Group. He also worked as controller and accountant in other companies at the beginning of his career. Marcon is an Accountant from the Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, and holds an MBA from Fundação Getulio Vargas. In 2017, SLC Agricola achieved a relevant improvement in key financial indicators:

• Liabilities-sales ratio fell 53 percentage points (to 116% from 170%) • Gross debt-equity ratio fell 13.5 percentage points (to 59% from 72%) • Annual average ROIC increased in 8.6 percentage points (to 10.5% from 1.9%)

Chile

Gino Manríquez Ossandón, Multiexport Foods

Manriquez has been the chief financial officer of Multiexport Foods since 2016. He was a professor of accounting and decision making at the Universidad Católica de Chile (2013-16) and Universidad de los Andes in Chile (2009-12). In parallel, he also worked as a controller at Empresas La Polar (2011-16), LarrainVial (2007-11) and Corpbanca Venezuela (2004-07). He was also deputy manager of financial control at Dresdner Bank Lateinamerika, Chile (1999-2004). He holds a degree in commercial engineering and an MBA, both from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Multiexport Foods is the Chilean company with the strongest financial indicators by the end of 2017, thanks in part to that year's outstanding performance:

• Liabilities-sales ratio fell 22 percentage points (to 48% from 70%) • Gross debt-equity ratio fell 22 percentage points (to 31% from 53%) • Annual average ROIC increased in 8.9 percentage points (to 24.7% from 15.8%)

Colombia

Ferdinando Voto Lucia, Biomax Colombia

Voto Lucia is the chief financial officer of Biomax Colombia since September 2013. He has served in many financial management positions at Grupo Terra companies. He was CFO at Unopetrol (2009-13), investment manager at Grupo Terra (2004-09) and CFO and privatization coordinator at Enitel (2001-04). He holds a degree in business administration and an MBA from the University of South Florida, and has attended administration and finance courses at INCAE and the University of Chicago. Biomax is the Colombian company with the strongest financial status by the end of 2017, despite its slight slip during the year.

• Liabilities-sales ratio was 14.5% (fell 0.5 percentage points) • Gross debt-equity was 105% (fell 4 percentage points) • Annual average ROIC was 16% (fell 7 percentage points).

Mexico

Antonio Zamora Galland, Genomma Lab

Zamora is the executive VP and chief financial officer of Genomma Lab since December 2015. Previously, he was de CFO and VP of Grupo Lala (2010-2014). He also served as strategic and financial planning director at PepsiCo Americas Foods for Central America and the Caribbean, and was a business consultant at Europraxis Consulting and senior managing director at McKinsey & Company in Mexico, Spain and Portugal. He holds a degree in industrial engineering form Universidad Panamericana, and an MBA from Stanford University. Under his management, the financial indicators of Genomma Lab have shown the greatest improvements among large Mexican companies:

• Liabilities-sales ratio fell 5.6 percentage points (to 73.2% from 78.8%) • Gross debt-equity ratio fell 20.8 percentage points (to 81.9% from 102.7%) • Annual average ROIC increased in 22.2 percentage points (to 13.9% from -8.3%)

Peru

Claudia Torres, Milpo

Torres is the chief financial officer of miner Compañia Minera Milpo since November 2014. She came to this position after climbing up the entire ladder of financial positions within the company. She was financial manager (2004-14), financial analyst (2001-04) and financial assistant (2001) at Milpo. She holds a degree in business administration from Universidad del Pacífico and a MBA from INSEAD. Milpo is the Peruvian company with the best financial performance in 2017:

• Liabilities-sales ratio was 94.5% (fell 30 percentage points) • Gross debt-equity was 59% (increased 9.3 percentage points) • Annual average ROIC was 33.6% (increased 11 percentage points)

Sources: Economatica, Reuters, LinkedIn, Companies' Websites. © Copyright Latin Trade