Hans-Joachim Kohlsdorf, President of the Board of Directors at the Trust of the Americas and Managing Partner, Efficient Ideas S.A Born on July 31, 1958 in Guayaquil, Ecuador. His youth and professional life developed in Bogotá, Colombia. The Universidad de los Andes trained him as an economist. He started his professional career in 1982 at Siemens Bogotá. In 1988 he transferred to Siemens AG World Headquarters in Munich/Germany, where he worked for Controlling Latin America and as Commercial Manager for the Audiology Division of Siemens. In 1994 Hans-Joachim took up the position of Commercial Vice-President for the entire Siemens operation in Bogotá and two years later the much larger operation in Mexico City. In 1999 he went to Munich/Germany again, this time as Member of the Board of ICM (Information and Communication Mobile). In 2001, after taking the Advanced Management Program in HARVARD, Hans-Joachim returned to Bogotá as President of Siemens in the Andean Region and in 2003 his professional career culminated in an even larger challenge: President and CEO of Siemens Mesoamerica in Mexico City, where he is located until today together with his wife and two children. During the last years under his guidance Siemens Mesoamerica has inaugurated 3 factories achieving important successes in: industrial automation, power generation and Health Care. Since June 2009 he is Managing Partner at Efficient Ideas S.A de C.V. in Mexico City, a company that participates in Energy and Health Projects. Hans-Joachim is currently also President of the Board of Directors at the Trust for the Americas in Washington DC, a foundation affiliated to the OAS and at TecnoLite S.A. de C.V., a Lightning Company located in Guadalajara. He also serves on the Board of Postensa Wind Structures and at another foundation, ParaLife, both located in Mexico City. Starting January 2010 he joined ADVENT, one of the largest Private Equity Funds, as Operating Partner. He supports companies in raising Equity and successfully growing the business. .