On February 28, 2019 AGEXPORT celebrated its annual meeting where attendees voted for its 2019-2021 Directory Board and learned about the strategic plans that the institution will pursue on 2019. It was also the night to remember important achievements of 2018, which includes reaching US$11 billion in exports of more than 4,000 different Guatemalan products.
On 2018 we faced several external difficulties to export our products, including a strong drop in commodity prices. Nevertheless, we managed to reach the US$11 billion in exports, with a slight increase of 0.3% compared to 2018. This figure, though, keeps challenging us to develop different programs to have our exports reach even higher figures. Nevertheless, we do want to recognize the effort that our members make and the added-value they give to the country, which is why while the country’s exports grew only 0.3%, exports of our member companies grew 7.5%, said Mr. Antonio Malouf, former AGEXPORT President.
Following the presentation of the 2019 strategic plans, AGEXPORT’s members voted for its 2019-2021 Directory Board, electing Mrs. Connie de Paiz as the institution’s first woman president.
The opportunity that AGEXPORT gives me to assume as president of this institution is a great commitment with Guatemala, with the more than 1,000 companies represented in AGEXPORT and also with the large number of Guatemalan families that are urged to find job opportunities which can be created if we increase our exports of goods and services. I guarantee my total commitment with the responsibility that exporters are trusting in me for the upcoming two years. I also invite the new generations of exporting firms, women and everyone related with the exports value-chain to develop innovative projects to continue transforming Guatemala to an exporting country, said AGEXPORT’s new president Mrs. Connie de Paiz.
One of the main projects that the new Directory Board plans for 2019 is the establishment of the special committee Young AGEXPORT (‘AGEXPORT Joven’), creating a new generation of business leaders.
Other key projects on the pipeline for 2019-2020 are: promoting AGEXPORT’s public policy plan “Taking Back the Pathway to Create Formal Employment Opportunities” which will be presented to all candidates presidential candidates; train more exporting firms to successfully export goods and services through AGEXPORT’s “Export Pathway” program, offer more electronic services, expand the number of agriculture products offered abroad, attract more businesses to join the Association, develop two innovative projects related with e-commerce and health tourism; and develop a statistics system to quantify our services exports; said Mrs. de Paiz.
AGEXPORT’s 2019-2021 Directory Board:
President: Mrs. Consuelo de Paiz (Manufacturing)
Vice-President: Mr. Guillermo Montano (Services)
Directors: Mr. Javier Castillo (Manufacturing)
Mr. Carlos Gabriel Biguria, (Aquaculture)
Mr. Manuel Gordo (Contact Center)
Mr. Carlos Arias (Garments & Textiles)
Mr. Francisco Ralda (Manufcturing)
Mr. Jorge Mario del Cid (Agriculture)
Mr. Estuardo Castro (Agriculture)
Mr. Devadit Barahona (Services)
Mrs. Luisa Villavicencio (Manufacturing)
Mr. Alfonso Muralles (Services)
Mr. Antonio Malouf (Garments & Textiles)
Mrs. Leticia Salazar (Services)
Mr. Francisco Viteri (Agriculture)
Mr. Francisco José Menéndez (Manufacturing)
Mr. Amador Carballido (AGEXPORT’S CEO)
Mrs. Fanny D. Estrada, AGEXPORT Public Relations Manager
