International affairs expert, entrepreneur, and senior executive Carmen Cecilia Caballero Villa is the new president of ProColombia, the government agency responsible for attracting foreign investment and internationally promoting exports, tourism, and the Country Brand.
For seven years, she was one of Colombia’s diplomats in Spain. As Consul General in Seville, she managed to strengthen commercial and cultural relations with the Spanish market, leading various bilateral partnerships focused on culture, migration, and tourism. She worked on the International Treaty on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with the Kingdom of Spain and on activities to identify market and internationalization opportunities for companies. She is recognized for her participation in shareholders' meetings and as secretary and president of the Consular Corps of Seville, Spain.
As a businesswoman, she created and spent seven years managing Casa Imperial, a five-star hotel located in Seville’s historic center. She was head of the projects and interior design department of the autonomous community of Andalusia, where she led the restoration and conservation of luxury tourist establishments.
She has worked as an adviser to the Mayor's Office of Santa Marta, where she was part of the 2012-2015 Economic, Social, and Public Works Development Plan “Santa Marta Equality for All - Children First,” and was also involved in the development of the “2012 Investment Promotion Agency for Santa Marta and the Region.”
Born in Santa Marta, Carmen Cecilia Caballero is a dentist with a degree from the Universidad Metropolitana in Barranquilla. In 2010, she received the Gran Cruz de Bastidas, an award for those who have excelled in their economic and social work in the department of Magdalena.
Caballero Villa takes on ProColombia’s presidency with the aim of boosting people’s economy, reducing inequality, building lasting peace, and positioning Colombia as a world power, all by promoting Colombia abroad.
Led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Tourism, ProColombia will increase support for Colombian non-mining and non-energy exporters in their internationalization processes, with greater emphasis on MSMEs in rural areas or municipalities with less than 200,000 inhabitants. It will also focus on commercial management and preparing companies to capitalize on foreign trade.
Additionally, ProColombia will work to attract more foreign investment for social equality, strengthen human capital and sustainable development, and establish Colombia as a sustainable business hub in Latin America.
In international tourism, ProColombia aims to implement a promotional strategy focused on attracting more high-spending and environmentally-conscious travelers by highlighting the culture, peace, and liveliness of Colombian destinations, where community participation will be fundamental for the creation of sustainable tourism experiences.