Pedersen & Partners Appoints Board Services Head
April 22, 2016 – Executive search firm Pedersen & Partners has added Paola Gutierrez Velandia to its Madrid team as head of board services for Iberia and Latin America.
Ms. Gutierrez Velandia has over 16 years of market leading expertise in working with a wide range of clients and key stakeholders in the areas of corporate governance, board services, shareholder engagement, and public affairs across Latin America, U.S., MENA and Central Europe. She has extensive experience in emerging markets, where she has led board assessments, due diligences and corporate governance advisory projects for listed and privately owned entities.
Previously, Ms. Gutierrez Velandia served as Spain and Latin America director for Georgeson, a world leader in shareholder services and proxy solicitation. At Georgeson, she established the company’s regional strategy to develop corporate governance advisory services for top level publicly listed corporations and investors.
Earlier in her career, she led and developed the corporate governance units and departments for the Colombian Confederation of Chambers of Commerce, and for a corporate consulting firm from Spain. In addition, she is a renowned author of research papers in the fields of corporate governance, board evaluation, shareholder engagement and governance risk management, and has published in international and national journals and magazines.
“Paola is an exceptional corporate governance strategist. Her commitment and dedication to clients has made a significant impact on the businesses that have engaged her,” said Alberto Bocchieri, partner, co-head of Iberia and Latin America at Pedersen & Partners. “Increasing market regulation and the new international standards for corporate governance are having a strong impact on executive search demand for non-executive and executive directors in the areas of governance, risk and compliance, sustainability and investor relations. I am sure that Paola will bring unparalleled expertise and knowledge in this field to our clients.”
“A corporate board practice for Iberia and Latin America will allow us to address complex issues at board level that our clients are facing and provide effective leadership board solutions,” said Alvaro Arias Echeverría, partner in charge of Iberia and Latin America at Pedersen & Partners. “With Paola at the helm, our team will build a strong foundation for board services around the world.”
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“I look forward to using my experience and skills to realize the firm’s projects and goals,” said Ms. Gutierrez Velandia. “I am confident that my colleagues and I will build a competitive, creative and resourceful board services practice in Iberia & Latin America, and across the globe.”
Pedersen & Partners has recently expanded its footprint in various parts of the globe.
Just recently, the firm named Frank Behrendt as a principal and head of its financial services practice group in Africa. Mr. Behrendt is an emerging markets specialist and has originated and executed senior level searches for banks and financial institutions across Asia Pacific while based in Singapore, and Pan-Africa from London and Johannesburg.
Pedersen & Partners also opened a new office in Lisbon, Portugal. Margarita Hernández now serves as the firm’s country manager for Portugal and also oversees executive search engagements in Angola. She joined the firm from Accenture.
The firm also opened a new office in Mexico City. Luis Miguel Vilatela joined the firm as the country manager for Mexico and head the Mexico City office. This became Pedersen & Partners’ seventh established office in the Americas, following the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru.
Contributed by Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor, Hunt Scanlon Media
