Dr. Casilda Güell, Dean of OBS, participates in the 10th Multilatinas Business Summit
The Dean of OBS Business School takes part in a strategic forum on economic relations between Europe and Latin America
From July 16 to 18, the Menéndez Pelayo International University (UIMP) in Santander hosted the 10th Multilatinas Business Summit — a key platform for strategic dialogue between Europe and Latin America, held this year under the theme of integration, sustainable development, and Ibero-America’s global projection.
Organized by the Ibero-American Business Foundation, the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), and the State Secretariat for Ibero-America, the Caribbean and Spanish in the World, and supported by institutions such as the IDB, CAF, and the ICO Foundation, the forum brought together political, business, and academic leaders over three days with the aim of strengthening economic, social, and cultural ties between the two regions.
In this context, Dr. Casilda Güell, Dean of OBS Business School, played a prominent role as moderator of the roundtable “European Union and Latin America,” held on Wednesday, July 17. The panel featured renowned experts and institutional representatives, including Luis Jiménez-McInnis (IDB), Ignacio Corlazzoli (CAF), Félix Fernández-Shaw (European Commission), José Antonio García Belaúnde (Euro-Lat Foundation), José Eugenio Salarich (Acciona), Ramón Jáuregui (Euroamérica Foundation), Ángel Melguizo (Argia-GT&E), and Marta Blanco (CEOE Internacional).
This high-level discussion highlighted the need to strengthen strategic alliances between Europe and Latin America, as well as to move toward more sustainable, equitable, and resilient economic models, in a global context marked by uncertainty, digital transformation, and environmental challenges.
The Future of the Region
Throughout the three-day summit, other key topics were addressed to ensure a prosperous future for the region, including the structural reforms needed in Latin America, the role of security as a driver for attracting foreign investment, and the transformative power of culture, sports, tourism, and education as pillars of regional cohesion and sustainable development.
The forum also featured a compelling debate on gender equality in business leadership — an urgent issue not only from a social perspective but also an economic one. Based on a report by the Ibero-American General Secretariat — which warns it could take up to 130 years to achieve gender parity in the region — the discussion focused on how this inequality impacts competitiveness and economic growth. The conclusions pointed to gender equality as an essential condition for sustainable development and a shared challenge that calls for public-private commitment, active policies, and transformative leadership.
Once again, the Multilatinas Business Summit has established itself as an international benchmark for dialogue and joint action between Europe and Latin America, promoting a shared vision for a more integrated, innovative, and inclusive Ibero-America.
