Luis Guillermo Plata Páez
Encyclopedia
Luis Guillermo Plata Páez is a Colombian Business Administrator who served as Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism
of Colombia
from 2007 to 2010 and before as President of Proexport from 2002 to 2007, both during the administration of president Álvaro Uribe Vélez.
, he has been nominated for three consecutive times as one of the Top Business Leaders in Colombia, and the Government of Colombia has bestowed upon him the Order of Merit to Democracy, in the grade of Grand Commander, and the Order of St Charles, in the grade of Grand Officer.
Plata graduated from the University of Arizona
with a Bachelor of Business Administration
, and received his Master of Business Administration
from Harvard Business School
.
where he eventually became the Director of Proexport’s commercial office in Tokyo, then took charge of the agency’s office in Taipei
, with responsibility also as correspondent for Hong Kong
.
In 1999, he moved to Silicon Valley
where he Co-founded Simplexis.com, an e-procurement
solutions provider for public sector institutions with an initial focus on educational institutions, with former Governor of Tennessee and U.S. Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander
and three other Harvard Business School MBA graduates. In 2001, Plata returned to Bogotá, where he worked with McKinsey & Company
as an associate consultant.
In 2002, after having worked for Álvaro Uribe Vélez's successful campaign during the Colombian presidential election
as Executive Director and Legal Representative, the President-elect nominated Plata for the post of President of Proexport, a government agency responsible for the definition and execution of the strategy to fuel Colombia’s economic growth through Trade, Tourism
and Foreign Direct Investment
. After taking office, Plata streamlined the agency by closing and relocating Proexport offices abroad, including the offices the closure of the Tokyo and Taipei offices where he began his career, and putting an emphasis on other to work from the Colombian Embassies to reduce the red tape
in trading abroad; A new payment plan was put in place, that changed the pay scheme to link trade growth and investment to employee's salaries to generate productivity.
On October 2006, President Uribe nominated Plata to replace Jorge Humberto Botero Angulo as Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism
. Plata took office on January 16, 2007 vowing to continue pushing for the United States – Colombia Free Trade Agreement. Plata served in this post until Uribe left office on August 7, 2010.
Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism or MCIT, is the national executive ministry of the Government of Colombia concerned with promoting economic growth though trade, tourism and industrial growth.-Ministers:...
of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
from 2007 to 2010 and before as President of Proexport from 2002 to 2007, both during the administration of president Álvaro Uribe Vélez.
Personal life
Luis Guillermo Plata is married to Lyana Latorre and have one son, Guillermo, he is a biking enthusiast and an avid traveller. In 2006 he was selected as one of the Young Global Leaders by the World Economic ForumWorld Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
, he has been nominated for three consecutive times as one of the Top Business Leaders in Colombia, and the Government of Colombia has bestowed upon him the Order of Merit to Democracy, in the grade of Grand Commander, and the Order of St Charles, in the grade of Grand Officer.
Plata graduated from the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
with a Bachelor of Business Administration
Bachelor of Business Administration
The Bachelor of Business Administration is a bachelor's degree in Commerce and business administration. In most universities, the degree is conferred upon a student after four years of full-time study in one or more areas of business concentrations; see below...
, and received his Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
from Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
.
Career
Plata began his career in the public service in the early 90's in the Trade Office of the Embassy of Colombia in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
where he eventually became the Director of Proexport’s commercial office in Tokyo, then took charge of the agency’s office in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, with responsibility also as correspondent for Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
In 1999, he moved to Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
where he Co-founded Simplexis.com, an e-procurement
E-procurement
E-procurement is the business-to-business or business-to-consumer or Business-to-government purchase and sale of supplies, Work and services through the Internet as well as other informations and networking systems, such as Electronic Data Interchange and Enterprise Resource Planning.E-procurement...
solutions provider for public sector institutions with an initial focus on educational institutions, with former Governor of Tennessee and U.S. Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander
Lamar Alexander
Andrew Lamar Alexander is the senior United States Senator from Tennessee and Conference Chair of the Republican Party. He was previously the 45th Governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, United States Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993 under President George H. W...
and three other Harvard Business School MBA graduates. In 2001, Plata returned to Bogotá, where he worked with McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company, Inc. is a global management consulting firm that focuses on solving issues of concern to senior management. McKinsey serves as an adviser to many businesses, governments, and institutions...
as an associate consultant.
In 2002, after having worked for Álvaro Uribe Vélez's successful campaign during the Colombian presidential election
Colombian presidential election, 2002
Presidential elections were held in Colombia on 26 May 2002. They were won by Álvaro Uribe. Íngrid Betancourt, the candidate for the Oxygen Green Party, was kidnapped while campaigning. She was rescued safely in July 2008, six and a half years later....
as Executive Director and Legal Representative, the President-elect nominated Plata for the post of President of Proexport, a government agency responsible for the definition and execution of the strategy to fuel Colombia’s economic growth through Trade, Tourism
Tourism in Colombia
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism is the Colombian ministry in charge of tourism affairs. During the most famous festivals such as the Cali's Fair, the Barranquilla's Carnival, the Bogota Summer Festival, the Ibero-American Theater Festival and the Flower Festival is when the most...
and Foreign Direct Investment
Foreign direct investment
Foreign direct investment or foreign investment refers to the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor.. It is the sum of equity capital,other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in...
. After taking office, Plata streamlined the agency by closing and relocating Proexport offices abroad, including the offices the closure of the Tokyo and Taipei offices where he began his career, and putting an emphasis on other to work from the Colombian Embassies to reduce the red tape
Red tape
Red tape is excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules that is considered redundant or bureaucratic and hinders or prevents action or decision-making...
in trading abroad; A new payment plan was put in place, that changed the pay scheme to link trade growth and investment to employee's salaries to generate productivity.
On October 2006, President Uribe nominated Plata to replace Jorge Humberto Botero Angulo as Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism
Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism or MCIT, is the national executive ministry of the Government of Colombia concerned with promoting economic growth though trade, tourism and industrial growth.-Ministers:...
. Plata took office on January 16, 2007 vowing to continue pushing for the United States – Colombia Free Trade Agreement. Plata served in this post until Uribe left office on August 7, 2010.