Date: Thursday 12 October 2017
Time: 9.00 – 13.30 (including lunch)
Venue: Central London
This year’s half-day Panama Invest conference took place on Thursday 12th October from 9.00-14.00 at The Skinner’s Hall in the heart of the City of London.
The event brought together a number of high-level speakers including Panamanian and British Ministers, Ambassadors and a range of senior business figures both from Panama and from international companies who will speak about their experience of doing business in the region using Panama as a base and why for them Panama is the Gateway to Latin America. For a full list of speakers and final agenda, please see below.
The opening plenary session served as an introduction to Panama’s business climate and the current opportunities and support available to foreign investors. Following this plenary, attendees had the opportunity to attend one of two breakout sessions. These three panels explored different opportunities and investor perspectives on:
- Panama as a hub for Multinationals
- Connectivity: Panama’s unique value for multi-modal logistics and energy distribution
Before participants had the chance to network over a buffet lunch, everyone reconvened for a closing plenary session to hear summaries from the other panels and the closing remarks for the day.
Throughout the day, there was be plenty of opportunity for discussion and exchange with all of the speakers and panelists.
Final Agenda
8.20-9.00: Registration and Tea & Coffee
9.00-9.10: Welcoming Words by HE Daniel Fábrega Venier, Ambassador of the Republic of Panama to the UK (C)
9.10-9.15: Introductions by event moderator: Jacopo Dettoni, Deputy Editor, FDi Magazine – Financial Times (C)
9.15- 9.25: The Rt Hon Sir Alan Duncan KCMG MP, Minister of State for Europe and the Americas, Foreign & Commonwealth Office (C)
9.25-9.50: Panama – The Gateway to Latin America: Hon Augusto Arosemena Moreno, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Panama (C)
9.50- 10.00: Q&A with Minister led by event moderator: Jacopo Dettoni, Deputy Editor, FDi Magazine – Financial Times (C)
10.00-10.30: Coffee Break
10.30-11.45: Break out sector sessions in different rooms with panels of experts focusing on the following:
Panel A: Connectivity: Panama´s unique value for multimodal logistics and energy distribution
Moderator: John Manners-Bell, CEO, Transport Intelligence (C)
- ‘Panama’s National Logistics Strategy 2030’
Alberto Alemán, Director, PROINVEX (C)
Mr. Gilberto Ferrari, General Manager, Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica S.A. (C)
Roger Savage, Client Director, Cities and International Development, Atkins Global (C)
Kristina Lund, CFO – Strategic Business Unit for Europe and Asia, The AES Corporation (C)
- ‘Building and operating a renewable energy plant in Panama’
Neil Perry, CFO, Solarcentury (C)
- ‘Liverpool and Panama logistics connection’
Bernard Molloy, Global Industrial Logistics Director, Unipart Logistics (C)
Q&A
Panel B: Hub for Multinationals
Moderator: Chris Bennett, Managing Director, The Caribbean Council (C)
- ‘Crafting a business environment which is globally competitive’
Hon Augusto Arosemena Moreno, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Panama (C)
- ‘Panama-Pacifico – Providing a home for multinational companies’
Ian Livingstone, Executive Chairman, London & Regional Properties (C)
- ‘GSK and Panama – a long-term partnership’
Fabio Landazabal, Senior Vice President for Emerging Markets, GSK (C)
- ‘Panama – Our regional hub’
Nick Panes, Senior Partner, Control Risks (C)
- ‘Connecting the region to the world through Panama’
Sabrina Diamante, Regional Sales Manager, Copa Airlines (C)
HE Damion Potter, British Ambassador to Panama (C)
Q&A
Final Plenary Session
Moderator: Jacopo Dettoni, Deputy Editor, FDi Magazine – Financial Times (C)
11:45– 12.15 Panel summaries with Q&A
- Multimodal logistics, distribution and trade: Alberto Alemán, Director, PROINVEX (C)
- Opportunities in the Energy sector: Mr. Gilberto Ferrari, General Manager, Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica S.A. (C)
- Multinationals: Hon Augusto Arosemena, Minister of Commerce and Industries (C)
- HE Daniel Fábrega Venier, Ambassador of the Republic of Panama to the UK (C)
12:15 – 12:30: Event moderator closing remarks
12.30-13.30 Buffet lunch and networking
(C) = Confirmed (I) = Invited
