Maria Paula Duque Resigns From Avianca, Joins FTI Consulting

Strategic communications and crisis management firm FTI Consulting in Colombia has announced that Maria Paula Duque has joined the international firm as Managing Director within the Strategic Communications segment.

Duque joins FTI Consulting from the Colombian airline Avianca Holdings, where she served as Senior Vice President of Strategic Relations and Director of Customer Experience. For the past five years, Ms. Duque was a key player in structuring the company’s strategy and management of public affairs, sustainability, and crisis management, according to FTI. Duque is also the sister of Colombia’s current President, Ivan Duque.

María Paula brings deep experience in crisis communications and public affairs to FTI Consulting, serving clients in various highly regulated industries globally and within the Colombian market. She will lead the Colombia office together with the Managing Director, Jorge Del Castillo, and will report to Ana Heeren, Senior Managing Director and Director for Latin America for the Strategic Communications segment at FTI Consulting.

Between 2005 to 2016, María Paula held positions as Director of Public Sector and Business Segment in Microsoft Colombia and the Andean region. In addition to her most recent work, Ms. Duque was Vice Minister of the Colombian Ministry of Communications from 2002 to 2005 during the administration of then President Alvaro Uribe, where she focused on redesigning the ministry’s structure and leading social investment projects.

Duque also worked as General Secretary and VP of Regulation at EPM Bogotá Telecom and as General Secretary at Bogotá’s municipally owned telecom utility, ETB (Empresa Telefónica de Bogotá). Duque is also an active member of several Boards of Directors, including Colombian insurance company Seguros Bolivar, and she participates in associations such as Women In Connection and Mujeres TIC.

Photo courtesy FTI Consulting