Lyana Latorre to lead The Rockefeller Foundation’s new Regional Office in Bogotá, Colombia

The Rockefeller Foundation has announced Lyana Latorre as vice president and head of its Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). In this role, she will oversee operations that advance the 111-year-old philanthropic organization’s mission to promote the well-being of humanity across the region, while building The Rockefeller Foundation’s first LAC Regional Office in two decades.

Collaborating closely with regional leaders, local stakeholders, and partners, Ms. Latorre will focus on achieving measurable outcomes that benefit both the people of the LAC region and the planet.

“By building partnerships and alliances with relevant players, we will be able to maximize our impact.” – Lyana Latorre.

“I am thrilled Lyana will lead The Rockefeller Foundation’s efforts to advance people-centered climate solutions for sustainable development across Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Elizabeth Yee, Executive Vice President for Programs at The Rockefeller Foundation. “With Bogotá joining our offices in Bangkok and Nairobi, we are strengthening our collective voice in the Global South and fostering collaborations that align with local and regional priorities, while delivering on global goals.”

Ms. Latorre joins The Rockefeller Foundation as it continues its $1 billion commitment to advance the global climate transition and help ensure everyone can participate in it.

“I am thrilled at this opportunity to consolidate and lead new initiatives for The Rockefeller Foundation in Latin America and the Caribbean. By building partnerships and alliances with relevant players, we will be able to maximize our impact. As someone who is from the region, I am particularly motivated to help scale solutions in communities where needs and opportunities are abundant,” said Ms. Latorre.

With nearly three decades of experience in investment banking, environmental, and social impact, Ms. Latorre spent eight years at Arcos Dorados, the world’s largest independent McDonald’s franchisee, operating in 20 LAC countries and territories. During her tenure, Ms. Latorre served as Director for Latin America Ronald McDonald House Charities before becoming Director of Corporate Social Engagement and member of the Management Team, reporting directly to the Executive Chairman. In this role, she developed and led the company’s youth employment strategy, which was later adopted globally by McDonald’s Corporation. Additionally, she grew Ronald McDonald House Charities programs in the region from 21 to 63.

Ms. Latorre began her career as an investment banker with Bank Boston-Robertson Stephens in Boston and later with Nortel Networks in San Francisco before returning to her native Colombia.

Fluent in both Spanish and English, she graduated Summa Cum Laudea from Colegio de Estudios Superiores de Administración (CESA) with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, specializing in Corporate Finance. She later made history as CESA’s first female board director. A dedicated volunteer, she has contributed extensively to the Colombian Red Cross, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and initiatives advancing animal welfare in Colombia. Currently, she serves on the Board of Ayuda en Acción, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to driving social impact and humanitarian projects.

The Rockefeller Foundation Invests in LAC

With more than a century of investing in the region and convening some of its brightest minds, The Rockefeller Foundation set up its first LAC office during the late 1930s, focusing on improving health and agriculture sectors, developing rural communities, and establishing universities. Although its physical presence in the region ended in the early 2000s, the Foundation’s investments have continued, with ongoing projects across an initial ten countries: Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Trinidad and Tobago.

In August 2024, The Rockefeller Foundation announced plans to open a new LAC Regional Office in 2025 in Colombia, which comes at a pivotal moment for the region. Home to 669 million people across 33 diverse countries, LAC is uniquely vulnerable to climate change because of its geographic location, persistent inequality, and reliance on climate-sensitive economic activity. According to the United Nations, climate change threatens the lives and livelihoods of 41 million people in LAC.

The region is already experiencing extreme weather events, including mega-droughts, extreme rainfall, heatwaves, rising sea levels, and deforestation. Despite these challenges, LAC is also endowed with valuable natural assets that position it to play a significant role in the global green transition, including an estimated 50% of the world’s biodiversity and a significant share of critical minerals. In addition, when Brazil hosts the United Nations Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) later this year, it will mark the fifth time in 30 years that an international climate meeting returns to the LAC region.

Headline Image: Lyana Latorre. Photo credit: The Rockefeller Foundation.