Former Commerce Minister María Claudia Lacouture Named Executive Director of AmCham Colombia

Former Colombian Minister of Commerce María Claudia Lacouture has been named as the new executive director of the Colombo-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham). She will officially take over next week on October 3, the AmCham board of directors has announced.

Maria Claudia Lacouture, former commerce minister of Colombia and president of ProColombia, will now head the leading agency to promote bilateral relations with the United States.

The top position in the bilateral trade promotion entity, which dates back to 1955, was vacated in July when long-time director and experienced diplomat Camilo Reyes was tasked by President Juan Manuel Santos to take over as Colombia’s new ambassador to the United States.

José Luis Sánchez, president of the board of AmCham Colombia, said that the organization will look to Lacouture to lead the organization during challenging economic times and “open up new spaces for interaction that boost business between both countries.”

Lacouture served as commerce minister for the Santos administration from May 2016 until last month.

Before becoming the top official in the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism (MinCIT), Lacouture previously served for approximately six years as president of ProColombia, the nation’s public export and foreign investment promotion agency.

She has a background in international relations and economics, earning a masters of economics and marketing from Cornell University in the United States.

“For the chamber, it is an honor for Dr. Lacouture to accept to lead this organization that is constantly seeking to promote trade, investment, and relations with the United States,” said Luis Sánchez.

Photo: María Claudia Lacouture, while serving as Colombia’s minister of commerce, speaking at a MinCIT event. (Credit: MinCIT)