The award recipients will be celebrated in Miami on November 19 for the extraordinary transformations that have made them key forces in economic progress.
MIAMI, FL, UNITED STATES, September 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Council of the Americas (COA) has unveiled the recipients of the 31st BRAVO Business Awards, set to be celebrated at a ceremony taking place at the Loews Coral Gables Hotel on November 19, 2026.
The event will unite top executives from multinational and multilatina corporations, public sector officials, entrepreneurs, and international investors, spotlighting and paying tribute to exceptional, forward-looking leadership that has spurred innovation, broadened opportunities, and boosted investment throughout the Americas.
"Over the last three decades, the BRAVO Business Awards have celebrated leaders whose vision, tenacity, and dedication have turned their organizations into powerful catalysts for economic growth and sustainable advancement," stated Susan Segal, President and CEO of Americas Society/Council of the Americas. "The honorees this year showcase the creativity and leadership that are fortifying industries, generating possibilities, and fostering prosperity across Latin America. We are thrilled to honor their accomplishments and the enduring influence they are creating throughout the region."
The 2026 award recipients are:
– Roberto Alvo, CEO of LATAM Airlines, is set to receive the BRAVO CEO of the Year Award in recognition of his exceptional stewardship in reshaping LATAM Airlines amid one of the most difficult eras in aviation history, navigating the company through transformations that boosted its financial standing, expedited its digital advancements, and secured its long-term prospects.
– Banco do Brasil will be presented with the BRAVO Legacy Award, with Tarciana Medeiros, CEO of Banco do Brasil, accepting the honor. As Brazil’s oldest financial entity and one of Latin America’s premier banking institutions, Banco do Brasil is acknowledged for its enduring contributions to the country’s economic, social, and sustainable advancement.
– Rappi is slated to receive the BRAVO Beacon of Innovation Award, accepted by co-founder Felipe Villamarín. Originating in Colombia, Rappi was instrumental in pioneering the super app concept in Latin America, transforming how millions obtain goods and services while providing businesses with novel avenues for expansion. Rappi has emerged as one of the region’s most prominent technology firms – and a representative of a cohort demonstrating that groundbreaking innovation can originate in Latin America.
– Carlos Barrera, founder and CEO of Atlas Renewable Energy, will be honored with the BRAVO Innovative CEO of the Year Award for his success in growing the enterprise he established in 2017 into Latin America’s foremost independent renewable energy producer, aiding in hastening the region’s shift toward a more sustainable future.
"Latin America is host to companies and leaders who are propelling innovation, investment, and sustained economic opportunity," remarked Maria Lourdes Teran, vice president of AS/COA Miami and Chair of the BRAVO Business Awards. "We are delighted to acknowledge this year’s BRAVO honorees for their corporate transformation and influence, and to bring together the region’s business community in Miami for a timely discussion about Latin America’s future."
In the lead-up to the BRAVO Business Awards, the Council of the Americas Symposium will gather a distinguished group of C-level executives and senior leaders who are influencing Latin America’s business environment. Serving as Latin America’s foremost forum for business engagement and dialogue, the Symposium’s programming will address the most pertinent issues affecting the global corporate agenda, with an emphasis on Latin America. For this year, topics will encompass the AI economy and the region’s prospects for data center investments and cloud infrastructure, how corporations are utilizing AI to establish competitive edges, the expansion paths some Latin American enterprises are pursuing in the U.S., and the business prospects the region can leverage, among other timely subjects.
2026 BRAVO Honoree Profiles
Roberto Alvo, CEO of LATAM Airlines, will be recognized with the BRAVO CEO of the Year Award.
Having taken on the CEO role at LATAM Airlines in March 2020, Roberto Alvo has guided one of Latin America’s foremost carriers through a particularly turbulent chapter in global aviation history. Following the tough call to enter Chapter 11, Alvo steered LATAM through a thorough financial overhaul and positioned the company for sustained growth and stability. Under his direction, the airline came out stronger, posting its strongest financial results to date while advancing its digital initiatives and boosting operational effectiveness. Throughout this journey, Alvo prioritized people, championing the efforts of LATAM’s roughly 42,000 staff members across the region, who united to rebuild the company more robustly. His dedication to innovation, community, and sustainable aviation has cemented LATAM Airlines’ standing as a top carrier in the Americas.
Banco do Brasil will receive the BRAVO Legacy Award, with Tarciana Medeiros, CEO of Banco do Brasil, accepting.
As Brazil’s oldest financial institution and one of Latin America’s largest banks, Banco do Brasil has been a cornerstone of the nation’s economic and social advancement for over two centuries. The bank has broadened access to financial services, backed key economic sectors, and fostered opportunities for individuals, enterprises, and communities across Brazil. Since becoming the first woman to head Banco do Brasil in January 2023, Medeiros has steered the institution through a phase of substantial change, promoting innovation, financial inclusion, sustainability, and prudent banking practices. Her leadership has bolstered Banco do Brasil’s support for agribusiness, quickened digital transformation, and reinforced the institution’s ability to manage an increasingly intricate financial landscape. Banco do Brasil has also deepened its commitment to sustainable finance, channeling resources toward environmental projects and encouraging investments that aid Brazil’s shift to a more sustainable economy. The bank’s lasting heritage and Medeiros’ progressive leadership highlight how a major financial institution can blend innovation with purpose to deliver sustained value for clients, communities, and society.
Rappi will be honored with the BRAVO Beacon of Innovation Award, accepted by co-founder Felipe Villamarín.
Established in Colombia in 2015, Rappi has evolved from an on-demand delivery startup into one of Latin America’s foremost technology platforms, helping to pioneer the super app model across the region. Over the last decade, Rappi has developed technology linking millions of consumers with restaurants, retailers, and services, while opening new digital revenue streams for hundreds of thousands of businesses and independent entrepreneurs. Its platform has extended well beyond restaurant delivery into fields such as quick commerce, financial services, and strategic technology alliances. Rappi has also achieved positive EBITDA, signaling a significant step in the company’s path toward sustainable growth. Additionally, its influence reaches beyond the platform itself: Rappi has helped show that a technology enterprise founded in Latin America can attain regional reach, draw global investment, cultivate world-class tech talent, and foster a new wave of entrepreneurs throughout the ecosystem. Rappi is recognized not merely for building a business, but for broadening the horizons of what technology companies originating in Latin America can accomplish.
Carlos Barrera, founder and CEO of Atlas Renewable Energy, will be presented with the BRAVO Innovative CEO of the Year Award.
Since establishing Atlas Renewable Energy in February 2017, Carlos Barrera has directed the company’s rise to become Latin America’s largest independent renewable energy producer, with operations spanning Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Uruguay, supplying clean power to some of the region’s most energy-intensive sectors, including mining, metals, data centers, and chemicals. Recognizing early on that scaling clean energy demanded dependable storage alongside new generation capacity, he advocated for investments in technologies that have helped reshape the region’s renewable energy landscape. Under his leadership, Atlas developed flagship initiatives such as BESS del Desierto, Latin America’s first and largest standalone battery energy storage system, along with a range of hybrid solar-plus-storage facilities that have set new benchmarks for renewable energy infrastructure. The company’s ongoing expansion and financial resilience were further underscored in 2025 with a $3 billion corporate-level portfolio refinancing, the largest transaction of its kind in Latin America’s renewable energy sector, signaling robust confidence from global financial institutions in Atlas’s long-term strategy. Beyond its commercial successes, Barrera has woven sustainability, environmental care, and community involvement into the company’s operational framework, showing that large-scale infrastructure projects can produce lasting economic, social, and environmental benefits.
Sponsors: Amazon, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, Chubb Latin America, LLYC, Philip Morris International, Bank of America, Castillo Hermanos, Citi, Moody's, Salesforce, The AES Corporation, BlackRock, FedEx, Grupo Mariposa, SBA Communications.
Knowledge Partner: McKinsey & Company.
Media Partners: Americas Quarterly, Bloomberg Línea, CNN en Español, El País, Exame.
Claudia Torrens
COA
ctorrens@as-coa.org
