Ecuador: Economic Reactivation at the Global Crossroads and the New Commercial Era

After a decade of stagnation, Ecuador finds itself at a critical yet promising moment to revitalize its economy. With its recent return to international markets and progress in strategic trade negotiations — such as those with the United States — the country has the opportunity to launch a new stage of economic and productive development.

In this Development Talk, Minister Luis Alberto Jaramillo will discuss Ecuador’s economic outlook and, in particular, how, amid a backdrop of growing geopolitical tensions and the reconfiguration of global alliances, Ecuador seeks to redefine its positioning to attract investment, boost production, and secure a future of sustained growth and stability.

Speaker: Min. Luis Alberto Jaramillo, Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, and Investment, Ecuador

Moderator: Sebastián Bustos, Senior Research Fellow

Whether attending in person or virtually, please register in advance. Room attendance is permitted for the Harvard community. Boxed lunch will be provided at the end of the event. The Zoom session is open to the public.

Bio: Business leader with more than 30 years of experience in the industrial sector. Industrial and Systems Engineer from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM). Master’s in Marketing from the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL). Expertise in investment projects, productivity, quality, continuous improvement, process analysis and reengineering, process management, information technology, integrated management systems, management indicators, and talent development/coaching. Within his experience in developing successful strategies, he has served as General Manager, Commercial Director, and Advisor at industrial companies such as Industria Cartonera Ecuatoriana S.A. and Grupasa Grupo Papelero S.A. He taught at the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), delivering courses on industrial engineering, international marketing, and market research; at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Production Sciences, and the Institute of Humanistic and Economic Sciences. He has participated in executive programs on continuous improvement and process management at the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and the Central American Institute of Business Administration (INCAE). He previously served as Minister of Economy and Finance and as Director General of the National Customs Service of Ecuador (Senae).

The Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries, regions, states, and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy.