A Venezuelan-American entrepreneur with 35 years business experience in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Vanessa started her career working for one of Latin America’s most renowned family conglomerates across the Western Hemisphere, during their time of expansion beyond Venezuela, including a public listing on the New York Stock Exchange. She holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and has established her own business at the intersection of the private sector, public policy and security. Prior to her 2019 appointment as a Special Envoy for Venezuela to the United Kingdom, where she achieved a historic diplomatic win, Vanessa worked with US and UK government agencies and Fortune 50 companies, as well as multilaterals including the OAS and OECD.
Vanessa has a significant track record in oil and gas, infrastructure, stabilization operations, mining, and artificial intelligence. She is appointed to a NATO STO (Science & Technology Organization) working group on artificial intelligence in military operations, is the author of Blood Profits, a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a renowned thought leader in the global media.