Speakers

CEO and founder of Colibri Business Development LLC, a consulting firm focused on helping public and private entities in the energy sector by designing strategies to ensure projects maximize the economic growth of host countries, generate profits, and support the energy transition. She had a 24-year career with ExxonMobil before going independent as a consultant. Ileana joined ExxonMobil (Mobil Oil) in Venezuela in 1998 and spent most of her career in the Global Procurement department, where she gained vast experience in negotiating and executing service contracts for upstream operations in all regions where ExxonMobil has a footprint.

Ileana is a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in international development, who serves as a senior consultant and an agent of change by providing advice on industrial policies (specifically, on localization) and economic growth in the energy sector. Her passion and purpose are to build government capability, create competitive supply markets, and develop the skills of nationals. Ileana’s comparative advantage relies on her innate talent to build and manage relationships, and her natural ability to connect people, stakeholders, industries, and visions. Throughout her career, her greatest strength has been bringing key stakeholders to the table and building trustworthy relationships.

Ileana has a BA in Languages, a Business major from Universidad Metropolitana (Caracas, Venezuela), and an MBA in International Development from Thunderbird School of Global Management (Arizona, USA). She has completed studies on Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability from Thunderbird Executive Education. Ileana obtained an Executive Certification in Economic Development from Harvard Kennedy School of Government after
taking three specialized programs: Leading Economic Growth (LEG), Implementing Public Policy (IPP), and Leading Green Growth.

Ileana was born and raised in Venezuela, where she lived for 27 years, before moving to the United States in 2003. She currently lives in The Woodlands, TX with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs. Her passion is applying the experience she has gained throughout the world to share best practices for international development and helping developing countries overcome poverty and social challenges.