Meet our Founders

Richard Aitkenhead

HUGE Treasurer of the Board
Grupo IDC, Corporación de Inversiones y Desarrollo de Centroamérica

Guatemala

Richard Aitkenhead is Founder and President of Grupo IDC and has over 25 years of experience in providing economic and financial advisory services in Central America, as well as in mergers and acquisitions. He is the founding member of several investment and private equity funds, the most recent one is IDC Ventures, a venture capital fund focused on technology companies in Europe. He has served as a Board Member at INCAE Business School and Rafael Landivar University. He also served as Minister of Economy and Minister of Finance in Guatemala between 1991 and 1994. Aitkenhead was part of negotiations for the Peace Accords in Guatemala in 1996. He holds an MBA from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a BA in Economics from Rafael Landivar University.

Aitkenhead served as President of the Board at FUNDES International from 2008-2020, a nonprofit institution that supports the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Latin America. Since 2016, he has been the Director of AVINA, a leading foundation promoting environmental sustainability and the resolution of social issues in Latin America. Through a collaborative process, AVINA seeks to make a positive and sustainable impact. Aitkenhead also leads a Social Impact Fund designed by IDC to support vulnerable sectors in Guatemala.

Agustin Arellano

HUGE Sponsor
HASDC

United States

Mr. Agustin Arellano is the President & CEO of the HAS Development Corporation (HASDC), an airport development, management, and advisory company.
Since its incorporation in 2001, HASDC has been actively involved in multiple airport privatizations, concessions, and public-private partnerships, primarily in Central and South America.
Mr. Arellano is a reputable Airports and Aviation Executive with more than 30 years of experience in Airport Management, Airways Facilities, Airport Privatization in both Mexico and the USA, in the public and private sectors.
Previously, Mr. Arellano was the President and CEO of Aerostar Airport Holdings LLC, a company created to operate San Juan International Airport in Puerto Rico.  This airport is the only successful, fully private, medium-size hub in the USA operated by the FAA Airport Privatization Program.
Prior to this role, Mr. Arellano was Chief Infrastructure Officer for ASUR, a private airport operator with nine airports in Mexico.  He also served as General Director of Air Navigation Services for  Mexican Airspace, a Government agency.
Mr. Arellano holds a BS degree in Communications and Electronics Engineering from the University of Guadalajara.  He also holds a Masters Degree in Production from Universidad Complutense de Madrid.  He completed Post graduate studies in France and in the USA.  Mr. Arellano is a private pilot with single/multi-engine and IFR certificationa.
He speaks English, Spanish, French.

Fernanda Barroso

HUGE Sponsor
Kroll, Inc.

United States

Fernanda Barroso is a Managing Director and Head of Kroll Brazil Business Intelligence & Investigations practice, based in São Paulo. She has a degree in Communication from UFRJ, an MBE in Economic Analysis from the same university and is pursuing a master’s degree in Economics, with an emphasis on data science, at FGV/SP. She also has an extension in Corporate Law from PUC/SP and is a certified board member by IBGC.

Fernanda has led engagements that range from large-scale forensic accounting investigations to internal fraud investigations. She frequently consults with law firms and corporations on investigative issues related to financial fraud, such as revenue or expenses misrepresentation, corruption, and employee wrongdoing. Fernanda has also coordinated projects about entry alternatives in Brazil, business internationalization, and regulatory assessment.

Fernanda joined Kroll after more than 10 years of working on a substantial array of business transactions, such as domestic and international due diligence and business intelligence assignments, within commercial banks, private banks, private equity firms and government departments.

Jesús Canahuati

HUGE Secretary of the Board
Elcatex

Honduras

Jesús Canahuati is the founder and President of ELCATEX Group. He was born in Honduras and after finishing his Industrial Engineering career at Georgia Institute of Technology in 1987, with his father’s guidance, he founded Elcatex to bring competitiveness and flexibility in expanding the family business. As a result of Canahuati’s vision and entrepreneurship, he has since founded the following operations: 6 Industrial Free Trade Zones of around 8,000,000 square feet, which provide jobs to around 55,000 employees, benefiting approximately 275,000 people in total. A new free zone is currently under construction, the 7th Industrial Free Trade Zone, with an area of 4,000,000 square feet – it will be the largest in the region.

Canahuati began his career in the energy sector in the early 90’s, with the development of thermal electric power generation plants, evolving in the following years into the generation of approximately 140MW of renewable energy including hydro, biomass, biogas, and solar. In the agricultural sector, he founded Honduran Green Power Corporation – a project that manages 4,621 hectares of king grass, cacao, and precious woods. This company stands out for its implementation of precise agriculture, where GPS systems are used to save inputs. It also uses waste from the industrial operation processes, such as biomass effluents and ash, as fertilizers.

As a transformative leader who seeks the common good, Canahuati’s vision is to create sustainable areas oriented towards the generation of employment in the development of industry and commerce, housing, health, and education. ELCATEX Group generates over 11,000 direct jobs, impacting approximately 55,000 people in total. He is a key player in boosting the country’s socioeconomic growth, standing out as: Member of the Board of Directors of the Honduran Manufacturers Association (President during the period 1999-2007), Co-founder of the Foundation for Technical Education in Central America, (FUNDETEC), Active member of CEAL-Honduras and the Honduran Foundation for Development Studies (FHED), President of Honduran International Social Club, and Director of the Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (COHEP).

Canahuati was recently selected as part of the 7 members around the world to be part of the Target Owned Brands Business Partner Think Tank Community, developed with the purpose of making significant changes and moving industries forward. He is a faithful advocate of high-impact social projects and programs such as initiatives focused on education, economic development, environment, and health for his employees and their communities. His passion to help others has been reflected for more than 28 years as a volunteer on the Board of Directors of the Saint Vincent Foundation. Canahuati recognizes his driving forces are God and his family.

Chris Champion

HUGE Founder
Fruit of the Loom

United States

Chris Champion is Executive Vice President, Corporate Business Development & General Counsel for Fruit of the Loom, Inc. Chris began his career with Russell Corporation in 1994 as a Staff Attorney and served as Deputy General Counsel and Director of Government Relations for Russell until 2005. From 2005-2006, Chris served as Vice President and General Counsel for publicly traded Aarons, Inc. Following Fruit of the Loom’s acquisition of Russell in 2006, Chris returned to Russell as Senior Vice President, General Counsel. In 2011, Chris was named General Counsel for Fruit of the Loom, Inc., with overall responsibility for global legal affairs. In 2013, Chris was named EVP, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer with additional responsibilities for internal audit, corporate social responsibility, and customs compliance. Chris is a native of Alabama and earned his undergraduate degree at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama. He earned his law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law.

Dr. Juan José Daboub

HUGE President of the Board
Daboub Partnership

El Salvador

Dr. Juan José Daboub, Ph.D., is the President of HUGE Business and Investment Council; Chairman and CEO of the Daboub Partnership, and the Founding CEO of the Global Adaptation Institute. He was Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Climate Change (2012-2014) and Vice-Chairman of The Dorado Group, LLC (2010-2020). He has taught at Princeton University and is a member of several Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards of both public and private industries and non-profits in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.

As Managing Director of the World Bank, from 2006 to 2010, Dr. Daboub oversaw operations in 110 countries in Africa, the Middle East, East Asia and Latin America. He was also responsible for the oversight of the Human Development and Sustainable Development Networks, the Information Systems Group, the World Bank Institute, the Department of Institutional Integrity, and the Arab World Initiative.

Prior to the World Bank, Dr. Daboub led the expansion of his family-owned businesses and worked with non-profit organizations on public policies to promote liberty, stability, and growth throughout Latin America.

From 1999 to 2004, Dr. Daboub served concurrently as El Salvador’s Minister of Finance and as Chief of Staff to the President. In these high-profile dual roles, Dr. Daboub helped to navigate his native country through several regional economic challenges including securing and sustaining El Salvador’s investment grade rating, “dollarizing” the economy, and completing a Free Trade Agreement with the United States. During this period, he also oversaw the emergency reconstruction of El Salvador after two major earthquakes in 2001.

Dr. Daboub’s leadership began in the private sector, where he led his family-owned businesses for nearly a decade before joining the Board of CEL, El Salvador’s electric utility, and presiding over El Salvador’s electric distribution companies. Subsequently, he was named President of ANTEL, the state-owned telecommunications company, which he restructured and privatized through a competitive and transparent process that also demonopolized that strategic sector. He held high Government positions in El Salvador for 12 years (1992-2004), working for three different Administrations without belonging to any political party.

Dr. Daboub holds a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and a PhD in Industrial Engineering from North Carolina State University. He is married with four children.

Daniel Facusse

HUGE Founder
Caracol Knits

Honduras

Daniel Facusse is the President of the Board of Directors of Caracol Knits, a Honduran textile company that began operations in March 2001, and has since become a leader in the regional market, producing quality inputs to supply sewing plants. It’s core activities are the manufacturing, processing, in-bond assembly, marketing, importing, and exporting of fabric, garments, and accessories.

Miguel Mauricio Facusse

HUGE Founder
Grupo Dinant

Honduras

In 2015, Mr. Miguel Mauricio Facusse assumed the Executive Presidency of Dinant Group, a family business founded in Honduras by his father, Mr. Miguel Facusse Barjum in 1960, who was a manufacturer and marketer of consumer and agroindustrial products.

Since taking office in 2015, Mr. Facusse has been responsible for the company’s extensive operations in Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. Under his leadership, Dinant produces the highest quality snacks (Yummies-zambos, Ranchitas, Taqueritos, Zibas, Cappy and Del Rancho), cooking oils (Mazola), processed foods (Issima), laundry products, cleaning and home care (Zixx, Suavissimo). The company also has a prominent Agroindustry business division, mostly concentrated in the productive sector of Palm Farming, as well as the exportation of vegetables to the US market. The company employs more than 7,500 people in the region and has vertically integrated operations.

Mr. Facusse graduated from the American School in Tegucigalpa and obtained his degree in Industrial Engineering from the prestigious Purdue University. He began his career with the Company in 1987 as Assistant Brand Manager, holding various positions until becoming Vice President of Laundry, Cleaning and Personal Care Products. In this position, he brought innovative product proposals to the market, that have contributed to the success of the company, which at the time operated under the name CRESSIDA, and included products under the brands Xtra, Xedex, Unox and Magia Blanca, among others.  As a result of the sale of several of the aforementioned brands, he then transition to Unilever for 3 years, where he held a similar leadership position, and then returned to Dinant in 2003, assuming the role of Executive Vice President of the Dinant group, supervising day-to-day operations in the administrative, financial, operations, manufacturing, product development and marketing areas, among others.

Under his leadership, Dinant’s production and sales capacity has achieved a significant expansion, as well as numerous international and national awards and certifications for the company’s environmental and social achievements. Under Mr. Facusse’s management, Dinant’s success has become a model for other companies in Honduras and Central America.

Mr. Miguel M. Facusse has participated in several international events, including the Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America held in Washington, D.C. in June 2017, which included the attendance of Secretaries of State and Homeland Security. He was also invited by the United States Embassy to participate as a speaker at the Doing Business with the United States of America Seminar in March 2019.

Luis Andrés Gabriel Bouscayrol

HUGE Founder
Grupo GB, Servicios y Asesorías GABO

Guatemala

Luis Andrés Gabriel Bouscayrol is a member of the Executive team of Corporación AG, a steel producer and leading company in manufacturing and distribution of products derived from steel in Guatemala and Central America, with more than 67 years of experience. He has held top positions most recently with Bi-Bank of Panama, Banco del País and Seguros del País of Honduras, Banco Industrial in El Salvador and Guatemala, BiCapital Corporation of Panama, Grupo GB, Transformadora Metalúrgica and GB Inversiones Inmobiliarias. Previously, Luis Andrés also served as Advisor to the Board of Directors of Grupo Reformador from 2009-2013. Between 2014-2016 he attended and then graduated from the Adolfo Ibañez School of Management, at the ESADE Business School in Spain. He received a bachelor’s degree from the Colegio Arrayanes in 2000, and has attended Colegio Evelyn Rogers and Colegio Valle Verde.

Sergio Gadala-María

HUGE Founder
Fundación Telecorporación Salvadoreña

El Salvador

Sergio Gadala-María represents TCS Foundation, which is the official charitable establishment of Salvadoran TV channels 2, 4, 6 and TCS+ of Telecorporación Salvadoreña. The Foundation has always paid attention to the needs of everyday Salvadorans, through partnerships with various institutions, aid organization, and other groups. TCS Foundation leads a variety of social benefit projects that seek to support the Salvadoran population, including Good Things, Committed Salvadorans, Toys for Smiles, The Value is in you and For Smiles. In addition to his role with TCS, Sergio founded REALTO Capital in 2019 with the purpose of providing value to his clients, through a personalized quality service. He is an executive with 15 years of experience in the financial industry, with a concentration in the investment banking sector. His career includes various positions of responsibility that have given him the opportunity to meet and interact with many of the decision makers in the region. In his career, Sergio has led multiple M&A transactions at the Central American level. Additionally, he has vast experience in valuation of intangible assets, financial valuations, financial modeling, strategy, among others.

Claudia Kattán de Jordán

HUGE Founder
Crowley Maritime

United States

Claudia is responsible for the Central America, Panamá and Mexico operations of Crowley Maritime, overseeing the shipping, warehouse, land transportation, customs and NVO services. She has 25 years of experience in leadership and managing international business operations and has strong customer service and relationship management philosophy and is involved and committed to the industry’s development of the region and growth in Central America, Panamá and Mexico.  Claudia’s inclusive and diverse leadership is driven by engagement and purpose. She actively supports communities through Crowley’s social responsibility program “Crowley Cares”.  Claudia has spent more than 10 years as a board member of the American Chamber of Commerce of Honduras (AMCHAM) and is currently President for the period of 2021-2022. She also has a 15-year relationship with the Honduran Shipping Lines Association (AHCORENA) and currently serves as an advisor for the Chamber of Commerce of San Pedro Sula (CCIC).  She is recognized as a leader in the executive business world of women in the region and as part of Crowley’s Logistic Leadership Team.  Claudia was awarded the Thomas Crowley Award in 2005, which is extended to executives with maximum distinction in the corporation in recognition of commitment to quality performance, new market and customer development, and continuous improvements to organizational performance.

Roberto Kriete Avila

HUGE Founder
Avianca

El Salvador

Roberto was born in El Salvador. He received his MBA at Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts, and earned his degree in Economy from the University of Santa Clara, California.

He is the former Chairman of Grupo TACA; President of the Latin American Association of Airlines (ALTA); former Chairman of AVIANCATACA; President of the Board of AVIANCA Holdings, S.A.; founder and member of the Board of Directors of Volaris; has served on the Boards of Mexico’s TELMEX Internacional and the Carso Institute for Health of the Carlos Slim Foundation; Banco Agrícola of El Salvador; El Salvador’s Real Intercontinental Hotel; ESEN, El Salvador’s leading business school; the Business Foundation for Educational Development (FEPADE), and the Salvadoran Foundation for Health and Human Development (FUSAL); founding member of YPO El Salvador chapter.

He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors at AVIANCA Group International Limited; founder and Chairman of MRO Holdings, Inc. (Aeromantenimiento, S.A., Flight Star, TechOps México, NorthState y MRO Solutions); he serves as CIO of the Kriete Family Investment Committee, with local and international investments in aviation, technology, real estate, agro-industry, hospitality, and others, and current member of the Board of Teléfonos de Mexico, S.A.B de C.V.

In the social responsibility and sustainability area he has been President of Gloria de Kriete Foundation since its foundation in 2006, a non-profit family foundation that contributes to El Salvador’s development through youth education programs and grants to local organizations; member of the Board of Agape, a social and economic development organization, and member of INCAE’s Presidential Advisory Council.

In December 2006, Roberto received distinctions as officer of the Legion of Honor of the French Government. In 2007, he was awarded with the Honorary Member Award of the Salvadorean Foundation for Economic and Social Development (FUSADES); in 2010, he was honored by the Order of the Central American Integration System (SICA) for pioneering an integrating vision in Central America through commercial aviation,and was awarded the Order of Merit for Distinguished Service in the rank of Grand Officer by the Government of Peru. In 2014, he received the National Tourism Award, granted by the Ministry of Tourism of El Salvador, as well as the Federico Bloch Award, received from the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA), and in 2015 he was honored by Glasswing International, a non-profit organization that works in the Central America area supporting health and educational projects.

Renton Leversedge

HUGE Founder
Sanmar

United States

As Chief Development Officer and President of LAB71 at SanMar, Renton focuses on purpose driven growth through innovation. Renton brings nearly 15 years of cross-functional leadership at SanMar in business development, customer experience, sales, marketing, and new product development. Renton is also an active advisor to the company’s investments in large apparel and textile manufacturing companies, including facilities in the United States and Central America.

SanMar’s support of orphanages, hospitals, and schools in communities where SanMar’s products are manufactured is a particular point of pride for Renton and he is often in Honduras supporting the Touching Hands medical brigade for the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.

Prior to his current role, Renton led SanMar’s Asia office in Hong Kong. He also worked for KPMG in Zurich, Switzerland advising technology clients across Europe. He holds a BA in Commerce from the University of British Columbia, attended the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and is a Certified Public Accountant (retired).

Lorena Maduro

HUGE Founder
Group ILP

Honduras

She is a member and former chair of YPO Honduras, serves on the Board of the Museum for National Identity (MIN), and is an Advisory Board member for Fundación Para la Educación Ricardo Ernesto Maduro Andreu (FEREMA). Lorena Maduro is the Executive Director of Grupo ILP, a diversified group of family companies in Honduras. Within this role, she oversees Solvenza, the group’s consumer finance arm, and manages Treasury and Human Resources at the corporate level.

Lorena is not only a business professional but also a compassionate philanthropist. She is the founder and president of Asociación Creciendo Juntos, a foundation committed to supporting working families through early childhood care and education. Under her guidance, the foundation established an early childhood development center, offering comprehensive care for children aged 0-5. This center, founded in 2015, operates 11 hours a day, five days a week, with a dedicated staff and a tailored curriculum to ensure the best possible start in life for the children of employees and other working families.

In addition to those pursuits, Lorena is an active member of numerous community organizations, spanning the realms of education, the arts, public parks, and health.

Furthermore, Lorena is a member of the Ecological Foundation of Tegucigalpa (FET), Fundación Amigos del Hospital María, and the Honduras Chapter of Consejo Empresarial para América Latina (CEAL).

Before embarking on her journey with the family business, Lorena gained valuable experience working for a US-based healthcare company. She held the roles of Community Programs Manager and Marketing Director. During the 2002-2006 presidential term, she was an integral part of the Communications Strategy Advisory Group to the President of Honduras. She directed several social programs with a strong emphasis on education and public park development. Moreover, Lorena was actively involved in the Honduran National Party and its youth groups during the 2001 presidential campaign.

Lorena’s holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from Pepperdine University and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. She is a fellow of the Central America Leadership Initiative (CALI) and a proud member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

In her personal life, Lorena is happily married to Nando Castillo, an architect and real estate developer, and together, they cherish their roles as parents to Paula (9), Juan Carlos (8), and Fernanda (5). Their shared love for cooking takes them on culinary adventures, and they are known to journey great distances in search of exceptional cuisine.

Federico Nasser

HUGE Founder
Imperia Capital Group/Banco CUSCATLAN

El Salvador

Federico Nasser Facussé, a businessman of Honduran origin with a meaningful career in the region, currently serves as President of Uno Corp, President of Grupo Imperia Cuscatlán, and Vice President of Terra Inversiones.

As president of Grupo Imperia Cuscatlán, Federico led the purchase of Citibank El Salvador and SISA Seguros in 2016; later in 2020, the acquisition of Scotiabank and Scotia Seguros in El Salvador, which in their merger consolidated Banco Cuscatlán as the second bank of El Salvador and SISA Seguros as the number one insurer.

He currently leads the financial operations of Banco Cuscatlán in the region, a bank with more than 3,000 employees and more than 700,000 clients, and SISA (Seguros e Inversiones), an insurance company with more than 1 million policyholders and more than 390 employees. Federico leads the corporate business strategy, building the leadership team of these companies, acquisitions, mergers, and identifying new opportunities in the Central American region.

Since 2006 Federico has directed Uno Corp, a conglomerate of leading companies in the downstream oil sector in Central America and Colombia, where he developed, taught, and promoted the origin and growth of the oil investment area of Terra Inversiones, turning it into a group of leading companies that commercialize petroleum derivatives per year. In this role, Federico directs the operations related to the import, distribution, and retail sale of fuels in the largest network of service stations in Central America and the third most extensive network in Colombia, with more than 1,600 stations, likewise supplies a broad portfolio of industrial customers of fuels, lubricants, and asphalt through a team of more than 3,100 direct collaborators and more than 14,500 indirect collaborators.

Federico is also part of several social projects, such as the Nasser Foundation and the Terra Foundation, which have a substantial investment in the areas of Education, Socioeconomic Well-being, and the Environment. At the same time, he participates in Fundación Convive Mejor, now known as Foundation Vamos al Parque. As President of the Executive Committee, he structured the foundation, designed and implemented the construction of 12 recreational parks in Honduras. In addition, Federico serves as Director of the Board of Directors of Hondufuturo, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and financing international education for Hondurans with academic excellence.

Federico graduated in business administration, focusing on finance, from Suffolk University in Boston, USA.

Félix Simán

HUGE Founder
Intradeco Inc.

United States

Félix Simán is the Chairman and Cofounder of Intradeco Holdings Corp. With over 38 years in the textile industry, Intradeco Apparel is a global vertical-manufacturing company supplying high-quality casual clothing and thermal underwear to major retailers in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. With state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, pioneering logistics best practices, and merchandising trends, Intradeco is committed to sustainability which has earned the company recognition from multiple partners and retailers. Intradeco embraces its social responsibility through its commitment to the community by supporting different charities and foundations around the globe.

Jose Miguel Torrebiarte

HUGE Founder
Cementos Progreso

Guatemala

José Miguel Torrebiarte is currently the President of Grupo Progreso, a company primarily dedicated to the cement industry and commercializing building materials in Central America. Throughout his 20-year career within the family business, he has occupied different important executive positions and in 2004 he was the first of his generation to be the President of the Board of Directors of the company. During this period, the company´s corporate governance was restructured and a ten-year strategic growth plan was implemented. He enjoys traveling with his family and participating in any project that has to do with promoting the sustainable development of Guatemala.

Mr. Torrebiarte is also the Vice President of Fundación para el Desarrollo de Guatemala (FUNDESA), a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), a member of Consejo Empresarial de América Latina (CEAL), and a Member of the Board of Grupo Cobán. He is engaged in the manufacturing and export of footwear in Central America and was President of the Inter-American Cement Federation (FICEM-APCAC) and Founding Director of the Foundation of the Cultural and Natural Mayan Heritage (PACUNAM), which is supported by nine of the most prestigious companies in Guatemala, committed to rescuing and protecting the Guatemalan cultural and natural heritage and community development. José Miguel has an MBA from INCAE in Costa Rica and BS in Industrial Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Virginia Tech.

Baltazar Vallenilla

HUGE Sponsor
Kroll Inc.

United States

Baltazar Vallenilla is an Managing Director in the Business Intelligence and Investigations practice of Kroll, based in the Chicago office. Baltazar has worked on a variety of matters including litigation support for large and mid-size law firms, pre-transaction due diligence investigations for global gaming companies, due diligence investigations, asset searches, proxy fights/hostile takeovers, and competitive intelligence assignments in the United States and Latin America. Baltazar has also led and coordinated litigation support assignments requiring pre-discovery expertise and has conducted interviews in English and Spanish. Baltazar is a seasoned interviewer and has been engaged to conduct interviews and intelligence gathering in highly sensitive investigations. Prior to joining Kroll as a Senior Analyst in 2008, Baltazar was an attorney in Chicago, representing plaintiffs in class action and multidistrict litigation in product liability cases. Before moving to the U.S., Baltazar served as a Judicial Clerk for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in Caracas, Venezuela.

His personal casework includes working on an exhaustive due diligence investigation involving the world’s largest gaming companies bidding to participate in the privatization process of several state lotteries in the U.S. As part of the process, Baltazar conducted public record research in four countries, which required a multi-pronged approach by several investigative teams. Baltazar worked closely with state regulators throughout the process to ensure that all relevant elements of the investigative process complied with the strict guidelines imposed by state and federal regulators.

In another case, Baltazar led an investigation on behalf of global gaming client seeking to establish a joint venture with a local gaming operator in a South American country. The objective of the investigation was to identify any potential issues regarding the company and its executives. Through a combination of keen analysis of public records and discreet source inquiries Baltazar assembled a thorough report regarding the local operator’s business practices and reputation. Baltazar also personally interviewed the heads of the operators in South America and discussed the findings of the investigation in order to flesh out relevant issues of interest for the client.

Anderson “Andy” D. Warlick

HUGE Founder (2021-2023)
Parkdale Mills

United States

Chairman and CEO of Parkdale, Inc., the world’s largest independent producer of cotton and cotton-blend yarns and cotton consumer products for Health and Beauty, operating 34 facilities in North and South America.

Mr. Warlick joined Parkdale Mills in 1984 and became president and CEO in 2001. He grew up in Gastonia, NC and graduated from The Citadel in 1979 with a BS in Business Administration. Mr. Warlick is also a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Program for Management Development and of the National Cotton Council’s Leadership Program.

Affiliations:
He currently serves on the board of Parkdale Inc., and is lead director for SWM, Inc. (publicly traded NYSE). He is also on The Citadel Foundation Board of Directors. He is part owner of NBA basketball team the Charlotte Hornets.

Past services include chairman of National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), president of the North Carolina Vocational Textile School, Gaston County YMCA, the American Yarn Spinners Association and The Citadel Development Foundation. Also, he is a former board member of the Gaston County Chamber of Commerce, First Union National Bank, Wachovia Bank Southern Region Board of Advisors, Gaston County YMCA, Gaston College Advisory Committee, and J.G. Boswell Cotton Company.

Awards:
2012 J D Hicks Lifetime Achievement Award
Recipient of Long Leaf Pine Award
2011 Spirit of the Carolinas Award (Gaston, NC Regional Chamber of Commerce)
2010 Chapman Award, named in honor of James A. Chapman, Sr., James A. Chapman, Jr. and Joseph W. Chapman of Inman Mills. The Chapman Award was established by the Southern Textile Association to recognize individuals for exemplary service to the textile industry.
2009 Honorary Doctorate – The Citadel
2002 Cotton, Inc. Achievement Award
2002 Leader of the Year – NC State College of Textiles
Citadel School of Business Hall of Fame Leader of Principle Award 2004

Anderson “Davis” Warlick, Jr.

HUGE Vice President of the Board, USA (2021-2023)
Parkdale Mills

United States

Davis Warlick graduated from the Terry School of Business, University of Georgia, BBA, in 2008 and received his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Wake Forest University in 2015.

Mr. Warlick’s primary concentration is leading the Parkdale Mills International Textile Division. His responsibilities include the management of Parkdale’s manufacturing assets in Mexico and Columbia, South America, and three distribution facilities in Latin America. Additionally, his responsibilities include leading the sales and marketing divisions that serve these three regions.

Mr. Warlick serves on the Board of the Cotton Council International (CCI), a member of the National Cotton Council and the Advisory Board of the Gaston College Textile Technology Center.