Lyana Latorre is an accomplished executive with extensive experience in ESG, investment banking, and strategy. She holds a BS in Business Administration with a certificate in Corporate Finance, and is fluent in both Spanish and English.
Before joining The Rockefeller Foundation, Lyana served as the Director of Corporate Social Engagement at Arcos Dorados -McDonald’s largest franchise in the world spanning from Mexico to the Patagonia-, overseeing ESG initiatives across 20 countries. Her notable achievements include developing and spearheading the company’s youth employment strategy (“The recipe for the Future”), which was later adopted globally by McDonald’s Corporation, and growing Ronald McDonald House Charities programs from 21 to 63.
Lyana began her career as an investment banker with Bank Boston-Robertson Stephens in Boston, and later with Nortel Networks in San Francisco, before returning to her native Colombia.
She has been actively involved in several boards and non-profit organizations, such as Fundación Santafe (Colombia’s largest healthcare foundation), Ayuda en Acción and Grupo Manuelita, where she promoted sustainability and education initiatives. She was the first female board director at CESA, her Alma Mater, introducing ESG and shared value principles as part of the core curriculum.
Additionally, Lyana volunteers extensively in organizations like the Colombian Red Cross and Make-A-Wish Foundation, and supports causes such as healthcare and animal welfare in Colombia. Fun fact: she keeps 9 rescued dogs at home!