Queretaro Advisory Board
GC QUERETARO ABOUT US
Queretaro Advisory Board
Nuestro consejo formado por líderes de negocios está a cargo de asesorar a Global Chamber® Querétaro en cómo ayudar a empresas y comunidades para aumentar la actividad de comercio internacional... incluyendo exportaciones, importaciones, turismo extranjero e inversión directa extranjera.
Our Advisory Board consists of insightful business leaders advising Global Chamber® Queretaro to help companies and communities increase international trade... with exporting, importing, foreign tourism and FDI/investment.
Advisory Board Chair
Sipele Alapai Tuionuu
Director of MX Operations for Kairos Technologies
Sipele is a Hawaiian native bringing over 15+ years of business management and sales expertise to Mexico, since relocating her family from the USA in 2016. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a remarkable ability to engage with clients, consultants, and customers across various industries and backgrounds.
With an educational background in Psychology and Business, Sipele thrives in building Mexican talent for international businesses looking for a nearshore solution. Her team has helped several foreign companies establish their operations here in Mexico and LATAM. Sipele is now the Director of MX Operations for Kairos Technologies, specializing in providing talent solutions, business establishment, training and consulting services, as well as digital transformation strategies for companies world-wide. Kairos Technologies globally transforms the way we do business digitally through innovation and automation. Her team is a leader in providing Mexico nearshore talent solutions in the IT, engineering, automotive, healthcare, finance, and call center industries. Aside from work, Sipele enjoys spending time with her large family and exploring Mexico's beautiful Pueblos Magicos and mountainous regions.
Francisco Fernando Favela Ayala
International Corporate Engineering Sales Consultant
Francisco Favela was born in Mexico City and brings over 25 years of experience working in an English-speaking environment. He has represented U.S. manufacturing companies in Mexico and Latin America, offering a comprehensive portfolio of turnkey solutions across various industries, including medical, automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical, personal healthcare, appliances, heavy trucks, solar energy, and lean manufacturing.
Throughout his career, Francisco has collaborated in various capacities with clients from the telecommunications, financial, healthcare, consumer goods, electronics, renewable energy, manufacturing, and industrial automation sectors, among others.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Francisco is deeply passionate about the arts. He enjoys drawing with various mediums, painting with watercolors, and exploring architecture and music.
Ivan Contreras
Deputy Director, Global Chamber Queretaro
International Business Developer & Account Manager – Kairos Technologies Mexico &
Personal Development, Executive, and Organizational International Coach
Ivan collaborates with Kairos Technologies Advanced as an International Business Developer & Account Manager, providing digital engineering solutions and technology recruitment services. He also supports foreign companies in starting operations in Central and South America through comprehensive Business Implementation services.
As a Personal Development, Executive, and Organizational International Coach, his expertise lies in fostering enriching human relationships, developing international businesses, and promoting personal, executive, and organizational growth. His work is guided by five personal principles that shape his daily actions: Gratitude, Love, Integrity, Service, and Leadership.
He is certified by International Coaching Technologies and Tec de Monterrey in International Coaching and Team Alignment. Additionally, he is a member of the International Coaching Federation. Ivan is committed to adding value through his skills and resources.
Roberto Cruz
Partner at Russell Bedford in Queretaro
Roberto Cruz is a Public Accountant graduated from Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM), Campus Querétaro. He has a master’s degree in taxation from the Autonomous University of Queretaro. He has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of national and international taxation, consulting and accounting. Roberto is a partner of the international firm Russell Bedford. The organization has been working for different international companies around the world; Roberto manages the office in Queretaro, Mexico. He has been a professor at the ITESM, Campus Queretaro, Mondragon University and the Autonomous University of Queretaro. Roberto participates in various national and international tax committees. He is the President of the International Russell Bedford Tax Board; a member of the National Russell Bedford Tax Board and an active member of the Tax Committee of Coparmex (Confederación Patronal de la República Mexicana, as per the acronym in Spanish).
Roberto Jimenez-Ramos
Principal of Altiplano Arquitectura
Roberto is an architect born in Mexico City. He holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Universidad Iberoamericana, a master’s degree in architectural design from Harvard University, and a diploma in finance from Tec de Monterrey.
He began his professional career in various architecture firms in Mexico and the United States before founding Altiplano Arquitectura in 2003. The firm has completed projects of various scales for both public and private clients, and as a team, Altiplano has won several competitions across Mexico.
Throughout his career, Roberto has been particularly focused on establishing the correct relationship between a building and the physical, cultural, and economic forces that surround it, with the aim of maximizing investment potential.
Roberto has also held academic positions at several institutions, including Universidad Iberoamericana, Universidad Anáhuac, and Tec de Monterrey. He is fluent in Spanish, English, and Italian, and is currently working on becoming fluent in French. Outside of work, Roberto enjoys sports, reading, and listening to modern jazz.
Rodrigo Vazquez Miranda
Associate - DeForest Abogados
Rodrigo holds a bachelor’s degree in law from the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro. He is a corporate attorney with extensive experience in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, foreign investment, intellectual property, immigration law, financial law, and real estate.
He has played a significant role in high-profile mergers and acquisitions and has provided legal counsel for international investments in Mexico.
Since 2013, Rodrigo has been an associate at DeForest's offices in Querétaro, Mexico.
He is fluent in both English and Spanish.
Rodrigo Márquez Romero
DeForest Abogados – Querétaro
Rodrigo Márquez has a Bachelor degree in law from Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City. In 2010, he obtained a postgraduate degree from a Corporate Education Program at the University of San Diego, CA, in the United States.
Rodrigo is a corporate attorney who has participated in difficult and challenging negotiations related to corporate, financial and mergers & acquisitions. He is an expert in mergers & acquisitions, real estate, corporate, banking and financial, and foreign
investment law. Rodrigo is a partner in DeForest Abogados located in Querétaro, Mexico since 2011 and a Foreign Legal Counsel since 2021 in DeForest’s offices located in Dallas, Texas.
Sebastien Derieux
Advisory Board Member
Global Chamber Queretaro, Mexico
Sébastien Dérieux, originally from Lyon, France, is an entrepreneur based in Mexico. He holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Business Administration, as well as a master’s in economics.
With an international career spanning the US, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, Dérieux has founded several companies and is currently leading Industrial Estate Mexico, offering an extended range of industrial warehouses and industrial land for sale and for lease across Mexico.
Dérieux's robust academic foundation combined with his global entrepreneurial experience has empowered him to drive these companies' growth and extend their influence across various international markets.
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