4 Salvadorans make Bloombergs 500 most influential people in Latin America

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By LatAm Reports Staff Writers

Four Salvadorans entered a list of 500 influential people in Latin America prepared by Bloomberg.

Four Salvadorans entered a list of the 500 most influential people in Latin America in 2024, prepared by the finance agency Bloomberg. 

The agency explained that the list includes leaders who are “example of how to take advantage of the enormous potential” of the region, with a footprint in the field of business, culture, art and technology. 

The list of Salvadorans is made up of businessman Carlos Calleja, the new CEO of the Colombian Success Group and vice president of Super Selectos. Calleja took over the management of Success last August after completing the purchase process in a transaction valued at $1,170 million. 

The Salvadoran businessman is in charge of the operation in El Salvador, Colombia, Uruguay and Argentina, with 55,0000 collaborators and 769 dependencies. Bloomberg recalls that he also participated in the 2019 elections, in a contest where he faced Nayib Bukele. 

Also included is Johanna Hill, the only Salvadoran woman on the list, who in November 2023 assumed the position of Deputy Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Hill is a specialist in international trade and foreign investment. Throughout his professional career, he has held different positions in signatures, was a member of the board of directors of Banco Azul and vice minister of Economy between 2007 and 2009. 

The third on the list is Mario Simán, president of Grupo Unicomer, a multi-latin with a strong presence in retail and financial services with 1,100 stores in 26 Latin American and Caribbean countries. In May 2023, it acquired RadioShack’s global operation in 70 countries, including the United States, Europe and China. 

Ricardo Poma is the face of Grupo Poma, a conglomerate with more than 100 years of presence in El Salvador since it was founded by his grandfather in 1919. The group is composed of Excel, Grupo Roble, Real Hotels & Resort, Solaire and Autofácil, with a presence in Central America, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and the United States. 

By 2024, Grupo Poma will expand with two new hotels in Lima, Peru, as well as contemplate hotel projects in Panama and El Salvador.

This article has been translated after first appearing Diario El Mundo