María Eugenia Brizuela de Ávila facts for kids

María Eugenia Brizuela de Ávila, born on October 31, 1956, is a lawyer from El Salvador. She was the Minister of Foreign Affairs for her country from 1999 to 2004. Later, she worked as a Director of Corporate Sustainability for HSBC in Latin America. She lives in Mexico City.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

María Eugenia Brizuela de Ávila started her career working in her family's businesses. These included a funeral home, a coffee plantation, and salt production.

In 1997, she founded Internacional de Seguros, an insurance company. She became the first woman to be the President of an Insurance Company in El Salvador.

Becoming a Leader

In June 1999, María Eugenia Brizuela de Ávila made history again. She became the first woman Minister of Foreign Affairs in El Salvador. She held this important position for five years, until June 2004.

After her time as Minister, in August 2004, she was chosen to be the first woman President of a private bank. She kept this role even when HSBC took over the bank in 2006.

In 2007, she started a new role in Latin America. She became the Head of Corporate Sustainability, focusing on how businesses can be good for the environment and society.

Education and Learning

María Eugenia Brizuela de Ávila finished her high school studies in 1975 at the American School of El Salvador.

She studied Insurance at the Swiss Insurance Institute in Zurich and Law at Universidad DJMD. She also earned a master degree in business administration (MBA) from INCAE Business School. Later, she completed postgraduate studies in Sustainable Business at the University of Cambridge.

Key Achievements in Her Career

In 1994, Brizuela worked at the Salvadoran Social Security Institute. The next year, in 1995, she became the manager of the Fund of Social Investment.

From 1996 to 1999, she was an executive in the insurance industry. She became the first woman in El Salvador to lead an insurance company, Internacional de Seguros.

Leading the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In 1999, she was appointed the Minister of Foreign Affairs. She was the first woman to lead this important government ministry.

In 2000, she attended the first Hemispheric Ministerial Meeting on the Advancement of Women. This meeting was organized by the Inter-American Commission of Women. Brizuela and delegates from 32 other countries worked together to create a plan for women's progress in the 21st century. She served in the government until 2004.

From Banking to Sustainability

After leaving government service in 2004, she became the president of Banco Salvadoreño (Salvadoran Bank). This made her the first Salvadoran woman to lead a private bank. In 2006, her university, José Matías Delgado University, gave her the Distinguished Professional of the Year Award.

She joined HSBC in 2006 as an Executive President. By 2007, she became a regional director. That same year, she received the Palme d'Or, a very important award from the Salvadoran Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In 2008, she became the Director of Corporate Sustainability for HSBC in Latin America. She moved to Mexico City for this role. She managed projects like a climate initiative in Brazil and a tree-planting project in Costa Rica.

In 2009, Brizuela was added to the American School Hall of Fame. She also received the Most Distinguished Graduate award from INCAE. In 2010, she became the first woman ever appointed to the board of INCAE.

Personal Life

María Eugenia Brizuela de Ávila has dual nationality from El Salvador and Switzerland. She is married to an engineer, and they have three children.

Honors and Recognition

• Distinguished Partner 1990 El Salvador Bar Association
• American School Hall of Fame, 2009
• Honorary Member of FUSADES, 2019
• Palma de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 2007

See also