Director Social Innovation CAF
Bogota, Colombia
Ana Mercedes Botero currently works at the Development Bank of Latin America-Corporacion Andina de Fomento (CAF). She has extensive experience in international scenarios, including a diplomatic career at the United Nations (UN). Ana actively participated as a negotiator for the Colombian delegation to the Special Session of the UNGA against illicit drug trafficking, ECOSOC meetings, and Security Council sessions, particularly at crucial moments, including the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
Ana joined CAF in Caracas, where she was appointed Director of the Secretariat and External Affairs of the Bank, acting as the liaison officer with shareholder governments as well as managing international events aimed at promoting corporate business opportunities. Subsequently, Ana had the opportunity to create a community-driven development department for the implementation of paradigm-breaking solutions to unresolved problems of vulnerable groups, most importantly creating capabilities for their local empowerment and social inclusion. In this regard, she has been involved in the entire life of social projects from its stages of design and co-creation through the later phases of follow-up, monitoring, and evaluation.
Ana graduated as a lawyer at University Los Andes (Bogota), with two master’s degrees at Columbia University (NYC): LL.M. and an MIA. She attended Davos as a Global Leader of Tomorrow (WEF) and also the Kennedy School Program for Senior Managers in Government (Harvard). In addition, Ana obtained a diploma in business administration at INALDE (Bogota).
Ana is a Colombian citizen and Roman Catholic. Her interests include international geopolitics, biblical studies, and the history of classical antiquity. She has been a yoga practitioner since 1996.