Business in Flux – Perspectives from a Transatlantic Panel of C-Suite Women

At the end of 2022, the IMF’s annual economic outlook for 2023 projected weak growth across the world in the face of elevated inflation, higher interest rates, reduced investment, disruptions caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the lingering impact of COVID especially in China. The sharp downturn in growth was expected to be widespread, with World Bank forecasts in 2023 revised down for 95% of advanced economies and nearly 70% of emerging market and developing economies. Although the economic indicators at the start of 2023 seem to be more favorable than expected, any new adverse development—such as higher-than-expected inflation, abrupt rises in interest rates to contain it, a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic, or escalating geopolitical tensions—could push the global economy into recession.

In this program, a transatlantic panel of C-Suite women joined by Arancha González Laya, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain and Dean of the School of International Affairs at Sciences Po in Paris, will explore these and other challenges faced by global companies in this uncertain global geopolitical and economic environment.

SPEAKERS

• Carol Cabezas, President – Azamara Cruise Lines
• Arancha Gonzalez-Laya, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po (Paris)
• Nadine Heubel, former CEO Heinemann Americas; Senior Managing Director – Travel Retail North America & Global Wholesale – Newmark
• Daniella Silberstein, Shareholder – Greenberg Traurig and Co-chair of GT’s Miami Women’s Initiative [Moderator]
• Monica Vazquez, Executive Vice President & General Manager – Abanca USA

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION

• What are the economic perspectives for 2023 and is recession still a risk?
• How will business investment respond to recent changes in asset prices and the commitment of monetary policymakers around the world to slower growth?
• What are the perspectives for the transatlantic relationship in relation to business and trade ?
• What will the return of industrial policy in the U.S. (with the Inflation Reduction Act) mean for transatlantic investment and trade?
• What will be the longer-term ramifications for global fragmentation of the sanctions imposed on Russia and on Chinese semiconductors?
• Are there new roles for China, India and in particular Latin America in this new economic environment?
• How are these trends playing out in places like Florida and Miami in their efforts to establish themselves as global business hubs?

Event schedule

• 8.30 am – 8.45 am:   Registration & Coffee
• 8.45 am – 9:45 am:   Program
• 9:45 am – 10.30 am: Networking

Registration Fee

• EACC Member: Free
• Guest with Promo Code: Free
• EACC Non-Member: $30
• Online attendance: Free

Speaker Bios

Carol Cabezas

Carol Cabezas is the President of Azamara.

She is responsible for the full range of operations of the cruise line including Sales, Marketing, Revenue, Finance, Deployment and Shipboard Operations.  Carol’s dedication to the cruise industry with a career spanning over two decades stems from her passion for travel, and cruise in particular.

Prior to that, Carol was Vice President of Investor Relations for Royal Caribbean Group, managing relationships with the global investor and analyst community. During her tenure she attracted new investors to the shareholder base and broadened reach across new markets including Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

Carol joined Royal Caribbean Group in 2000 and held a variety of leadership roles across Sales, Finance and Revenue Management. As the Associate Vice President of National and Strategic Accounts, North America for Celebrity Cruises, Carol was accountable for the development of business opportunities with national consortia, key strategic trade partners, and the continued success of the Home-based channel. As Director of Sales Planning and Strategy for Celebrity Sales, she was charged with the development and implementation of national promotional campaigns, trade compensation, business analysis and strategy, financial planning, and automation tools for trade and field sales.

Prior to her career at Royal Caribbean Group, Carol was an Associate Consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Dispute Analysis and Corporate Recovery team.

Supporting local community has also been a focus, a trait instilled while a student of the Sacred Heart.  At a board level Carol has served organizations with inspiring missions including Dress for Success and, currently, Amigos for Kids.

Carol holds a Masters in Finance from University of Miami and Bachelor degrees in Finance and Accounting from Stern School of Business at New York University.

Carol lives in Coral Gables, Florida, with her husband Francisco and their two children.

Arancha Gonzalez-Laya

Arancha González Laya is the Dean of the School of International Affairs at Sciences Po in Paris. She has extensive knowledge of international relations, trade and economics, coupled with broad experience in European institutions as well as in multilateral organisations.

Ms. González was Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain (2020- July 2021). She served as United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the International Trade Centre, the joint trade development agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation (2013 to 2019). Between 2005 and 2013 Ms. González was Chief of Staff to World Trade Organization Director General Pascal Lamy and his representative (Sherpa) at the G-20.

Prior to that Ms. González held several positions at the European Commission in the area of external relations. She was advisor to the European Commissioner for Trade and European Commission spokeswoman. Ms. González began her career in the private sector as an associate in a German law firm advising companies on trade, competition and state-aid matters. She serves in the Mission Committee of Danone and is a member of the International Advisory Council of the European House-Ambrosetti.

A Spanish national, Ms. González holds a degree in law from the University of Navarra and a postgraduate degree in European Law from the University of Carlos III, Madrid

Nadine Heubel

Nadine Heubel is a veteran retail executive with over 25 years of experience in the industry. Beginning her career at Hugo Boss, Heubel quickly rose through the ranks to become the company’s Global Head of Travel Retail. She later served as CEO of Heinemann Americas, Inc., the US-based subsidiary of international duty-free leader Gebr. Heinemann. During her six-year tenure as the highest-ranking female executive in the company’s history, Heubel secured contracts with some of the world’s largest cruise lines. In her current role as the Senior Managing Director of Travel Retail for Newmark, she is responsible for establishing the world’s most sought-after luxury brands in the North American travel retail market, and for converting more travelers into customers.

Heubel has a talent for identifying and nurturing critical relationships within her industry. She has extensive experience working across cultures, continents, and time zones in multiple languages: German, English, and French. Her long-standing role as a “positive disruptor” with a keen eye for identifying emerging business trends means that she understands how to bring new and lucrative opportunities to her partners. Because she brings these ideas with enthusiasm and excitement, her partners frequently find themselves pursuing unchartered paths with confidence. Heubel employs a compassionate and collaborative leadership style, establishing environments that foster creativity, emphasize professional growth, and empower staff to do the work required to build successful companies.

Heubel is passionate about mentorship, female empowerment, giving back to her community, and Miami’s budding tech ecosystem. She sits on the Advisory Board for Babson College’s Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (CWEL) and the South Florida Board for UNICEF. She has mentored young entrepreneurs through Babson College’s WIN Lab, Mentoro, and Endeavor Miami, and speaks at conferences and events around the globe.

Heubel holds an Executive Bachelor of Business Administration from the Graduate School of Business Administration in Zurich, Switzerland.

Daniella Genet Silberstein

Daniella Silberstein is Shareholder at the Greenberg Traurig Law Firm in Miami. She counsels a broad range of public and private clients on mergers and acquisitions, as well as on general corporate and securities matters. Daniella focuses her practice on U.S. and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, carve-out transactions, business combinations involving special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), joint ventures, spin-offs, and securities offerings. She also regularly represents clients in corporate governance matters and has defended clients against hostile takeovers and proxy contests, and advised clients with respect to corporate matters that arise in the context of bankruptcies, restructurings, and workouts.

Clients include private equity firms and financial institutions, across industries such as health care, biotechnology, oil and gas, gaming, aviation, aerospace, and retail, on both the buy-side and sell-side of transactions. She counsels start-up and emerging companies in connection with formation matters and capital raise transactions.
In addition to practicing law, Daniella has taught a class on negotiating M&A transactions as an adjunct professor at Tulane Law School. She also co-chairs the GT Miami Women’s Initiative.

Monica Vazquez

Monica Vazquez is the Executive Vice President and General Manager of ABANCA in the USA, one of the most important financial institutions in Spain.

Currently as head of ABANCA USA, since 2018, she leads the internationalization of ABANCA in the United States with a great team of professionals involved in the development of a sustainable, efficient, solid and reliable project aimed at supporting the internationalization of all companies by providing personal and corporate banking services that allow our clients to develop their business and personal projects.

During her latest years of her career in ABANCA, she has worked in different commercial transformation projects as Director of Personal Banking with a team of more than 400 financial advisors, and as responsible for all business lines such as the product and offer line, having an active role in one of the most successful business areas of ABANCA.

She has a degree in Law with a specialization in Business and has different certifications in Spanish and American universities that accredit her high knowledge of the regulations and the European and American banking market.

This event is kindly hosted by