A Close and Personal look at the Houston Trade and Investment Mission to Panama and Colombia

As a business owner who grew who grew up in Colombia but calls Houston home and, acting as the interpreter for Mayor Parker, I was fortunate to witness firsthand the work, interaction and opportunities created by this mission. I was truly fascinated by the entire event, from planning to logistics to execution, but the following were my main takeaways:

Having the government and the private sector work in tandem is no easy feat. The positive results from the event are due in no small part to the high caliber of individuals who represented both Houston and Colombia. Mayor Parker was particularly effective in communicating what Houston is all about both in terms of business and culture/community. Houston leaders advanced their agend as in a constructive manner. Colombian representatives were eloquent and able to communicate areas of interest and opportunity.

The mission created significant buzz among the Colombian and Houstonian business communities. Both Colombian and American media covered the event extensively. El Heraldo, one of the largest newspapers in Colombia, dedicated their main editorial to the Houston mission in Barranquilla. The most widely viewed newscast in Colombia, CM&I, featured an extensive interview with Mayor Parker covering business and cultural matters.

Houston's oil and gas industry was well represented by leaders of companies such as Chevron and Technip. Significant progress was made in terms of relationship building particularly in the emerging business of offshore development in the Atlantic coast of Colombia.

Compelling ideas and areas for collaboration exist and the mission will certainly help to materialize these opportunities. For instance, it seems quite likely that new air routes are to be developed between various Colombian cities and the city of Houston. Kudos to the hard work and dedication from the Houston Authority team led by Mario Diaz.

Colombia was a wonderful host. Whether a luncheon in a world renowned restaurant in Bogota, an extraordinary pre-carnival presentation in Barranquilla or a fascinating evening outing in historical Cartagena, Colombia featured the warmth of its people and the depth of its culture.

As for me, my company, Translation Source, obtained significant business leads and relationship development both from Houston's delegation and the Colombian private sector. I also know that other private business delegation members gained significant knowledge of the culture as well as important contacts to develop bilateral business.

A final note of gratitude to the planners and executioners of these event: There is a great amount of work and attention to detail that was very ably provided by the organizers. Thank you to the team from the City of Houston, The Greater Houston Partnership and the Colombia-Texas Chamber of Commerce for an unforgettable and very successful mission.

About the Author: Camilo Muñoz is a serial entrepreneur with more than 15 years of executive-level and start-up experience in the language localization, investment banking, and real estate industries. He is the CEO/founder of Translation Source, currently serves as the President of the Association of Language Companies (www.alcus.org.) and is a member of the board of Concrete ASAP (www.concreteasap.com), Spanish ASAP (www.spanishasap.com) and Ocania Investments. Prior to his entrepreneurial career, Camilo worked as an investment banker at Lehman Brothers in New York. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School, an MA in International Studies from the Lauder Institute (University of Pennsylvania) and a BS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Florida. He speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese.


A Close and Personal look at the Houston Trade and Investment Mission to Panama and Colombia As a business owner who grew who grew up in Colombia but calls Houston home and, acting as the interpreter for Mayor Parker, I was fortunate to witness firsthand the work, interaction and opportunities created by this mission. I was truly fascinated by the entire event, from planning to logistics to execution, but the following were my main takeaways: Having the government and the private sector work in tandem is no easy feat. The positive results from the event are due in no small part to the high caliber of individuals who represented both Houston and Colombia. Mayor Parker was particularly effective in communicating what Houston is all about both in terms of business and culture/community. Houston leaders advanced their agend as in a constructive manner. Colombian representatives were eloquent and able to communicate areas of interest and opportunity. The mission created significant buzz among the Colombian and Houstonian business communities. Both Colombian and American media covered the event extensively. El Heraldo, one of the largest newspapers in Colombia, dedicated their main editorial to the Houston mission in Barranquilla. The most widely viewed newscast in Colombia, CM&I, featured an extensive interview with Mayor Parker covering business and cultural matters. Houston's oil and gas industry was well represented by leaders of companies such as Chevron and Technip. Significant progress was made in terms of relationship building particularly in the emerging business of offshore development in the Atlantic coast of Colombia. Compelling ideas and areas for collaboration exist and the mission will certainly help to materialize these opportunities. For instance, it seems quite likely that new air routes are to be developed between various Colombian cities and the city of Houston. Kudos to the hard work and dedication from the Houston Authority team led by Mario Diaz. Colombia was a wonderful host. Whether a luncheon in a world renowned restaurant in Bogota, an extraordinary pre-carnival presentation in Barranquilla or a fascinating evening outing in historical Cartagena, Colombia featured the warmth of its people and the depth of its culture. As for me, my company, Translation Source, obtained significant business leads and relationship development both from Houston's delegation and the Colombian private sector. I also know that other private business delegation members gained significant knowledge of the culture as well as important contacts to develop bilateral business. A final note of gratitude to the planners and executioners of these event: There is a great amount of work and attention to detail that was very ably provided by the organizers. Thank you to the team from the City of Houston, The Greater Houston Partnership and the Colombia-Texas Chamber of Commerce for an unforgettable and very successful mission. About the Author: Camilo Muñoz is a serial entrepreneur with more than 15 years of executive-level and start-up experience in the language localization, investment banking, and real estate industries. He is the CEO/founder of Translation Source, currently serves as the President of the Association of Language Companies (www.alcus.org.) and is a member of the board of Concrete ASAP (www.concreteasap.com), Spanish ASAP (www.spanishasap.com) and Ocania Investments. Prior to his entrepreneurial career, Camilo worked as an investment banker at Lehman Brothers in New York. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School, an MA in International Studies from the Lauder Institute (University of Pennsylvania) and a BS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Florida. He speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
The Colombia Texas Chamber of Commerce - January,Issue #13