Susana de la Puente
Susana María de la Puente Wiese | |
|---|---|
| Born | Peru |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, banking professional, diplomat |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Known for | Investment banking in Latin America; Peru's Ambassador to the United Kingdom (2017–2018) |
Susana María de la Puente Wiese is a prominent Peruvian entrepreneur and banking professional.
Biography
Her early education took place at Colegio Santa Úrsula and Colegio Villa María in Lima. She completed a management degree at Universidad del Pacífico in 1981 and later obtained a master's qualification from the Arthur D. Little School of Management located in Boston.
Career path
De la Puente began her career in investment banking with JP Morgan in New York City in 1984. By 1992, she had advanced to senior banker and director of JP Morgan Perú. Subsequently, she held the positions of managing director and vice president overseeing the Andean Region, Central America, and the Caribbean, before serving as vice-chairman for Latin America until 2007.
In May 2007, she joined the advisory board of Hypatia Capital Group based in New York City. Her roles expanded in 2010 when she became a board member of both the Wiese Group and Wiese Foundation, as well as founding partner and director at Futura Schools. Additionally, she leads NGOs including Acción Comunitaria del Perú, CARE, and Lumni Perú.
Her involvement in the arts includes being an art collector and serving on the boards of Museo de Arte de Lima and Museo del Barrio in New York. She also manages B Boutique Hotel in Lima, a boutique property dedicated to showcasing contemporary art.
Since November 2015, De la Puente has directed LUMNI, an organization that operates social impact investment funds supporting higher education students across Peru, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, and the United States, with repayments linked to graduates’ future earnings. From October 2016 onward, she has contributed to Laboratoria’s advisory committee, an initiative that trains low-income women for technology careers, boasting over 2,500 graduates and an employment rate of 85%.
She currently presides over the board of Club Empresarial de Lima and serves as trustee at Universidad del Pacífico while advising Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas. Her previous positions include directorship at Telefónica del Perú, advisory work for the Inter-American Development Bank chairman, and participation with IPAE, OWIT – PERU, and Pro Mujer-Peru.
De la Puente has been instrumental in shaping Latin America's financial landscape through significant transactions such as privatizations during the 1990s and regional mergers. She led pioneering capital market operations including Cemex’s inaugural Eurobond issuance (1989), Venezuela’s first Eurobond (1999), and Peru’s debut IPO on the New York Stock Exchange.
In July 2017, she was appointed as Peru’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom and permanent representative to the International Maritime Organization; she stepped down from these roles in 2018.
Now residing in London, De la Puente dedicates her efforts to investing in startup companies across international markets.
Acknowledgments
In May 1999, Susana de la Puente was distinguished as one of the "50 leaders for the New Millennium" by Time Magazine. She has also been recognized among the "Top Women in Finance" by both Euromoney and Global Finance. Furthermore, Poder Magazine and The Economist honored her as Latin America’s "Best Investment Banker," while América Economía included her among the "10 Most Powerful Women in Latin America."