María Gabriela Sosa

María Gabriela Sosa, one of the founding partners of BG Consulting, received a law degree, Summa Cum Laude, from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Venezuela in 1991. In the same year, she received an Excellency Award from Fundación Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho. Ms. Sosa received a Masters of Laws (LL.M.) from Harvard Law School in 1994.

Working at Baker & McKenzie in Venezuela and as senior consultant at BG Consulting, Ms. Sosa's career focused on the areas of taxation and customs in Latin America and Caribbean. Ms. Sosa actively participated in the reform of Venezuelan tax laws and regulations and lectured at several conferences including the Venezuelan Chamber of Technical Instruments (CAVEOFIT), the Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce and the Venezuelan Chamber of Oil and Gas.

As Vice President of BG Consulting, Ms. Sosa has led several projects as consultant in Central and South America. She has been the Inter American Development Bank's leading consultant in designing and implementing a code of conduct and ethics for customs and tax officers in several Latin America and Caribbean countries. She has also led customs reform projects in the Andean Community and throughout Central America. As an international tax consultant for the World Bank, Ms. Sosa worked on a project to reduce administrative barriers in Venezuela.

For two years, from 2004 to 2006, Ms. Sosa worked as Attorney 1 for the Advance Rulings Process Improvement Assistance to the Central American CAFTA Countries, under the USAID Facilitating Streamlined Trade Project (FASTrade). Her legal work is now part of the regional customs legislation in Central America.

Ms. Sosa was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the International Basketball Association (IBA) as the Director of Latin American Affairs and looks forward to developing the Live Right Play Right program throughout Central America.

Ms. Sosa is currently involved in the promotion of WorldStreet, a new concept of shopping centers in the US, as a key connector and facilitator for Latin American companies and investors. Through this vehicle, many Latin American companies will be selling their products for the first time in the US market without intermediaries.

Ms. Sosa speaks fluent Spanish and English and intermediate French.

Maria Gabriela Sosa was born in Caracas, Venezuela on July 27, 1969, is married and the mother of one girl and one boy.

Email: mariasosa@bg-consulting.com