Carla brings about 20 years of experience in the industry working in sustainable destination management, tourism planning, product development, and marketing & public relations for the promotion of tourism destinations. A strong communicator and a collaborative team leader, she holds a BA in Tourism, a Master in Tourism Policy and Strategy from the University of Catalonia, and a Master in Tourism Administration from The George Washington University with focus in sustainable destination development and international development studies. At the TEC de Monterrey she earned international certifications in Strategic and Innovate Marketing. Savvy in public policy making, consulting for development projects with international governments and building strategic partnerships, her private consulting practice has taken place in Ecuador, Mexico, Bolivia, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama and Paraguay. She has consulted with global firms such as GeoAdaptive and Branding Latin America serving a list of top clients like the Inter-American Development Bank and the International Labor Organization. Before joining the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to lead the office of Cultural Affairs and Public Diplomacy at the Embassy of Ecuador in Washington D.C. for 4 years, she spent around 9 years at the Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism, where she held various managerial roles and served as Undersecretary of Tourism Promotion. Her work was instrumental in developing Ecuador’s promotion strategies to position as a world-class tourism destination. Passionate about development through tourism, she is a member of the CEDDET Network of Tourism Professionals in the Ibero-American region, and fellow of the prestigious Global Competitiveness and Leadership Program (GCL) from Georgetown University. Also, she is deeply involved in women in leadership issues and enjoys mentoring younger generations of women in the industry. Aside from work, she is a self-proclaimed foodie and an enthusiast cook who indulges in the local cuisine when she travels, with more than 35 countries visited so far! Carla currently leads CREARE where she consults in tourism development projects using participatory and innovative approaches to help unleash Latin America's vast tourism potential.