Officers & Directors

Board of directors

Juan Somavía '98SIPA: Juan holds a business and economics degree from Universidad Católica de Chile and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (Class of 1998). Since 2012, he has been the External Affairs and Government Relations Manager for Anglo American in Chile. Prior to this role, his international background and focus on international business led him to leadership roles in several positions, including Managing Director of Wines of Chile from 2008 to 2012, Trade Commissioner of Chile in New York from 2002 to 2007, and Head of European Economic Affairs at Chile's General Directorate for International Economic Relations, from 1998 to 2002. Juan Somavía is a founding member of the Columbia Alumni Association of Chile.

Valentina Lagos '15SIPA: Valentina is an agronomist from the P. Universidad Católica de Valparaíso with a Master of Public Administration from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, where she graduated in 2015. She holds the position of Chief Sustainability Officer at Indemin, where she leads initiatives to integrate sustainable practices into all company operations, ensuring that they contribute positively to both the environment and society. Additionally, she’s a founding member of Barrio+F, an organization committed to sustainable urban development and improving the quality of life in local neighborhoods and schools.

Naisa Gormaz '14TC: Naisa holds a PhD in Organizational Psychology and is a Clinical Psychologist from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. She also earned a Master of Arts in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, NY, where she graduated in 2014. Currently, she is an Associate Professor at the Business School of Adolfo Ibáñez University, in the Organizational Behavior Department, with an area of expertise in Leadership and Management Skills. She teaches in graduate programs and executive education programs. Additionally, Naisa is a senior organizational consultant and executive coach. She has taught and consulted for national and multinational private companies in Chile and Latin America. She has also been an active participant of the board of Columbia Alumni Association of Chile since 2018.

Pablo Gazzolo '05SIPA: Pablo is a journalist with a Master's in International Affairs from the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), where he graduated in 2005. With extensive experience and a proven track record in media and strategic communication, Pablo is the Communications Manager at Colbún, one of the three most important power companies in Chile. He previously worked as the Deputy Director at La Tercera Newspaper and as the Business Manager at Qué Pasa Magazine. Pablo is an amateur photographer (you can follow him on Instagram at @pablogazzolo_photo). He is married to Magdalena Engel (also a Columbia alumna) and is the father of three children.

Alexander Hazbún '14SIPA: Alexander is an engineer with a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the School of Public and International Affairs at Columbia University, graduated in 2014. He previously graduated as an Industrial Civil Engineer and Master in Engineering Sciences from the P. Universidad Católica de Chile. He is co-founder of a technology company, Inventures, focused on creating software for the energy transition and mining. He is also co-founder of the pharmacy startup Meki. He has been a university professor, in charge of Innovation and Economic Development of the National Innovation Council of Chile, and asset management executive at Banchile and Bci. He has also been a member of the first board of directors of the Columbia Alumni Association of Chile.

Dan Poniachik '20SIPA: Dan is a commercial engineer from the University of Chile and holds a Master's in Public Administration from Columbia University, where he graduated in 2020. He has worked in several international development programs across Latin America and the US, including working with cities to support data-driven policymaking, financial inclusion with a behavioral lens in Chile and Mexico, public sector innovation, and initiatives addressing climate change.

Manuel Blanco '96LAW: Manuel is a lawyer who graduated from the Universidad de Chile School of Law, Santiago, and LL.M. from Columbia University, New York. He has developed his practice representing local and foreign clients in corporate matters, M&A, antitrust, foreign investment, energy, litigation, insolvency and reorganization; in industries such as metal manufacturing, real estate, construction, construction materials, energy generation, farming, financial services, education and other services. Manuel is a member of the Chilean Bar Association (Colegio de Abogados de Chile A.G.) and a member of its Ethics Tribunal. He is listed in the roster of bankruptcy arbitrators of the Chilean Insolvency and Reorganization Superintendency (Superintendencia de Insolvencia y Reemprendimiento). He has been appointed as director to private and public corporations; member of the Advisory Board of the Columbia Global Center – Santiago and of the Advisory Committee to the board of the Chilean American Chamber of Commerce – Amcham Chile, and President of its Legal Committee. A member of the Advisory Counsil of the ProBono Foundation and Professor of Commercial Law, Finis Terrae University, Santiago. He has been recognized by the specialized publications Legal 500 and IFLR Energy and Infrastructure as a Chilean Leading Lawyer. Married, six children, he is also a Reserve Officer of the Chilean Navy Marine Corps (Infantería de Marina).

Eliana Chamizo '02SIPA: Eliana is a senior advisor for international affairs at the Ministry of Education of Chile, where she has been working for almost 20 years. She is currently working with foreign born students in the national education system, and other topics like intersectionality and inclusion. She has been working as a delegate from the ministry for the OECD Education Policy Committee (EDPC) from 2009 and has collaborated actively with the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) and the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). Eliana is a history teacher and has a bachelor's degree in history and education from the Catholic University of Chile, PUC. She has a Master’s degree in Public Administration  (MPA, 2002) from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, thanks to a Fulbright and a government scholarship for graduate studies. She also has a master's degree in education from PUC, specializing on inclusion and diversity at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago (2023).

Jorge Domínguez '85BUS

Executive committee:

President: Juan Somavía '98SIPA

Vice President: Naisa Gormaz '14TC

Secretary: Manuel Blanco '96LAW

Treasurer: Alexander Hazbún '14SIPA

Contact the club board at [email protected]