José Antonio Vargas Lleras, WEC Vice-Chair for Latin America and the Caribbean and who comes from Colombia, said: “Latin America has a wealth of energy resources but also faces multiple challenges: adapting to the impacts of climate change, increasing energy access, minimising fossil fuel subsidies, and promoting regional integration. Our mandate is to help the region tackle these challenges and set it on a sustainable growth path. I welcome Nicolás and look forward to the contribution he will make.”
Dr Christoph Frei, WEC Secretary General, added: “Latin America is an important region for the World Energy Council. The global energy transformation bears great opportunities and also challenges for Latin America, and we will look to advance the regional energy agenda drawing on our global flagship studies, our sharing of best practices, and our energy leaders’ network. I look forward to working on this with the leadership of José Antonio Vargas Lleras and the support of Nicolás Depetris Chauvin.”
Dr Depetris Chauvin (38), from Argentina, is a senior economist with experience in development, resource economics, and international trade covering not only Latin America but also Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.
Nicolás Depetris Chauvin said: “I am excited to have joined the most important organisation dealing with the whole energy spectrum and doing so from a region that has such potential in the energy sector. I look forward to contributing to our work in Latin America by collaborating with our national committees, governments, and businesses.”
Prior to joining WEC, Dr Depetris Chauvin was a Senior Advisor at the African Center for Economic Transformation, a research and policy think-tank in Ghana, where he advised on the organisation’s strategy and analytical content of its work programmes. His previous posts also include strategic advisory and research positions at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the Oxford Centre for the Analysis of Resource-Rich Economies, and the Ministry of Economics of Argentina.