In his career of more than 24 years, he has worked as a manager of public-private initiatives for the economic development of the territories and in managing projects and companies in the private sector.

He is an economist with a Master's in Economics from the National University of Colombia; a specialist in Negotiation and International Relations; an Executive MBA from the University of Los Andes; and a Master's in Global Management from Tulane University in New Orleans.

He led the conceptualization and implementation of Invest in Bogota, the first public-private initiative achieved at the city level in the world. During his time at Ecopetrol, he led and made viable one of the most strategic assets of the plain’s basin CPO-09, given its location and contribution in reserves for the country. Finally, he has worked for family group companies in the energy, oil and gas, transportation, logistics, and mobility sectors, among others, where he had the opportunity to outline strategies for growth, diversification, and reorganization of their portfolios.

Puentes will oversee the execution of the new investment attraction strategy focused on the following strategic pillars: contributing to Colombia's reindustrialization process through foreign direct investment; contributing to the development of the regions; and attracting foreign investment for the transfer of knowledge with a focus on R&D&I; in line with the reindustrialization policy of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism.

Julio César Puentes, who has been characterized and recognized as a strategic executor that makes the success of any business operational, has replaced Juliana Gómez, who took on a new professional challenge in the private sector.

Follow him on social media: · Twitter: https://twitter.com/puentesjc · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliopuentes/