March 1st, 2004

On behalf of the MIT Sloan School of Management, the MIT Sloan Club Latino and the MIT Sloan Brazilian Club, it is my great pleasure to welcome the 7th MIT Sloan Latin American Conference to campus. We are very proud at MIT Sloan that the MIT Sloan Latin Conference has always been a event that brings top regional leaders together with faculty and students to discus the main issues facing the region. This year won’t be an exception, and I am very impressed with the high level of speakers who are going to discuss the future of Latin America in the new global order.

We all know how difficult the previous three years have been for the world economy and in particular for Latin America. What is the outlook for Latin America, particularly in light of the unstable political and economic situation in some of its countries? With new trends in overseas manufacturing and trade in a highly global economy, what will be the role of Latin America in the 21st century? How will the Latin American economy respond as jobs formerly outsourced jobs to the region are transferred to India and China? These issues among others will be discussed and debated by leaders from government, business and academia at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

MIT and the Sloan School, with more than 50 years of history, have helped develop many of the leaders that today are shaping the future of Latin America. In this year’s conference we will have the presence of several leaders from the region and three MIT Sloan alumni. We want to learn from these leaders how it is possible to succeed in Latin America and what are the key barriers to success in the global economy.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have been involved in the important effort of organizing this high-level conference. Particular thanks should go to the Organizing Committee, eight second-year students who have been working more than nine months to deliver this event, to my faculty colleagues who have been involved with the Organizing Committee and who will moderate the different panels, to the MBA Student Affairs Office, which has supported the organization of this conference, and to all the sponsors that have made this conference possible: CITGO, McKinsey & Co, Compania Sudamericana de Vapores, Margaret Andrews from the MIT Sloan School of Management, and the MIT Department of Political Science. In general, I would like to thank all the students and MIT personnel who have worked so hard behind the scenes to make this important event go smoothly and well.

Again, welcome and enjoy!

Sincerely,

Richard Schmalensee
Dean MIT Sloan School of Management

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