Mr. Best is the 7th President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the Region’s sole indigenous multilateral development finance institution based in Barbados. A highly professional and diverse leader, Mr. Best was a Senior Infrastructure and Development Advisor to the Office of the Prime Minister of Barbados, seconded from his role as Director, Projects Department at CDB. With over 30 years of experience as a Civil Engineer, Project Management Professional, and Development Banker, he is known for his ability to foster strong working relationships and leading teams to success.

Under his leadership, the CDB Projects Department was able to transform the lives of approximately 1.6mn Caribbean people in the areas of education, access to resilient infrastructure and expansion of inclusive opportunities to women and girls. He not only spearheaded the Bank’s collaboration outreach to other regional IFIs but also led the development of the Bank’s first Sustainable Financing Framework and created the window to mobilise private capital for regional development. Mr. Best graduated from the University of Durham with a Master of Business Administration and holds a Master of Science in Construction Engineering and Management from the University of the West Indies (St. Augustine). He is widely recognised back as a regional authority in the ideation and delivery of resilient inclusive development solutions that meet the transformational needs of the Caribbean. His leadership, professionalism, and understanding of the value of collaborative relationships have been key to his success.

Ambassador Mauricio Carvalho Lyrio serves as Brazil’s Secretary for Climate, Energy, and the Environment and as the country’s G-20 Sherpa, leading Brazil’s engagement in global economic and climate-related discussions, including climate finance and sustainable development.

Ambassador Lyrio also oversees Brazil’s participation in key multilateral economic institutions such as the WTO and the OECD, as well as extra-regional trade negotiations involving MERCOSUR.

A vocal advocate for urgent climate action, he has emphasized the critical need for international financial support to help developing nations transition away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner energy sources.

Daniel Godinho has been with the WEG Group since 2017, having held the position of Director of Corporate Strategies and now Director of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs.

He was a public servant, having held various positions in the federal government in the field of foreign trade. Before joining the WEG Group, Godinho also worked at the Interamerican Development Bank (BID).

Godinho has an academic background in law and international relations, and a master's degree in international law and economics.

Gustavo José de Guimarães e Souza is an economist specialized in statistics, with a master's degree in economics. He earned his doctorate in economics from the University of Brasília (UnB) and completed a doctoral internship at Columbia University in New York (2011–2012).

Currently serving as the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Planning and Budget, he has held several key positions, including Parliamentary Secretary at the Federal Senate, Secretary of Evaluation, Planning, Energy, and Lottery, and Special Deputy Secretary of Finance, both at the Ministry of Finance. Over the years, he has been an advisor to three Ministers of Finance and Director at the Ministry of Economy, as well as a member of Gecex-Camex. He presently holds the position of President of Cofiex.

In addition to his governmental roles, Gustavo has extensive experience in the financial sector, having advised companies such as BB Asset (BBDTVM), Caixa Participações, Bescval, and worked on an audit committee. His career in banking includes significant experience at Banco do Brasil, where he worked in the Risk, Controllership, and Strategy and Organization departments. Achieving the top position in the Central Bank examination, he later advised three Directors of International Affairs and Corporate Risk Management and served as Director of Regulation.

He is also a permanent professor at the Brazilian Institute of Education, Development, and Research (IDP) and has previously worked as professor and researcher at the Catholic University of Brasília (UCB) and the Federal University of Goiás (UFG).

Gustavo has published extensively in international academic journals such as the Journal of Development Economics (JDE), Economic Modeling, and Economic Systems, as well as in national scientific journals. His contributions to the field have earned him multiple prestigious awards, including the Febraban Economics Award, the Selecta ANPEC Best Article Award, and the National Treasury Award (as an advisor).

Carlos Colombo is a sustainability expert with over 15 years of experience in public policy, regulation, and infrastructure projects centered on sustainable development. At Brazil’s Ministry of Finance, he leads initiatives in the energy and mining sectors to improve regulatory frameworks, integrate sustainability, and advancing climate policy. His work focuses on promoting market efficiency, supporting social justice, and drive innovation and competitiveness.

Colombo is actively engaged in Brazil’s Ecological Transformation Plan (PTE), where he combines his technical expertise with strategic leadership to shape policies for sustainable infrastructure, low-carbon investments, and climate regulation. He is dedicated to aligning national efforts with global standards to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and resilient economy.

Colombo holds a Law degree from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), a Master’s in Environmental Economics from the University of Brasília (UnB), and an MBA in Economic Regulation from Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV). He has also completed international executive programs in Climate Risk and Sustainable Finance at SOAS University of London, and in Sustainable Infrastructure Development and Finance at the Schulich School of Business.

Marcela Tetzner Laiz is an economist currently serving at the Secretariat for International Affairs and Development within Brazil’s Ministry of Planning and Budget. She also holds the position of Alternate Executive Director for Brazil at the Caribbean Development Bank.

Previously, she was the General Coordinator for Planning, Management, and Control at the National Traffic Secretariat (SENATRAN) under the Ministry of Transport. In addition, she coordinated the Thematic Chamber for Management and Coordination of the National Traffic Safety Plan (Pnatrans) at the National Traffic Council (CONTRAN).

Marcela holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the Catholic University of Brasília and is a specialist in Economics and Finance. She earned her undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Brasília (UnB).

Henrique Vasconcellos is responsible for Sustainable Finance at Banco do Brasil. Its role in the organization is to guide the application of resources to support clients and stakeholders in the transition to a low-carbon and inclusive economy, applying social and environmental risks. Moreover, encourages and supports the development of innovative models for raising funds, naturebased solutions and biodiversity, climate change, and carbon credits. At Banco do Brasil for 26 years, in the last 10 years has worked in strategic departments at the Bank´s headquarters like Investor Relations, the Directory of Micro and Small Companies, the Directory of Loans and Financing, and the Directory of Funding and Investments. He has experience in relationship management with large customers, international and strategic partners, and bank management in retail branches. Graduated in Law from the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas – SP; Postgraduate in Business Administration and Banking from the Mackenzie Presbyterian Institute – SP; Postgraduate in Innovation and Digital Business at PUC – RJ; Specialization in Leadership and Sustainable Business Management by ISE and IESE Business School – University of Navarra – Spain; Specialization in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning by MIT – Boston, United States; Specialization in Financing Quality Urban Infrastructure – Tokyo Development Learning Center, Japan.