Andrés Gluski

EDC Executive Now Leads Gener
The former executive vice president for Grupo Electricidad de Caracas in Venezuela, Andrés Gluski, is moving to Chile to become chief executive officer of Gener, the electricity generator. Virginia-based AES Corp. acquired Grupo EDC in June and in December it bought 61.6% of Gener for $842 million. Gluski previously worked at Caracas-based CANTV and BSCH’s Banco de Venezuela.

 
Elektra Insider Takes Over
Mexico’s Grupo Elektra, the largest specialty retailer and consumer finance company in Latin America, named Javier Sarro as chief executive officer. The group owns some of Mexico’s largest retail chains such as Elektra and Salinas y Rocha. The group also has significant holdings in Mexico’s Televisión Azteca, the country’s second-largest TV network. Previously, Sarro served as Grupo Elektra’s chief operating officer.

J.P. Morgan Debt Team Moves to Deutsche

José Luis Daza

José Luis Daza has been named managing director and global head of emerging markets strategy at Deutsche Bank after quitting as co-head of emerging market debt research at J.P. Morgan following its merger with Chase. David Sekiguchi, a former J.P. Morgan emerging debt analyst, also joins Deutsche as head of external debt strategy. Meanwhile, Susan Segal stepped down as J.P. Morgan Chase’s head for Latin American venture capital. She is being replaced by Tim Purcell, a J.P. Morgan banker. Segal will remain in charge of managing the bank’s existing Latin American Internet ventures.

Zona’s Founders Depart
Greg Keough, one of the founders of Zona Financiera, the Virginia-based financial Internet portal, has left the company to launch a separate venture along with co-founder and brother, Tim Keough. A third founding brother, Jonathan Keough, will stay on as Zona’s chief technology officer. Greg Keough, a former CIA agent, was Zona’s president and chairman.

América Móvil Appoints CFO
América Móvil, the Mexican wireless group, appointed Carlos García Moreno as its chief financial officer. Moreno had served as director of public credit in the Ministry of Finance under the Zedillo administration. Telefonos de Mexico created América Móvil to hold its wireless and overseas assets, and spun the company off in a February New York Stock Exchange listing. Both companies are controlled by Carlos Slim.

Silberstein Goes to Warburg
Another former Mexican government official has landed on his feet. UBS Warburg hired Jorge Silberstein as its new managing director for Latin American corporate finance. Silberstein was previously head of privatizations and undersecretary of communications in the Ministry of Communications and Transportation. He worked closely with UBS Warburg in the September privatization of Asur, an airport operating company.

Ecuador’s Latest Finance Minister
Ecuador’s President Gustavo Noboa appointed Jorge Gallardo Zavala as the country’s latest finance minister. Luis Yturralde, who was named minister last June, quit over disagreements involving a $304 million stand-by credit package signed with the IMF. Yturralde’s predecessor, Jorge Guzmán quit after Noboa rejected his demands for more aggressive economic policies. Gallardo led Ecuador’s negotiating team in last year’s talks that restructured $6.65 billion in defaulted Brady and Eurobonds. 

In other Ecuadorian news, Spain has agreed to extradite Alejandro Peñafiel, the fugitive former president of Ecuador’s Banco de Préstamos. He faces fraud charges stemming from the country’s banking crisis in 1998.

Venezuela’s New Energy Minister
Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez appointed Alvaro Silva Calderón the new energy and mining minister. The 71 year-old Silva was previously deputy energy and mining minister. The former energy minister, Ali Rodríguez, was named OPEC’s new secretary-general.

Brasil Telecom Hires Advisor
Brasil Telecom Participações and CVC/Opportunity, one of its major shareholders, hired Luiz Felipe Lampreia, the former Brazilian foreign minister, to advise the company on its disputes with Telecom Italia. The Italian company owns 38% of Brasil Telecom. The remainder is held by CVC/Opportunity and state pension funds Previ, Petros, Telos, Sistel and Funcef.

Sergio Masdival

Communications Equity Associates Expands
Communications Equity Associates, an investment and merchant banking firm specializing in media, communications, technology and entertainment, has opened a Miami office to be led by Scot Fischer, former vice president of corporate banking for Latin America at Citigroup. Fischer will be CEA’s managing director for Latin America.

AMEX Appoints Private Banking Director
American Express Bank named Sergio J. Masvidal as managing director and head of its global private bank. Based in Miami, Masvidal will run the bank’s global operations, including Latin America.