Guillermo Areas has over 25 years of professional experience working in the Latin American region. During this time he has held positions of progressive management responsibility with renowned companies such as Bayer, DHL, and currently with BMW Group as Head of Government and External Affairs for Latin America and the Caribbean. His management, strategic planning and government relations experience makes Guillermo a multifaceted professional with the expertise to identify trends, opportunities and business risks and most important how to act upon them.
Guillermo holds an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, which he attended under an Organization of American States (OAS) academic fellowship, a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Florida International University, and an associate’s degree in Political Science from Miami Dade College. Guillermo is from Nicaragua and lives in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area. He is married and has four children.
On his decision to join the International Advisory Board of the Auschwitz Institute, Guillermo explained:
I am honored to be part of this amazing organization which has a direct impact in protecting the lives and rights of individuals across the world. As a member of the AIPG International Advisory Board, I am looking forward to promoting the role of the private sector in the protection of human rights and, in particular, the prevention of genocide and mass atrocities. The importance of the private sector partnering with government and civil society in the protection of human rights is key to building strong foundations for the rule of law which in turn makes for strong democracies in which the rights of individuals are protected.
Being part of the Auschwitz Institute has also a personal connection. At the age of eleven, I came to the United States with my parents and two younger brothers as refugees fleeing political persecution. This was an experience which had a profound effect on my view of the world and the importance of defending the weak from oppression and harm. I am very enthusiastic at the prospect of being able to use my experience to advise and to contribute to the goals of the Auschwitz Institute.