Peru

PERU’S AMBASSADOR Susana de la Puente-Wiese, has found herself “impressed by the calibre of diplomats posted to the UK; in London diplomats are of very high professional level and their knowledge and vast experience is truly exceptional, which makes this job, fascinating, challenging and incredibly rewarding. I have met so many interesting people and every day I learn something new. Being Ambassador to the UK is proving to be one of the most rewarding professional experiences I’ve ever had, and I have also made so many wonderful new friends.” 

She continues: “The team of professionals at the Embassy are very talented and through teamwork and intense networking, we have made enormous inroads in our bilateral relationship, strengthening in particular our commercial, economic and cultural ties.” 

On her arrival in October 2017, the Ambassador found herself immediately immersed in a packed agenda. On her second day on the job, she hosted a three-day investment trip with a delegation of government ministers and senior representatives of Peru’s private sector, promoting investment projects.  “It was a great opportunity to hit the ground running, meeting several senior officials from the UK government as well as British investors interested in Peru. I was able to capitalise on my past experience and contacts in banking, I felt comfortable and motivated, right from the outset,” she remarks. 

Ms de la Puente-Wiese has vast experience in world finance and development policies in Latin America. During her experience as Vice Chairman for Latin America at JP Morgan in New York, she was constantly acting as Ambassador for her country. “I was very active in the 1990’s bringing investment into Peru and opening the international capital markets.” Her experience has come in handy when defining the bilateral agenda, especially in this Brexit era, when Peru is focusing on economic and business diplomacy in the UK.

Ms de la Puente-Wiese spent 25 years at JP Morgan, swiftly climbing the career ladder. As one of the most senior women in Wall Street, she received a series of accolades for her contribution to the region; named “One of the Top 10 Most Powerful Women in Latin America” by ‘América. “I’ve had a successful banking career, but also I was active in promoting diversity and moving the gender agenda forward as a member of the JP Morgan Chairman’s Diversity Committee and one of my objectives was to help and promote women in the field of finance.

After launching a private equity fund in New York, she returned home to work with her family business and personal projects in education and culture. Her family Foundation manages the 5,000-year-old El Brujo pre-Columbian archaeological complex in northern Peru. “I’ve always been interested in the preservation of Peru’s culture and traditions as well as deeply concerned about the development of Peru in many aspects beyond the economic one.”

The Ambassador and her team have been working on a rich bilateral agenda. “Now is the time to deepen it and make it more dynamic and results driven. We aim to become a strategic partner to the UK in trade and investment, climate change, gender equality, development of MSEs, and education.

“We are strengthening ties with the UK for infrastructure development; we have a government advisory agreement for the Lima Pan-American Games 2019 and we just set up a dual infrastructure task force on other projects.” One essential objective on her agenda is to lift the visa requirements for Peruvian visitors. “It impairs the two countries having a proper bilateral relationship, especially with the opportunities in trade and investment that lay ahead of us.” The visibility of the bilateral relationship has risen significantly; “an important milestone” occurred in May, when Boris Johnson visited Peru, the first visit from a UK Foreign Secretary in over 50 years.

Ms de la Puente-Wiese believes that Brexit brings several opportunities for the Pacific Alliance countries (Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru) and she’ll be using her skills and expertise in economic affairs “working closely with her colleague Ambassadors.”

The Ambassador is a passionate promoter of Peru. “Peru is the richest country in the world. Not in GDP, but on the richness in our people, our culture and the opportunities that we have.”

Her personal interests are in art, music and theatre. “I couldn’t be in a better place; London is the centre of the world, financially, diplomatically and culturally.  I feel so privileged to represent Peru in the United Kingdom!”