Maria Ignacia brings twenty years of experience in educational and social responsibility initiatives, including a pioneer distance-learning program for teacher professional training and the first pan-regional educational channel offered throughout Latin America via DIRECTV to subscriber homes and schools.

In her current role, she has been responsible for aligning Cisneros’ vision for philanthropy and sustainability with the corporate strategy, by engaging internal and external stakeholders, establishing strategic partnerships and further integrating social responsibility efforts with the business agenda and objectives. Under her leadership, gender equality programs have been developed to raise awareness in partnership with UN Women and the United Nations Population Fund, and to support women entrepreneurs.

Maria Ignacia Arcaya holds a BSc and an MSc in Education from the University of Surrey and Simmons College, and certificates in Corporate Social Responsibility from Venezuela’s Institute for Superior Education in Administration (IESA) and Harvard Business School.