Partners and directors from member firms across the Latin America region and beyond came together in Panama City from 24 to 27 June 2024 for our annual Latin America Gathering.

The event kicked off with global and regional updates from PKF Global CEO Theo Vermaak and Cleverson Lacerda, Chair of the PKF Latin America Board and CEO of PKF Brazil. It was a pleasure to celebrate the continued growth of our Latin American member firms, who are reaping the rewards of introducing additional service lines and forging new alliances in the region.

Delegates enjoyed lots of engaging content, including a thought-provoking presentation about the client experience delivered by PKF Costa Rica’s Alejandra López. Alejandra discussed the importance of ensuring that our clients remain at the heart of our offering and outlined how actively managing the client experience will drive further growth and improved market position. We also joined sessions led by PKF Puerto Rico, PKF Aruba, PKF Paraguay and PKF Colombia where our members shared insights about doing business in their territories and explored cross-border business development opportunities.

We were delighted to welcome friends and colleagues from further afield too, with representatives from member firms in Texas, Florida, New York, the UK and Portugal in attendance. Thank you for travelling out to join us and leading sessions on topics including ESG and the role of the LatAm Desk.

Guest speaker Carmen Vergara, Managing Director of ProPanama, presented to us on the reasons why Panama is considered such an attractive location for accessing international business opportunities. During the event, PKF Global signed a collaboration agreement with ProPanama, with a view to strengthening business cooperation and promoting investment in Panama for the benefit of our member firms and their clients.

Our gathering concluded with our highlight dinner at Central Hotel Panama’s Aya La Vida Restaurant, in historic Casco Viejo. This district is currently being regenerated and, by holding our event here, we were honoured to contribute to the revitalisation of this part of the city.

Building on last year’s success, we’re replacing delegate gift bags at our global events with donations to good causes. We’re proud to have raised $1,300 for the Rotary Club of El Dorado, a non-profit organisation committed to helping the local community. Thank you to our members for helping us make a difference

We are very grateful to our hosts, Jorge Avila, José González Chea and everyone at PKF Panama for welcoming us so warmly to Panama City. Special thanks to Maria Eugenia Guzman, the daughter of Hector Guzman Desangles from PKF Dominican Republic, for your help on-site – we really appreciate your contribution and are so pleased you enjoyed the experience of your first PKF event.

PKF Global CEO Theo Vermaak said, ‘It was a privilege to attend our hugely successful Latin America Gathering and explore the many and varied opportunities to continue our growth in this region. Thank you to everyone who travelled out to Panama for the event – as a people business, it is incredibly valuable to meet in person, work together and strengthen our relationships.’

Would you and your firm like to access the support, expertise and resources of the PKF Global network? Find out more about the benefits of PKF Global membership here.