Leading Women Argentina, in association with Adlatina, has brought together standout players in the Argentine communications and marketing industry. This year's 16 female leaders join a group—previously known as Women to Watch—of more than 100 professional women, all of whom make an impact on the Argentine market.

Ad Age welcomes this outstanding 2023 group of Argentine executives to join the hundreds of women all over the world who have been recognized as Leading Women.

An event to celebrate this year's class of honorees will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Buenos Aires on Monday, April 24. The celebration is part of a lunch attended by executives from companies, agencies, colleagues and collaborators, journalists, family members and other women from the industry. Those who wish to attend the lunch should contact María Belén Martínez Cima.

Valeria Bazzi

Senior communications director, Mercado Libre Latam

For 12 years Bazzi has been leading a team of 20 professionals, responsible for the integral management of external communication, institutional and reputation positioning of Mercado Libre and Mercado Pago. Previously she was managing director at Ketchum Argentina.

She has a bachelor's degree in public relations from UADE and a master's in management communications from Austral University.

Mariana Cavalli

Marketing and product director, American Express

Cavalli is responsible for designing and leading product development strategy, portfolio growth, the membership rewards program, brand and digital for individuals and companies. She joined Amex in 2012 as head of marketing for the banking franchising business in Latam markets.

Since 2014, Cavalli has co-led the Argentinean chapter of Win, the internal network of professional women development at Amex.

Before joining Amex, she worked at BBVA for 15 years, holding different positions, including those in segments, transactional products and payment terms. She has a bachelor's degree in marketing and has developed management digital coaching and leadership programs.

María José Ezquerra

CEO and president, Havas Group Argentina

A well-known Argentine communications professional, Ezquerra has more than 20 years of experience and extensive background in successfully managing key industry principles such as customer service, digital transformation and communication strategies. She also held a top management role for North America while living in the U.S. for 12 years.

Karina García

Chief operations officer, Comu Ideas Publicitarias

García has a bachelor's degree in advertising and postgraduates in business from IAE and the University of Buenos Aires. She has 30 years of experience in advertising, working in agencies and media.

García began her career in 1992, working in media at Ayer Vázquez. She then worked at Havas Group in negotiations and purchases and later at Artear in commercial management. Before starting out on her own, she spent 10 years at IPG Mediabrands leading the trade area, developing strategies of media takeovers for local and global clients in all market categories.

In 2022 García launched her own business, building the agency Comu Ideas Publicitarias, where she brought in new clients using her expertise in agency positioning and customer service growth.

Carolina Gentile

Marketing director, Grupo Campari

Gentile graduated with a degree in economics from the Universidad de San Andrés. She began her career as regional trader at Citibank, after which she joined Unilever, where she was the first woman in the role of chief economist. During her 10 years at Unilever she worked in different positions locally, regionally and globally for Dove, Axe, Knorr and Drive.

It was a scholarship at EAE Business School in Barcelona where she fell in love with the beverage industry. Gentile then landed at Bacardi as marketing manager of Martini where she restructured digital marketing and drove innovation, including launching the first vermouth without alcohol.

In 2020 she returned to Argentina and joined Grupo Campari as marketing manager of Aperol, Skyy Vodka and Cynar, as well as the entire imported portfolio. A year and a half later, she became the first woman to be part of the company's leadership team.

Fernanda Ledesma Padilla

Marketing vice manager of customer service and safety, Honda Motor Argentina

Ledesma has a bachelor's degree in social communication from Austral University, where she specialized in marketing and communication strategies and corporate strategy. She started her career in 2008 in FWD BA as an account assistant and then moved to Urban PR, where, as an account executive, she was in charge of the communication and PR strategy for several clients, including Coca-Cola. In 2011 she joined Wunderman Thompson as an account supervisor with local and regional clients such as Monsanto, Microsoft, Intel, Coca-Cola, Dell, Sancor and Telefónica.

In 2015 she took a position as marketing chief for motorcycles at Honda Motor Argentina; at present she manages the company's complete portfolio, leading the development and implementation of marketing strategy for Honda and its products. She is responsible for defining and executing communication strategies for all the business units: cars, motorcycles, power products and post-sale.

Florencia Leonetti

Strategic planning director, Mercado McCann

Leonetti has a bachelor's degree in advertising from the University of Palermo. She has built 25 years of experience working at big creative agencies, including VegaOlmosPonce, McCann, DDB, BBDO, R/GA and La América, with local, regional and global brands. Currently, Leonetti works closely with creative teams and talents on recognized and memorable campaigns.

Julia Lois

Marketing head of individual banking, HSBC

Lois earned a bachelor's degree in business administration at UCA. After working for brands—including Walmart, Quaker, Gatorade, Equalsweet, La Salteña, Pedigree and Whiskas—she moved to Philips in 2011. And in 2017 she took on a new challenge, joining the financial sector as marketing head for individual banking at HSBC.

Throughout her 25-year career, she has launched a variety of products, from cereal bars to innovations in fresh pasta and pet food. She learned from the LED lighting world and the men's personal care industry, managing the shaving category for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Perú.

Pilar Lopardo

Communication and branding manager, Telecom

Lopardo studied communications at Universidad del Salvador. She began her career at ad agencies and worked for big brands including Coca-Cola, Nextel, Adidas, Mercado Libre and Personal. In 2011, she joined the marketing team of Nextel to lead the brand's rebranding and repositioning. She has participated in projects that have won honors at many prestigious festivals. From 2017 to 2018 she served as the government's brand director of content sub-secretary.

Before joining the Telecom group, Lopardo was managing director at Gut Buenos Aires. Now, as the communication and branding manager at Telecom, she is tasked with building big brands Telecom, Personal and Flow.

Julieta López

Head of brand, Naranja X

López holds a bachelor's in advertising from UCES. She began her career in small agencies and startups and in 2012 she joined the telecommunications business, helping develop the marketing strategy for the prepaid Claro. She then joined Cabify to lead marketing for the launch of ride hailing in Argentina.

After two years leading the growth, brand and PR team and seeing successful results, she assumed a new challenge in finance: she joined Naranja X to develop marketing for the company's fintech services.

Today, at 36 years old, she is head of brand for all products and services the company offers. She played a key role in the company's transition from a traditional financial business model to a fintech-focused one, where she led the end-to-end strategy.

Marina Prieto

Senior marketing director, PedidosYa Latam

Prieto holds a bachelor's in business administration from the University of Buenos Aires and has worked in mass consumer goods for 21 years.

She began her career at Andersen Consulting, held the position of young professional at Danone Waters and then moved Cepas Argentina. In 2004 she fell in love with the candy industry and for 16 years worked in different positions in Argentina, South Cone and Latam at Cadbury, Kraft and Mondelez, where she led the business unit.

In 2020, during the pandemic, Prieto joined PedidosYa as head of marketing for Argentina. Since 2021, she has led the branding, media, trade, research and PR teams for Latam.

Julieta Rey

Senior VP, La Comunidad

Rey has a bachelor's in advertising from UCES. She began her career as a brand strategist at La Comunidad before joining Ogilvy Argentina as general planning director. After a short stint at Mother, she continued her career as an independent consultant of strategic communications. In 2014 she moved to Mexico and joined Circus DF to co-lead the agency.

After more than three years with Circus, she returned to La Comunidad to lead the Argentina and Latam offices. Her professional career has afforded her deep knowledge of Latam region and she has worked with several brands locally, regionally and globally.

Carolina Tacco

Senior marketing manager for baby and child care, Kimberly-Clark South Cone

Tacco has more than 20 years in marketing and holds a bachelor's in business economics from UTDT. She began as a young professional at SC Johnson Argentina, where she worked for five years in marketing for different categories, then moved to the startup Sodimac in Argentina.

In 2008, she rejoined Kimberly-Clark, holding a variety of marketing positions in categories such as feminine care, adult care and baby and child care for Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.

Belén Urbaneja

Regional VP of CSR, brand management and diversity, equity and inclusion, The Walt Disney Co. Latin America

Urbaneja graduated from the University of Buenos Aires with a law degree and has postgraduate studies in human resources, corporate social responsibility and sustainability. In 1996, she started her career at Disney as a corporate alliances project manager. In 2000 she contributed to the integration of the company’s business in Latam. In 2007 she created and led the strategy for sustainability and social responsibility in the region.

Currently, she is responsible for the regional strategy of sustainable management, community relations and social investment. She also oversees driving the growth and reputation of brands and putting diversity, equity and inclusion at the center of business strategy.

Julieta Vilá

Global marketing director for classifieds, fintech and Saas, QuintoAndar Group

Vilá began her career in finance while in her final semester of business administration at the University of San Andrés. A year later she opted to change course and started working in consumer, shopper and customer marketing at FMCG and luxury brands. In 2005 she joined Diageo, leading several alcohol categories in Argentina and Mexico, where she lived as an expatriate. Later, she decided to return to Argentina, joining Coca-Cola as a regional manager focusing on portfolio, brand building and content.

Looking for more flexibility, her next step was in digital marketing at ThinkY, where she led accounts for brands including Coca-Cola, Unilever, BRF and Natura. She also developed the research and audiovisual production business units, with the goal of offering more complete services to clients.

In 2018, she broadened her scope in fashion and direct-channel management by joining Rapsodia as marketing manager. In 2020 she was recruited again by Diageo, challenged with building shopper marketing for the region and managing the entire portfolio in all channels.

In her current role at QuintoAndar Group, Vilá leads B2C and B2B strategies, driving growth for many of the brands.

Lucía Villamil

Partner and managing director, Vendaval

Villamil is managing director at Vendaval, an independent agency that, together with partners Lucho Sánchez Zinny, Carmelo Maselli and Pablo Lezama, she built three years ago. The shop works with brands in Argentina, Chile and Mexico, including Banco Hipotecario, Pago Fácil, Arcor, Danone, AB InBev and Coppel.

After earning a bachelor's degree in institutional and advertising communication at UCA, she got her start at La Comunidad, working there for six years. But it was at Leo Burnett where she met her current partners.

Before joining Vendaval, she was group account director at The Juju for four years. Throughout her career, she has been an account leader for different local and regional brands, including Coca-Cola, Cencosud, Volkswagen Latam, Rolling Stone, Chrysler Group, Arcor, Banco Hipotecario, Car One, AB InBev, Axion Energy and El Cronista.