As the former Mayor of Quito (2014-2019), I led transformative initiatives for my city, most notably promoting and overseeing the construction of the country's first-ever metro system. During my tenure, I had the privilege of hosting the UN’s Conference on Urban Sustainable Development – Habitat III, and serving as World Co-President of UCLG, Vice-chair of C40 Cities, and board member of the Global Covenant of Mayors and ICLEI. In these roles, I emphasized my unwavering commitment to fostering sustainable and livable urban environments.

Currently, as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, I lecture and conduct research, shaping the discourse on the future of climate finance in cities. I also hold the position of Executive Secretary at the SDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance, co-chaired by the Mayors of Paris and Rio de Janeiro and Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, collaborating with mayors, city networks leaders, climate and finance experts, and scholars to advocate for reforms to the global financial architecture to increase cities’ access to finance.

Simultaneously, in my role as the Lead for the City Champions for Heat Action Initiative at the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center at the Atlantic Council, I work with mayors globally to implement innovative strategies to mitigate heat-related risks in cities. I am also a member of the UN’s Committee of Experts on Public Administration.

As a partner at Meridio Consulting, a committed urban policy and city diplomacy firm, our collective goal is to help public and private sector clients address the complex challenges and opportunities of sustainable development, climate change, and resilience in cities around the world.

In 2019 I was recognized as one of the "100 World’s Most Influential People on Climate Action" by Apolitical, and received ICLEI’s Climate Action and Sustainability Leadership Award. Additionally, I was bestowed with the prestigious World Urban Leadership Award from the University of Pennsylvania.

My professional journey has been shaped by a commitment to impactful initiatives. I founded and led Ethos Public Policy Lab, a distinguished think tank based in Mexico, where we navigated the complexities of public policy with a forward-thinking approach. Ethos became one of the most influential think tanks in Latin America, according to the Global Think Tank Index.

I hold a JD from Universidad Católica de Quito and master’s degrees in Government Administration and Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania (Fulbright Fellow).