The activities of the Board of Directors of Argos are mainly aimed at making decisions regarding corporate strategic goals and doing follow up on all decisions made in order to ensure their accomplishment, in the permanent search of what is in the best interest of the Company itself and its Shareholders.
The Board of Director’s task is to orient and support the Management in their administration of the business and of the risks faced by the Company, for which it can request any information considered pertinent. The Board must also stimulate the Management to preventively identify and manage the main risks to which the Company is exposed, by assessing exposure levels and dening strategies that can help to mitigate them.
Chapter III of the Corporate Governance Code contains the Guidelines for the Board.
Four of our board members meet the independence requirements established in Cementos Argos Good Governance Code, as stated in the independence statement. According to DJSI, all board members are considered independent members since they meet at least 4 of the 9 independence criteria as is shown in the Board Independence Analysis.
The Board of Directors is assessed on a yearly basis, alternating external evaluations with self-assessments. The external one is carried out by an independent firm selected by the Board itself, as recommended by the Sustainability and Corporate Governance Committee. These contemplate quantitative and qualitative aspects. Executive summary of the Board of Directors Assessment 2022 and an Executive summary of the latest external evaluation report .
Board members industry experience
These are the current members of the Board of Directors of Cementos Argos and their resumes:
President of Grupo Argos since 2016. He has extensive experience in the cement and concrete industry and in matters such as corporate strategy, business management, international business, corporate finance and sustainability. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Celsia and Odinsa. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the School of Engineering of Antioquia and non-profit entities, which allows him to have a deep understanding of the dynamics of the economy, social challenges and the business environment in Colombia and in the Americas.
At Cementos Argos S.A. he is a member of the Appointments and Remuneration Committee through which he has accompanied the definition and monitoring of the company’s talent management strategy, framed not only in the best practices and standards but also in the company’s culture and values.
He is a Lawyer, Vice President of Talent and Corporate Affairs of Grupo Argos, has extensive experience in corporate, commercial and business law, as well as in communications, institutional matters and sustainability. Rafael Olivella is a member of Boards of Directors such as Celsia, Odinsa and the National Association of Entrepreneurs – Antioquia Section, which allows him to have a deep understanding of the country’s business dynamics.
He is a member of the Sustainability and Corporate Governance Committee where he has accompanied the adoption, definition and monitoring of sustainability and corporate governance practices, as well as the commitment of Cementos Argos in environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters.
He is a Business Administrator, with a master’s degree in economic development from the London School of Economics, he is Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Finance of Grupo Argos, he has extensive experience in analysis and structuring of financial projects in different sectors, public stock market and in fusions and acquisitions. Alejandro Piedrahita is a member of the Board of Directors of national companies with foreign investment, which allows him to have extensive knowledge of business dynamics in Colombia and the Americas.
He is a member of the Audit, Finance and Risks Committee where he has accompanied the evaluation of accounting and financial procedures, as well as the supervision of the effectiveness of the control architecture and Comprehensive Risk Management System (SGIR).
He is a lawyer, Partner of Arrieta, Mantilla y Abogados, with extensive experience in project structuring, state contracting and infrastructure, national and international arbitration, mining and petroleum law, and tax liability. He was Attorney General of Colombia and Ambassador of Colombia to the Netherlands and currently also works as an external advisor of national and international companies, allowing him a comprehensive view of the public sector and country private.
He is currently a member of the Audit Finance and Risks Committee, where he has accompanied the evaluation of accounting and financial procedures, as well as the supervision of the effectiveness of the control architecture and Comprehensive Risk Management System (SGIR).
He holds an MBA from Stanford University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Economics from Universidad de los Andes (Colombia). He has held leadership roles in both the mining and high-tech industries. Mr. Teicher has served as General Manager of various business units in Latin America at Unisys Corporation (a global information technology company); CEO of Unisys (Argentina, Uruguay, and Colombia). He founded and was CEO of Xeon Technology Corp., a software business development company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
León Teicher has participated in the Boards of Directors of national and foreign companies listed on the Colombian Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange, he is also a member of the board of directors of the Universidad de los Andes and of non-profit entities, which allows him to have a deep understanding of the social, operational and strategic dynamics of business.
He is currently a member of the Audit Finance and Risks Committee, where he has accompanied the evaluation of accounting and financial procedures, as well as the supervision of the effectiveness of the control architecture and Comprehensive Risk Management System (SGIR).
Business administrator, she serves as president of the Bioparque Corporation, a non-profit entity dedicated to environmental studies and conflict resolution in the same field, and as editor of the magazine Catorce 6, the only publication specialized in environmental issues in Colombia. Additionally, Cecilia Rodriguez was the Minister of Environment, Housing and Development of Colombia, which allows her to have extensive knowledge on issues of sustainability, the environment and community relations.
She is currently a member of the Sustainability and Corporate Governance Committee, through which she has accompanied the adoption, definition and monitoring of sustainability and corporate governance practices, as well as the commitment of Cementos Argos in environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters.
She is an economist from the Universidad de los Andes, with a master’s degree in economics from the same university, and a master’s degree in public administration (MPA) with a major in economic development from Columbia University.
She has been a researcher at Fedesarrollo on taxation issues including tax structure, progressivity and evasion and education, as well as the labor market for teachers and regulation of higher education. She has also been Advisor to the Ministry of Transportation, External Advisor to the Directorate of Economic Studies, Director of Investment and Public Finance of the National Planning Department (2005-2006), General Director of the National Public Budget of the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (2006-2009), Executive Vice-President of the Federation of Colombian Insurers (2010-2012), General Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (2013-2015), Senior Advisor for the Private Sector and Competitiveness of the Presidency of the Republic of Colombia (2015-2018), Co-Director of the Central Bank (July 2018- Sept 2021).