Strategic Advisor for Latin America Partnerships
A member of the Meridian International Center’s Global Leadership Council, Pilar O’Leary draws on over two decades of experience in supporting and developing Latin American and international policy and business programs. Her background includes cultivating partnerships between Latin America and other countries, as well as helping prominent organizations and Fortune 100 enterprises develop and execute high-impact initiatives focused on Latin America and other global markets. Over the course of her career, she has served as a corporate lawyer and business executive. Pilar O’Leary also maintains a professional network that spans the diplomatic, multilateral, business, government, and cultural sectors in the US, Latin America and other markets.
Since 2013, she has overseen the Washington, DC-based consulting practice PFO Advisory Group. Serving a diverse clientele comprised of corporations, nonprofits and other organizations, the company provides advisory services focused on private and public sector strategies in Latin America and other global markets. As the president and chief executive officer, Pilar O’Leary oversees operations and draws on her experience in this field to assist with matters such as cultural diplomacy, community outreach, and policy engagement. For instance, her firm created public policy strategies for Facebook to engage key Latin American markets and helped launch a philanthropic investment portfolio for the Howard G. Buffett Foundation in Colombia.
In addition to her professional pursuits, Pilar O’Leary is actively involved with local and international charitable groups serving youth, and promoting international dialogue and the arts. She co-founded Isabella & Ferdinand Academia de Español (a nonprofit Spanish academy for children) and serves on the Boards of Directors of Imagination Stage and the Youth Orchestra of the Americas, as well as previously serving on the boards of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and Transformer, a contemporary arts collaborative. She also is a member of the International Friendship Club, the Georgetown Entertainment and Media Alliance, and The Circle of the National Gallery of Art. Ms. O’Leary has been a speaker about her work at different forums such as the Concordia international summit.
