Ballesteros Promoted To EMEA Deputy Director; Correa, Rios Join LTA Team

Ana Ballesteros, who most recently served as the marketing director for the Latin America (LTA) region, was promoted to her new role as deputy director – Europe and the Middle East on Jan. 1, 2024.

Previously based in Colombia, Ballesteros will now be working from the U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC’s) Tunis office.

“Ana has a proven track record of success in developing and executing marketing programs in Latin America for the Council over the past seven years,” said USGC Senior Director of Global Strategies Kurt Shultz. “Her leadership and commitment to the Council’s mission have made her the ideal person to step into this role in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.”

In her new role, Ballesteros will plan, coordinate and execute the Council’s programs, including marketing, trade servicing and government relations programs in this dynamic region.

With Ballesteros’ move to the EMEA region, the Council’s LTA office has brought on two new consultants to focus on the region’s feed grains portfolio – Diana Correa and Angelica Rios.

Based in Medellín, Colombia, Correa comes to the Council from Tigo, where she served as the manager of the president’s office. Correa managed many relationships with executives, shareholders and government representatives, ensuring communication that aligned with the company’s strategy. She has extensive market research experience, working with a multitude of sectors.

Correa will serve as a marketing specialist for the Latin America regional office, where she will focus on strategic planning and coordination, and implementation of customer servicing and technical programs.

Rios is based in Bogota, Colombia, and will serve as a marketing specialist for the Council’s LTA office. Rios most recently worked at Cargill where she was a senior merchant, managing sales and pricing for Colombia, Central America and the Caribbean. She has held previous positions with Ingredion, working closely with distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), corn gluten meal (CGM) and corn gluten feed pellets (CGFP), as well as with Aldor, a confectionery company where she served as the purchasing manager. Throughout her career, she has worked in the grain supply chain, focusing on cost improvements, negotiating and pricing products, including hedging raw materials, as well as negotiating maritime freight.

“Delighted to announce the strategic hiring of two accomplished professionals, seamlessly stepping into the shoes of a valued colleague’s well-deserved promotion. Their expertise and dedication will undoubtedly contribute to the continued success of our organization,” said Marri Tejada, USGC LTA regional director.

Please join the Council in congratulating Ana, Diana and Angelica!