Since 2003, GPC has helped governments and development banks build investment promotion agencies, open export markets and grow SMEs across 40+ countries.
Trusted by the IDB, World Bank, CABEI, CAF and national investment agencies across the region.
Home · About · Services · Capabilities · Our Impact · Team · Contact
Our Impact at a Glance
Years of Expertise
in international development
Programs Managed
and delivered
Countries Served
across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Caribbean
Firms Assisted
in programs we led, across services, manufacturing and agribusiness
Institutions Empowered
advancing national and regional economic development
Value Chains Transformed
driving sectoral competitiveness and inclusive growth
Global Partners Consulting
Strategic advisory and implementation expertise for economic transformation in resilient markets.
About GPC
Founded in 2003, Global Partners Consulting is a boutique international development consultancy based in Windermere, Florida (USA). GPC provides strategic advisory and program implementation support to multilateral development banks, bilateral donors, governments, and private sector clients navigating complex economic development challenges in resilient markets.
GPC operates at the intersection of private sector development, investment promotion, economic competitiveness, and labor mobility — with deep roots in Latin America, the Caribbean, and small island developing states.
Our Approach
Context-Driven Strategy
Every engagement starts with the political economy, institutional landscape, and market dynamics of the specific country or region, ensuring strategic solutions are rooted in context, delivering sustainable impact.
Implementation-Tested
GPC doesn't just advise—it implements. Our methodologies, stress-tested across 40+ countries, are validated by demanding institutional clients, bridging the gap between strategic theory and measurable, field-proven success.
Results-Oriented Delivery
Every engagement is structured around measurable outcomes — not activity reports. GPC designs interventions with clear theories of change, built-in evaluation frameworks, and accountability to both clients and beneficiaries.
What We Do
GPC provides end-to-end advisory and implementation support across six interconnected practice areas.
01
Trade, Investment Promotion & FDI Strategy
From building national investment promotion agencies to designing investor targeting strategies for national and subnational governments.
- Investment promotion agency (IPA) creation, restructuring and capacity building
- Investor targeting, marketing and aftercare systems
- Market intelligence, operating cost benchmarking and site competitiveness analysis
02
Economic Competitiveness & Diversification
Diversification strategies grounded in competitive analysis, value chain mapping and institutional assessment, with particular depth in Caribbean SIDS and resource-dependent economies.
- Competitiveness diagnostics and gap analysis
- Business environment reform and regulatory simplification
- Public-private dialogue facilitation
03
Private Sector Development & SME Growth
We integrate private sector actors as operational partners, so business incentives and development outcomes stay aligned beyond donor funding cycles.
- SME development and value chain upgrading
- Access to finance, digital financial inclusion and fintech market entry
- Entrepreneurship ecosystems, diaspora and returnee entrepreneurship
04
Labor Mobility & Workforce Development
Circular labor mobility programs that serve both migration policy and economic development, through skills transfer, remittance-to-investment conversion and returnee entrepreneurship.
- Circular labor migration program design (H-2 visa and similar frameworks)
- Workforce development aligned with private sector demand
- Returnee reintegration and skills transfer programs
05
Program Design & Implementation
We don't just advise: we lead and turn around complex programs under close donor oversight.
- Theory of change and results framework development
- Chief of Party leadership and program turnaround
- Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) systems and donor relations
06
Research & Policy Analysis
Rigorous methods to measure what works, inform program design and strengthen evidence-based decisions.
- Trade gravity models and export potential analysis
- Impact evaluation (Difference-in-Differences, Propensity Score Matching) and multi-country SME surveys
- Policy, regulatory impact and market entry studies
Our Clients
Trusted by leading institutions worldwide.
Consortium & implementation partners
Our Analytical Toolkit
Methods we apply across every practice area:
Trade Gravity Models · Difference-in-Differences · Propensity Score Matching · Multi-Country SME Surveys · Competitiveness Diagnostics · Value Chain Analysis · Political Economy Analysis
Our Impact
Selected engagements spanning three decades of development practice across Latin America, the Caribbean, and emerging markets worldwide.
Client: Barbados Competitiveness Programme / IDB · Country: Barbados · Partner: Bixal Solutions
Barbados Trade Single Window
30+ government entities aligned on one trade single window
Challenge
Trade documentation was paper-based, duplicated and spread across more than 30 government entities, raising costs for SMEs and exporters.
What GPC Did
Led the design of the Foreign Trade Electronic Single Window, re-engineering import-export processes across 9 partner government agencies and 14 other entities, and brokering shared governance among them.
Result
A working Single Window architecture that cut compliance time and transaction costs, plus a roadmap for continued modernization.
Client: FUNDESA · Country: Guatemala · Partners: Harvard Center for International Development (CID), Dalberg
Guatemala — Inclusive Economic Development Strategy
25 value chain action plans, with Harvard CID and Dalberg
Challenge
High inequality and an economy concentrated in traditional sectors called for a growth strategy that reached SMEs and rural communities.
What GPC Did
In a consortium with Dalberg and Ricardo Hausmann's Harvard CID, applied the Product Space methodology and built 25 value chain action plans across agribusiness, tourism, BPO, renewable energy and light manufacturing.
Result
The 25 plans became the operational foundation for aligning government economic development policy with private sector investment strategy.
Client: Caribbean Export Development Agency / Multiple Caribbean Governments · Countries: CARIFORUM (multi-country)
Caribbean Regional Investment Promotion Strategy
One regional strategy positioning CARIFORUM economies as complementary investment destinations
Challenge
Small, open Caribbean economies faced declining competitiveness, limited FDI attraction capacity and weak investment promotion frameworks.
What GPC Did
Restructured and modernized investment agencies, ran competitiveness diagnostics to target tourism, BPO and agribusiness, and facilitated regional coordination to avoid subsidy competition.
Result
Participating countries established credible investment promotion operations and attracted investment in targeted sectors through strategic positioning rather than incentive races.
Founder leadership
Client: USAID / Palladium · Country: El Salvador · Period: 2018–2025
USAID El Salvador Economic Competitiveness Program — Strategic Repositioning, PSE & Labor Mobility
$414M in sales, 46,552 jobs, 15,000+ H-2 workers placed (2021–2025)
Challenge
Took over a $51M USAID program at a critical point, with mandates on SME competitiveness, FDI attraction and a new circular labor mobility initiative.
Role
As Chief of Party, repositioned the program as a private sector engagement engine, supported the creation of El Salvador's new investment promotion agency, scaled the H-2 labor mobility program to 15,000+ placements over 2021–2025 and launched "Transformando Vidas" to channel worker savings into entrepreneurship.
Result
Exceeded 26 quantitative indicators, including $414M in sales, 46,552 jobs and 18,900 firms assisted, making it one of USAID's most successful programs in El Salvador.
Founder leadership
Client: Venezuelan National Council for Investment Promotion (CONAPRI) · Country: Venezuela · Period: 1992–2001
CONAPRI Venezuela — Building a National Investment Promotion Agency
$1B+ in investment attracted, 25+ sector investment promotion strategies
Challenge
Lead Venezuela's national investment promotion agency through acute political and economic volatility, shrinking capital flows and sustained budget pressure.
Role
Rationalized the agency's cost base while keeping its global footprint, re-anchored it in national investment policy, and repositioned it as a credible interlocutor for investors and policymakers.
Result
A leaner agency that kept its international presence, regained influence over investment policy and recovered standing with investors and policymakers.
Additional Project Highlights
GoInvest Guyana — Trade & Investment Development Strategy
Client: Government of Guyana / IDB | Country: Guyana | Period: 2019–2023
GPC conducted a comprehensive trade and investment development analysis leveraging Guyana's strategic geographic position and emerging resource wealth. The engagement included bilateral trade analysis, export potential identification, investment climate assessment, and development of strategic trade and investment promotion initiatives aligned with Guyana's diversification objectives.
K-CAFTA Internationalization Platform for Central American Enterprises
Client: CABEI | Countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama | Period: 2023–2025
GPC designed and implemented a digital platform supporting SME internationalization under the Korea-Central America Free Trade Agreement. The project combined bilateral trade potential assessments with an online platform providing Central American enterprises with market data, buyer directories, regulatory guidance, and K-CAFTA training resources.
Dominican Republic — SME Trade Capacity Building & Market Access
Client: Government of Dominican Republic / IDB | Period: March–September 2015
GPC executed a strategic trade and capacity building initiative for Dominican SMEs targeting the U.S. market, with emphasis on leveraging the Dominican diaspora in New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts as a market entry vehicle. The engagement included bilateral trade analysis, technical barrier assessment, and diaspora engagement strategy development.
PROESA El Salvador — Textile & BPO Sector Cost Benchmarking
Client: PROESA / IDB | Countries: El Salvador, Central America, Dominican Republic, Mexico | Period: 2016–2017
GPC conducted a comprehensive cost benchmarking study of the BPO and textile sectors across Central America, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic, incorporating over 200 operational data points. The study provided El Salvador with quantitative evidence of competitive positioning to support targeted FDI attraction campaigns.
Brazil SEBRAE — Industrial Clusters Value Chain Impact Evaluation
Client: FOMIN / SEBRAE | Country: Brazil | Period: January–September 2010
GPC directed a comprehensive impact evaluation of Brazil's industrial cluster development initiative across four production clusters: fashion and intimate apparel, furniture and wood products, leather goods and footwear, and handicrafts and apparel. The evaluation included enterprise surveys of 300+ companies and generated institutional learning for subsequent FOMIN interventions.
Ecuador Presidential Office — Investment & Business Climate Institutional Strengthening
Client: Presidencia de la República del Ecuador / IDB | Country: Ecuador | Period: 2018–2024
GPC provided strategic institutional strengthening support to Ecuador's presidential office for consolidation and modernization of the country's investment promotion and business climate infrastructure. The engagement included diagnostic assessment, design of an integrated institutional model, ZEDE integration into investment promotion strategy, and capacity building for investment promotion professionals.
Senior Practitioners, Global Reach
GPC's engagements are led by senior practitioners with decades of hands-on experience across emerging markets, multilateral institutions, and complex development programs.
Core Team
Luis Soto
President & CEO
Attorney (JD) and MBA with 25+ years in investment promotion, competitiveness and business climate reform across 40+ countries for the IDB, World Bank, CABEI, CAF and USAID. Former CEO of CONAPRI, Venezuela's national investment promotion agency, and Chief of Party of the USAID El Salvador Economic Competitiveness Program.
María Eugenia Labrador
Director, Research & Strategy
Industrial engineer and MBA with over 15 years in investment promotion, sector benchmarking, and market intelligence. Former analyst at CONAPRI and Euromonitor International covering Latin America.
Miguel Soto
Vice President, Strategy & Business Development
Financial services strategist and former McKinsey consultant and EY director. Expert in strategy, leadership, and corporate development across LATAM, driving GPC’s growth and client engagement.
Alberto Mestas
Vice President, Regulatory & Policy
Attorney and PhD candidate with expertise in business climate reform, investment regulation, and public policy evaluation. Former coordinator for GIZ, IDB/Compete Caribbean, and CAF projects across Latin America.
Associate Network
Dr. Andrés Saldías
Senior Trade & Investment Advisor
PhD in International Trade with 25+ years driving FDI attraction, export promotion, and SME competitiveness across 46 countries. Proven track record generating $850M+ in nearshoring investments across Central America and Africa.
Camila Flores
Economic Development Specialist
Program management specialist with 15+ years in USAID-funded economic development, trade facilitation, workforce development, and gender mainstreaming. Former WFP Program Officer. Based in El Salvador.
Jose Veliz Torresano
International Trade Intelligence Specialist
Master of International Affairs with 20+ years designing inclusive market systems, blue/green economy strategies, and NTFP value chains across the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.
Let's Discuss Your Economic Transformation Challenge
Whether you're designing a new program, entering a new market, or navigating a complex institutional environment — GPC provides the strategic clarity and operational experience your engagement demands.
info@globpartners.com
Phone
+1 (407) 694-3853
Based in
Windermere, Florida - USA
Global Partners Consulting
Strategic Advisory for Economic Transformation
Home · About · Services · Capabilities · Our Impact · Team · Contact
© 2026 Global Partners Consulting · All rights reserved · globpartners.com
Building institutions, markets and partnerships for inclusive growth