Cali, Valle del Cauca, October 6, 2026. Invest Pacific informs its partners, sponsors, business leaders, public-sector entities, cooperation agencies, and the general public that Juan Carlos Castro Lozano has concluded his tenure as Executive Director of the Agency, following three years of leadership marked by significant achievements in positioning Cali and Valle del Cauca as leading destinations for investment and sustainable development in Colombia.
The Board of Directors has appointed Mauricio Concha Rivera, the Agency’s current Investment Director, as Acting Executive Director while the process to appoint a new permanent Executive Director is completed. The Agency will continue working closely with its Board of Directors, partners, sponsors, and stakeholders across the regional ecosystem to further promote investment, competitiveness, and sustainable development.
Invest Pacific’s Board of Directors expresses its gratitude to Juan Carlos Castro Lozano for his leadership, commitment, and contributions over the past three years to strengthening the Agency institutionally and enhancing the national and international positioning of Cali and Valle del Cauca.
Under Juan Carlos Castro’s leadership, Invest Pacific supported the establishment and expansion of 57 foreign direct investment projects by 53 companies from 25 countries that chose Valle del Cauca to establish or expand their operations across 11 municipalities in the department. These investments represent a total of USD $646 million and the creation of 6,338 direct jobs, further consolidating the region as one of Colombia’s leading investment destinations.
Among the most significant milestones was the pioneering work undertaken with the European Union through the Global Gateway initiative, which enabled the development of a pre-feasibility study for a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) plant in Valle del Cauca. The study confirmed the department’s potential to become one of Colombia’s leading biofuel production hubs. Likewise, in partnership with IDB Invest, the Agency successfully structured, for the first time, two major studies aimed at advancing the circular economy and energy transition in the region. These technical assistance initiatives represented resources equivalent to USD $140,000, generating capabilities and tools that will remain available to the region to support new high-impact investment projects.
During his tenure, regional positioning platforms were also consolidated, including Valle Verde, a narrative designed to promote Valle del Cauca as a leading destination for sustainable investment, which became one of the strategic pillars of the Departmental Development Plan; as well as Cali Home4Tech, an initiative launched in 2025 to position Cali as an international technology hub with strengths in sectors such as HealthTech, AgriTech, and ClimateTech.
“Returning to my city to lead Invest Pacific was one of my greatest aspirations and became one of the greatest privileges of my professional life. Today, I leave with the satisfaction of having worked alongside an extraordinary, visionary team deeply passionate about transforming the future of our region. My gratitude goes to every partner, business leader, investor, government official, and organization that was part of this journey. The achievements we accomplished are the result of a collective effort that will continue to generate a positive impact in Valle del Cauca for many years to come,” said the outgoing Executive Director.
In terms of international promotion, Invest Pacific significantly expanded its presence in strategic markets across the Americas, Europe, and Asia through business missions, investment attraction initiatives, and engagement opportunities with investors, companies, and multilateral organizations. At the same time, the Agency strengthened its regional events agenda, consolidating meetings and forums such as Valle Verde, Green Business Forum, Invest Conecta, Ruta al Mundo desde el Puerto de Buenaventura, and its annual assemblies, which became key platforms for discussing the region’s economic and sustainable future. The Green Business Forum alone, held as part of COP16, brought together 408 attendees, more than 45 international and national experts, delegations from several countries, and attracted more than 20 sponsors.
Invest Pacific is the foreign investment promotion agency for Cali and Valle del Cauca. With 16 years of experience, the Agency provides free advisory and support services to companies interested in establishing or expanding their operations in the region. Valle del Cauca is already home to more than 260 foreign-owned companies, whose sales represent 21% of the regional GDP and account for 35% of exports. Invest Pacific works in close coordination with Valle del Cauca Governor's Office, Cali Mayor’s Office, the Cali Chamber of Commerce, and the broader institutional ecosystem.
