VZCZCXYZ0007
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHQT #0485 1701338
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191338Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY QUITO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0516
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 8217
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3604
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ JUN LIMA 3273
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL 4421
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

UNCLAS QUITO 000485 
 
DEPT FOR IIP/S-WHA CBARONE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EINV EINT ETRD EC
SUBJECT: EMBASSY-SPONSORED CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY SPEAKER 
PROVES A HIT WITH ECUADORIAN AUDIENCES 
 
¶1.  Summary: With the goal of highlighting the positive impact of 
the U.S. business community in Ecuador, Embassy Quito used its 2009 
I-bucks funding to bring to Ecuador Celina Pagani-Tousignant, an 
expert on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the week of May 
18-22.  Pagani-Tousignant gave polished and well-received 
presentations on CSR to student and business groups in Ecuador. 
These events allowed the Embassy and US businesses to raise public 
awareness about the benefits of investment by the U.S, and the 
positive activities of U.S. businesses in Ecuador.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  Celina Pagani-Tousignant runs an independent consulting firm 
called Nomisur and has a broad range of experience with Corporate 
Social Responsibility programs.  She has previously worked for U.S. 
companies like Chevron and Levi Strauss, and she currently works 
with the Boston College Center for Work and Family.  Her native 
Spanish and impressive resume made her an attractive speaker for 
Ecuadorian audiences.  The Embassy and Consulate arranged for her to 
give presentations before business and student groups in multiple 
cities during her visit.  In collaboration with the local chapters 
of the Ecuadorian American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), she gave 
inspiring talks to audiences that included AmCham members as well as 
the general public.  Embassy officers were pleased that large 
numbers of students attended these events, with some traveling from 
outside towns to do so. The AmCham event in Guayaquil received 
particularly positive television coverage.  Pagani-Tousignant's 
AmCham presentations were combined with speeches by Ambassador 
Hodges in Quito, Consul General Griffiths in Guayaquil, and Senior 
Commercial Officer Eric Olson in Cuenca, who used the events to 
emphasize the importance of trade with the US in Ecuador's economy, 
as well as the long history of commercial ties between our nations. 
The AmCham events also included presentations by local experts on 
CSR, along with presentations by a panel of representatives from 
AmCham member companies.  The companies' presentations allowed the 
U.S. business community to showcase its CSR successes to the 
Ecuadorian public. 
 
¶3.  The Embassy and Consulate also arranged presentations by 
Pagani-Tousignant at several universities and Ecuadorian businesses. 
 The audiences ranged from small groups of only 10 people to large 
groups of up to 170 people.  Regardless of the size, 
Pagani-Tousignant's presentations were always well-received.  The 
current widespread interest in CSR enabled the Embassy to arrange a 
presentation in one left-leaning university that had previously been 
resistant to accepting visitors from the Embassy. 
Pagani-Tousignant's talk was so effective and well-attended that 
this university has since invited an Embassy economic officer to 
return for a presentation on the global financial crisis. 
 
¶4.  In addition to her speaking events, Pagani-Tousignant did 
several radio and newspaper interviews, significantly expanding her 
audience within Ecuador.  The Embassy received many expressions of 
gratitude from university, business, and AmCham officials for its 
role in facilitating this visit.  We consider this to have been a 
very successful outreach effort and appreciate the assistance 
provided by our Washington-based colleagues. 
 
HODGES