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Cox / Enrique Riquelme receives the 2026 Ibero-American Impact Awa...

Enrique Riquelme receives the 2026 Ibero-American Impact Award at the United Nations General Assembly

  • Cox Executive Chairman Enrique Riquelme has been recognized at the Ibero-American Impact Summit for his business leadership and his contribution to the energy transition, sustainable development, and the creation of opportunities for progress across Ibero-America     
  • At the Summit, held in New York during the 81st United Nations General Assembly, Riquelme advocated for a just, people-centered energy transition supported by public-private cooperation

 

Madrid, September 28, 2026.  Enrique Riquelme, Executive Chairman of Cox, has received the 2026 Ibero-American Impact Award, presented by the Ibero-American Impact Summit in recognition of his business leadership and his contribution to the energy transition, sustainable development, and the creation of opportunities for progress across Ibero-America.

The award was presented during the tenth edition of the Summit, organized by PVBLIC Foundation in New York during the 81st United Nations General Assembly, with Spain as the 2026 Focus Country. Other prominent figures recognized by the Summit include painter Domingo Zapata, Carolina Giraldo through the Con Cora Foundation, and Javier and Paula Zanetti through the PUPI Foundation.

During his address, Riquelme advocated for a people-centered energy transition. “Talking about a just energy transition is, in reality, talking about human development,” he said. In his view, the transformation must go beyond technological change and translate into access to essential services, skilled employment, and opportunities for young people.

The Executive Chairman of Cox also highlighted the complementary relationship between Europe and Latin America. “Europe and Latin America should not see each other solely as markets or suppliers. They should recognize each other as strategic partners,” he said, calling for a relationship based on trust, knowledge transfer, and shared benefits.

Riquelme also focused on public-private partnerships as a means of accelerating critical infrastructure development and mobilizing investment. “Infrastructure cannot be understood solely as a financial asset. It is a tool for social cohesion, economic stability, and human dignity,” he said, advocating collaboration among governments, companies, multilateral institutions, and civil society.

Drawing on Cox’s experience, he called for an integrated approach to water and energy and noted that the company develops projects in renewables, transmission, energy storage, desalination, and water treatment. “Without water, there is no development, agriculture, industry, or health. Without reliable and competitive energy, there are no jobs, digitalization, connectivity, or prosperity,” he said.

In closing his address, Riquelme reaffirmed Cox’s commitment to Ibero-America and to strengthening the bridges between Europe and Latin America. “What we need now is determination, cooperation, and trust,” he concluded.

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Luis Arizaga Zárate

Independent Director

Member of the Audit Committee

Date of appointment: September 17, 2024

Shareholding in Cox Abg Group, S.A.: 11,514 shares

Partner of Exus Management Partners (Exus) and GenuX Power, a global renewable energy platform with offices in nine countries, managing 11GW of installed capacity, including 2.6GW in Mexico between wind and solar energy projects. Holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at NYU in New York, and a bachelors degree in Accounting and Finance from ITESM in Mexico.

Prior to joining EXUS in 2019, he founded EIRA Capital, an investment platform focused on Energy and Infrastructure transactions in Mexico, and Latin America. He was also part of Australia’s Macquarie Group in Latin America, where he spent more than 7 years in the Macquarie Capital and Macquarie Funds divisions, working on fund capital raising, equity investments, asset management activities, as well as third party advisory roles on energy and infrastructure transactions in Mexico and Latin America. During his years at Macquarie, he also held board positions in the several investments made by Macquarie which covered energy, public private partnerships, roads, and telecom companies. In addition, his previous involvement at financial institutions include positions in the investment banking teams of Deutsche Bank’s M&A group in New York, and Citibank’s M&A group in Mexico.

Other former relevant positions include his role as independent member of the investment committee of the Instituto del Fondo Nacional de la Vivienda para los Trabajadores (Mexican mortgages and housing government agency).

Enrique Riquelme Vives

Presidente Ejecutivo

Fecha de nombramiento: 17 de septiembre de 2024

Participación en el capital social de Cox Infrastructure Group, S.A.: 50.612.744  acciones

COX

Presidente Ejecutivo de Cox, tras iniciar su andadura profesional en el sector inmobiliario y de la construcción, en 2010 fundó Grupo El Sol en Panamá, especializado en operaciones de minería, cemento, infraestructuras y energía. Con el tiempo, la empresa se convertiría en el mayor proveedor de arena de la UTE responsable de la ampliación del canal de Panamá. Posteriormente, pasó a liderar las fases de oferta y desarrollo de Rainbow 50: el proyecto fotovoltaico de mayor envergadura ejecutado en América Latina hasta aquel momento.

Ha recibido varios galardones por su contribución al mundo empresarial en España, entre ellos el Premio del Certamen Nacional de Jóvenes Emprendedores 2018. También ha sido distinguido como uno de los «100 latinos más influyentes comprometidos con la acción climática» y uno de los «100 españoles más creativos del mundo de los negocios» según la revista Forbes. Actualmente, es miembro del Consejo Internacional de la San Telmo Business School y preside el Consejo Asesor de la Fundación Scholas para Panamá, Centroamérica y Caribe.