Spotlight on: Vanessa Piedrahita, Aprio’s Latin America Practice Leader

When considering global expansion, it’s important for Latin American companies to partner with advisors that understand the cultural landscape and can conduct business in Spanish. Effective advisors have a depth of knowledge and experience managing international tax regulations, customs and tariffs, global mobility, and transfer pricing issues to support operations across borders outside of Latin America.

Vanessa Piedrahita is the Leader of Aprio’s International Business Services Latin America Practice. Keep reading for more information about Vanessa’s background, experience, and knowledge of the Latin American and global business landscape.

How long have you been working with Latin American businesses? What is your specific expertise?

I received my degree from the Universidad del Norte in Colombia and eventually made my way to Weston, Florida, where I started working in the Latin America practice at Salver & Cook, a Florida-based CPA firm with a specialty in working with multinational companies in the Southern hemisphere. I have spent more than 15 years providing Latin American business owners with tax consulting, tax planning, and compliance services.

Over the course of my career, I have honed my expertise in the tax implications and regulatory concerns involved with expanding internationally outside of Latin America and advise foreign and domestic companies on their tax liability. From an individual perspective, I specialize in handling ingoing and outgoing tax compliance challenges for U.S. citizens and foreign nationals.

How would you describe your clients? Who would be a good fit for your services?

Most of my Latin American clients include stakeholders in closely held businesses and high-net-worth individuals who are owners or executives of businesses across the real estate, wholesale, manufacturing, consumer products, technology, and professional services industries. The businesses I work with run the gamut in terms of size, from startups to more established corporations.

Where are your clients typically based? How many team members comprise the Latin America Practice?

Many of my clients are based across Central and South America. We currently have more than 20 team members working exclusively with our Latin America-based clients, in addition to 12 dedicated professionals who are based in Medellin, Colombia.

Not only are our team members well-versed in the issues Latin American businesses face, but 30 of them speak Spanish fluently — including myself! To date, we have served 500 businesses across Latin America, an accomplishment of which we are extremely proud.

Where should Latin American business owners contact you to learn more about how you can help their global expansion efforts?

Head here to schedule a free consultation with me and my team! We are here to help your Latin American business cross borders with confidence.

Related Resources

Vanessa Piedrahita Shares Insights on the US-Chile Tax Treaty with Bloomberg Law