Forty-first session of ECLAC

Manuel Estrella graduated Magna Cum Laude in Civil Engineering from the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra in 1983, and went on to earn a Master of Business Administration in 1995 and a Master’s degree in Corporate Finance in 2003.

He is Chairman of the Board and Founder of Grupo Estrella, a group made up of Ingeniería Estrella, an international construction company, project developer and producer of precast concrete; PANAM, which offers an integrated supply of cement, concrete and aggregates, with operations in three countries; ECOACERO, a manufacturer of deformed steel bars; Acero Estrella, focused on steel construction; and North West Industries, which supports a portfolio of structural steel solutions.

With a prominent presence in the region’s construction sector, he has diversified his business interests by acquiring stakes in Multimedios del Caribe, Hospital Metropolitano de Santiago, Cibao International Airport, Ferretería Ochoa, and AES Dominicana and Panamá. He also has investments in Cibao Fútbol Club and Metros de Santiago, franchises that compete in the country’s professional football and basketball leagues.

For ten years he was a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, where he currently sits on the Board of Directors.

He has served on the boards of the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic, the National Council of Private Enterprise, the Monetary Board of the Central Bank, the American Chamber of Commerce, the Foundation for Institutionality and Justice, EDUCA, and the Association of Merchants and Industrialists of Santiago, which he chaired for three consecutive terms. He was also President of the Dominican Football League.

His distinctions include the Medal of Merit of the Regional Organization of Construction Chambers of Central America and the Caribbean, recognition as Distinguished Member by the Dominican Association of Engineers, Architects and Surveyors (CODIA), and Distinguished Son of Santiago by the City Council of Santiago de los Caballeros. The Madre y Maestra Foundation has also honored him for his support of the university’s student loan development programs.