José Luis Manzano

Chairman

José Luis Manzano is an Argentine businessman with a deep understanding of Latin American public policy and global emerging markets. He possesses significant experience in the investment, media, energy, and distress industries. He speaks frequently across the world on these issues.

Dr. Manzano founded Integra Capital, a global private equity firm.

He and his family are significant shareholders in Phoenix Global Resources (PGR), an independent upstream oil and gas company focused on Argentina, with assets in the Vaca Muerta shale formation as well as other unconventional and conventional resources. PGR was previously listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange and the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange. The company’s operations emphasize the development of the Mata Mora unconventional field, completing drilling on three pads (nine wells) in 2022. As of December 2022, Phoenix reported 71.1 MMboe of working interest reserves and an average production of 4,553 boepd.

Dr. Manzano is also a key investor in Interoil, an exploration and production company listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, with production of 3,500 bopd across Argentina and Colombia.

The portfolio includes ownership stakes in Edenor, Argentina’s largest electricity distributor; Edemsa, the largest electricity distribution company in Mendoza; and Hidroeléctrica Ameghino, a 60 MW hydroelectric plant.

He is a significant shareholder in Integra Gas Distribution, in partnership with Mercuria Energy Trading. Integra Gas Distribution is a key stakeholder in Metrogas, Buenos Aires’ primary gas distribution company, serving over 10 million people.

In mining, he has substantial investments in uranium exploration in Chubut and lithium projects in Jujuy and Catamarca, within the Lithium Triangle, covering over 400,000 hectares. He also holds key assets in Jujuy through Minera Aguilar, Argentina’s leading exporter of zinc and lead, with an annual output of 40,000 tons. Through Integra, he controls Volcan, one of the world’s largest producers of zinc, lead, and silver, with an annual output of 300,000 tons and significant landholdings near Puerto de Chancay, Peru. Integra is also a controlling shareholder and 40% partner with COSCO in Inversora Puerto Chancay.

In agriculture and food production, his holdings include Altus, a premium winery in Argentina, and Lote 8, a producer of high-quality olive oil, including Altus Olive Oil in Uruguay.

In the media sector, he co-founded and remains a relevant shareholder of Grupo América, Argentina’s second-largest media group. Grupo América operates TV stations, news channels, radio stations, and newspapers, including América TV, a national leader in live broadcasting; El Cronista Comercial, Argentina’s premier business and finance newspaper; and Radio La Red, a top station for sports and news.

Dr. Manzano is a prominent donor to various educational institutions and charitable organizations. As President of Universidad de Congreso, he is deeply engaged in academic and research initiatives. He has collaborated on climate change projects with Nobel Laureate Al Gore and with president Bill Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative.

Dr. Manzano is an active member of the UK-Argentine Chamber of Commerce and the Argentine-American Chamber of Commerce. He also sponsors the Chinese House of Culture in Buenos Aires and served as a member of the B20, supporting Argentina’s G20 presidency. A regular participant in the Council of the Americas and Americas Society, he also mentored the Youth G20 at the 2024 G20 Summit in Brazil.

In the energy sector, Dr. Manzano is a member of the Energy Steering Committee at the Institute of the Americas and serves on its board at the University of California, San Diego. Since 2019, he has been Chairman of the European Chapter of the Eisenhower Fellowships. Additionally, he collaborates with IPS Latin America and the IPS Consortium, a global news agency linked to the UN, with Universidad de Congreso as an anchor institution.

Dr. Manzano holds a Medical Doctorate and a Postgraduate specialization in Occupational Health from the National University of Cuyo. He has been a Visiting Scholar at Georgetown University and the University of California, San Diego. He earned an International Business Certificate and an International Finance Certificate from Georgetown University, as well as a Leadership Diploma from Oxford University. Dr. Manzano has lectured at prestigious universities in Argentina, Japan, Europe, and the United States.