Laura Paredes is an internationally educated lawyer, licensed in her home country, Colombia (2003), and also in the State of Missouri in the United States (2020). Additionally, she is registered and authorised as In-house Counsel with The Florida Bar (2021). Laura holds a Master of Laws in Comparative Law (2004) and a Master’s degree in Inter-American Law (2006), both from the University of Miami. She is a Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP, 2012), certified by the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE).

Laura began her career at the law firm Larson King in its Miami offices (2004). She subsequently joined Ingram Micro Inc., a US$50-billion global IT distributor, as in-house counsel in the legal department (2006). During her tenure there, she became Compliance Officer, initially covering Latin America (2011) and later the Americas region (2016). She joined Laureate Education Inc. in August 2024 and is currently the Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer.

She has more than sixteen years’ experience in compliance, implementing robust compliance programmes, leading internal investigations, and driving ethical culture initiatives. She is skilled in regulatory affairs, contract negotiation, and strategic leadership, and is adept at building strong and diverse compliance teams and fostering collaboration across departments. She is passionate about promoting ethical conduct and ensuring regulatory compliance.

<strong>Expertise and Highlights:</strong>

Vice President, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer (CECO), Laureate Education Inc.:
Responsible for setting and executing the strategy for Laureate’s ethics and compliance programme, helping to ensure that leaders and employees conduct business consistently with the company’s values and preserve its reputation for business integrity and ethics. As CECO, she leads a team of five compliance professionals and is responsible for overseeing the corporate compliance programme and managing risks related to bribery and corruption, money laundering, advertising and marketing, antitrust and competition, privacy, modern slavery, customs, sanctions and trade compliance, and whistleblowing, among other areas. She oversees ethics and compliance policies and procedures, training, compliance counselling, third-party risk management, trade counselling, business conduct investigations, privacy matters, and compliance risk assessments, supporting Laureate’s strategic and operational objectives. She champions a centralised and coordinated approach to ethics and compliance across the organisation.

Compliance Director, Ingram Micro Inc.:
Led the establishment and continuous improvement of comprehensive compliance programmes across the Americas region, ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements and fostering a culture of integrity.

Leadership in Internal Investigations:
Successfully led and concluded multiple internal investigations without incurring sanctions from regulatory authorities, demonstrating a strong understanding of regulatory environments and ethical conduct.

Training and Development:
Designed, implemented, and launched compliance training initiatives for more than 7,000 employees, embedding a culture of compliance and ethical conduct throughout the organisation.

Building Strong Compliance Teams:
Built and led diverse regional compliance teams, fostering collaboration and synergy to effectively mitigate risk and ensure regulatory compliance.

Educator and Thought Leader:
Served as a tutor for LL.M. students at the University of Miami, providing insights into compliance principles and the application of regulatory frameworks such as the FCPA. Participated in industry podcasts to share best practices on creating and promoting an ethical culture in hybrid working environments.