Career Biography

Juan Carlos Balmaceda (born in 1977 in Santiago, Chile) is a prominent corporate lawyer with a solid international track record. Inspired by a deep family tradition in the legal field, he discovered his passion for law early on.

He graduated with a law degree from the Universidad de Chile (2004), admitted to practice by the Supreme Court of Justice of his country. Subsequently, he expanded his academic background by earning a Master’s in Corporate Law and a Diploma in Corporate Taxation at the Universidad de los Andes (Chile). He also holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from Duke University in the United States.

In his professional career, after starting at the Chilean law firm Mackenna, Cruzat & Cía. (2002–2007), Juan Carlos joined Copec, one of the leading energy corporations in Latin America. Throughout his tenure at the company, he has forged a successful upward trajectory. During this period, and as part of his international development, he served as an International Associate at the renowned global firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York.

Upon returning to Chile, he became Deputy Legal Manager at Copec and, for the past three years, has served as General Counsel. In this strategic position, he leads multidisciplinary teams and manages high-impact corporate challenges. Additionally, he serves as a Director for several Copec group subsidiaries and is currently a member of the Legal Circle at Icare.Icare.

On a personal level, he is married to Patricia Burmester Pinto, with whom he has three children: Juan Carlos (who continues the family tradition studying law), Amelia, and Vicente. He deeply values family life and, in his free time, enjoys traveling and playing sports like golf and tennis, while being an enthusiastic supporter of the Chilean football club Universidad Católica