Career Biography

Diva Durán serves as Legal Manager and Board Member of Zaimella Group, leading the legal and governance strategy of a multinational business group with principal operations in Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru, and the United States. She oversees corporate governance, regulatory compliance, risk management, dispute resolution, and the legal structuring of expansion initiatives, ensuring that legal strategy supports long-term business growth and organisational resilience.

She qualified as a lawyer in 2011, having already accumulated substantial professional experience through continuous legal practice alongside her academic training at recognised law firms in Ecuador. This early immersion in complex legal matters provided her with a strong technical foundation and a pragmatic understanding of corporate legal dynamics.

Early in her career, she broadened her perspective by undertaking a regulatory role within the public administration, contributing to the development and alignment of regulations impacting private operators. This experience provided direct insight into institutional decision-making and the interaction between public policy and business realities. The dual perspective she developed — combining private practice with regulatory insight — remains a defining element of her leadership approach, strengthening her ability to anticipate legal developments and engage constructively with authorities and industry Stakeholders.

Diva joined Zaimella eleven years ago as a Junior Lawyer and advanced to her current role through sustained performance and strategic contribution. She now leads the legal function across multiple jurisdictions, supporting the Group’s regional expansion and operational continuity.

She has played a central role in major corporate restructurings and multiple M&A transactions that have driven international expansion and the acquisition of new business lines. Her involvement has included complex negotiations, transaction structuring, cross-border coordination, and the mitigation of legal and operational risks inherent in growth strategies.

She has also participted in the negotiation and execution of investment agreements with the Ecuadorian State, the defense of corporate interests in regulatory matters, and the identification of strategic opportunities arising from trade agreement negotiations. Her active engagement with industry associations further enhances her capacity to anticipate sectoral developments and represent the company’s interests effectively.

Her leadership has been instrumental in strengthening the Group’s compliance and governance framework, including the implementation of corporate governance standards, regulatory compliance programs, and personal data protection policies across all operations. She works closely with executive leadership and business units to assess risk exposure, design preventive strategies, and ensure alignment between legal safeguards and commercial objectives.

Since 2015, Diva has served as Secretary to the Board of Directors, facilitating effective governance and informed decision-making at the highest organisational level. In January 2025, she was appointed as a Board Member of Zaimella Ecuador, reflecting the strategic value of her contribution.