Ishmael Quiroz Takes Helm at BELTRAIDE as New Executive Director

Come Monday, August 19, Ishmael Quiroz will be taking over the reins of Beltraide as the Executive Director.  Quiroz succeeds Dr. Leroy Almendarez who will be moving over to the Social Security Board as the new CEO.  The 43-year-old, has had over thirteen years of experience in operations management and socio-economic development and had been operating as the Executive Director of the Economic Development Council since 2021.  Quiroz says he is embracing the new position and looks forward to working with small, micro and medium enterprises as well as entrepreneurship.  He noted that this move is very symbolic for him as it commemorates 20 years since he began working at Beltraide as an Investment Officer.  

Ishmael Quiroz, Incoming Executive Director, BELTRAIDE: “I’m thoroughly energized and excited about this opportunity, this role. Very humbled to have been given the chance but very much looking forward to continuing the work and building on what has gone before. With a background in private sector development and in particular business climate reform we hope to just really bring a lot of speed with which we contribute to Belizean development. I think the priority will be engaging with stakeholders from across the spectrum so public, private sector, civil society as well as with our international partners to really ensure that they know and feel assured that BELTRAIDE is here, it’s a significant organization with quite a mandate to promote among other things investment and export promotion, MSME development, innovation and capacity building and so I think it really promotes ample opportunity for meaningful collaboration and I think that will be one of the main things that we will do within the short term. So just reaching out, ensuring that people are aware of what we’re doing, what the priority projects ongoing and contemplated are and to really get attention from across the spectrum to the work that we’re doing. The feedback has been tremendous and so that is very encouraging. It is humbling at the same time. The work speaks for itself. You know I have been able to develop quite a business acumen and it’s interesting that I would have come full circle. I will be taking up this post at precisely twenty years since I joined BELTRAIDE. It was my first job coming back to Belize after university and so it’s in a sense homecoming.’

Quiroz holds a Master of Science degree in Economics from Galen University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Corporate Management from Anglia Ruskin University in Essex, England, United Kingdom.