A Peruvian economist with extensive on-the-ground experience in international socio-economic development and corporate social responsibility, Sonia Balcazar is a Consulting Associate at Synergos Consulting Services. Synergos Consulting Services is a social purpose advisory service that helps clients generate sustainable economic and social value through their philanthropic efforts, core businesses, and CSR. It is part of Synergos, a global nonprofit organization that brings people together to solve complex problems of poverty. She is also member of the Expert Group at the Responsible Mining Foundation and a lecturer at the Executive Training Program in Extractive Industry and Sustainable Development at the Center on Sustainable Investment at Columbia University. Sonia serves on the boards of the Women’s International Forum and LSA Family Health Service.
Sonia was the Regional Development Planning Manager for Rio Tinto’s La Granja Project in Peru from 2007 to 2013. She was responsible for setting up a strategy and monitoring system to improve efficiency and sustainability in creating shared value for the local communities and Rio Tinto by building partnerships with the government and other stakeholders. Sonia holds three master’s degrees: from the Sorbonne University (Paris), the Johns Hopkins University (USA) and the London Metropolitan University (UK).