Samuel George

Samuel George joined the Bertelsmann Foundation in 2012 to develop a Latin America/Western Hemisphere portfolio for the Bertelsmann Foundation’s Global Economic Dynamics project.

Highlights of his work include the introduction of the "Pacific Pumas" concept, which relates to the advancements and opportunities of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. His study on the subject has since been presented in Washington, DC, Berlin and Madrid, and has been referenced in the Financial Times and The Economist.

Samuel manages the Bertelsmann Foundation’s strategic cooperation with the Fundação Getúlio Vargas, a collaboration that led to the joint study Brazil and Germany: A 21st-Century Relationship, Opportunities in Trade, Investment and Finance. His subsequent work on Brazil includes the recently published study Five Steps to Kickstart Brazil, co-authored with Cornelius Fleischhaker of the World Bank

Samuel has also focused on Latin American debt dynamics, beginning with his 2013 study Surviving a Debt Crisis: Five Lessons for Europe from Latin America. More recently, he has collaborated with the Organization of American States to develop a Caribbean-led strategy for debt reduction and economic re-balancing, and he has analyzed the Argentine debt-restructuring case.

As part of the Global Economic Dynamics team, Samuel co-managed the team’s efforts to build an interactive Web-based presentation that brings data to life.

Studies:

• Surviving a Debt Crisis: Five Lessons for Europe from Latin America(2013)
• The Pacific Pumas: An Emerging Model for Emerging Markets(2014)
• Brazil and Germany: A 21st Century Relationship(co-author, 2014)
• Five Steps to Kickstart Brazil(co-author, 2014)

Videos:

• Samuel George, Author— The Pacific Pumas | Commentary on Pacific Pumas
• TTIP-What’s the Deal?
• Five Steps to Kickstart Brazil
• Who Really Wins from Globalization?
• The Pacific Pumas | Economic Developments in Chile, Mexico, Colombia and Peru
• Pumanomics
• The Pacific Alliance
• Prepared to Pounce?
• What Is the Global Economic Dynamics Project About?
• Colombia reconocida por sus prácticas económicas exitosas
• Interview Jason Furman, Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers
• Interview Luis Fernando Mejía, Colombian Ministry of Finance
• Interview Dr. Jagdish Bhagwati – Professor of Economics and Law at Columbia University
• Interview John Padilla | Commentary on Pacific Pumas 10

Editorials

• “Argentina’s Day in Court.” Financial Times(beyondbrics Blog), March 10, 2014,
• “LatAm’s Pacific Pumas.” Financial Times(beyondbrics Blog), May 20, 2013.
• “Mercosur and the Pacific Alliance – do opposites attract?” Financial Times(beyondbrics Blog), June 13, 2014.
• “Message from Latin America: Austerity, then Growth.” Fletcher Forum, April 26, 2013,
• “Mexico’s Reforms: A Crucial Step Forward.” Bertelsmann Foundation B|Brief, December 13, 2013.
• “Partners set sights on more than marketing.” Financial Times, April 1, 2014.
• “The Pacific Pumas.” Americas Quarterly, March 11, 2013.
• “Return of the Jedi: Michelle Bachelet and Chilean Democracy." Americas Quarterly, December 16, 2013.
• “Still on the Brink: Seven Things We Know about Venezuela.” Future Challenges, January 16, 2013.
• “Will Mercosur and the Pacific Alliance Strengthen Ties?” Inter-American Dialogue, October 2, 2014.
• “The Effect of a Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement on Latin America” Global Economic Dynamics Project, June 28, 2013.
• “Five Steps to Kickstart Brazil” (co-author) Financial Times(beyondbrics Blog), October 27, 2014.
• B|Brief: Argentina: Holding Up After Holding Out, August 1, 2014
• B|Brief: Mexico’s Reforms: A Crucial Step Forward, December 13, 2014
• B|Brief: BRIC By BRIC – Building an Alternative to Bretton Woods Development
• B|Brief: Venezuela After Chavez
• B|Brief – Post-Chavez Venezuela: A Country on the Edge