Preceded by Edgar Elias Osuna Role Businessman Name Roberto Smith | Preceded by Jose Antonio Gil | |
 | ||
Succeeded by Fernando Martinez Mottola Spouse Marina Pocaterra (m. 1983) Education Simon Bolivar University, Harvard University | ||
Succeeded by Luis Xavier Grisanti Political party Venezuela de Primera | ||
Roberto Smith-Perera is a Venezuelan businessman and politician.
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Early years & Education Activity
Roberto Smith-Perera was born in Barquisimeto in 1958. He attended Colegio La Salle and Instituto Escuela in Caracas. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics from Universidad Simón Bolívar in 1981. He obtained his Master's Degree and a Ph.D in Public Policy at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA between 1983 and 1987. With his wife Marina since 1983, they have raised three daughters.
Smith-Perera was president of the Students' Center and a student delegate to the Directive Council and Superior Council of the Universidad Simón Bolívar. He was also coordinator of the "Seminario Venezuela" at Harvard and member of the board of directors of the Universidad Metropolitana, Universidad Monteavila and the Venezuelan Instituto of Engineering.
Public activity
During the second presidential term of Carlos Andrés Pérez, Smith-Perera was appointed Minister of Transportation and Communications on July 26, 1990, a position where he would remain until January 10, 1992. During this period, he created the Venezuelan National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL) to promote private investments and modern government regulation in this sector, and the Urban Transportation Fund (FONTUR) to promote the modernisation of public transport in the country, among other achievements.
Roberto Smith-Perera served as Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium, and Luxembourg between the years 1992 and 1996.
Smith-Perera has been a candidate in Vargas's gubernatorial election.
Business activity
After finishing his Ph.D., Roberto Smith-Perera worked as a management consultant with McKinsey & Co's energy group between 1987 and 1989. in Washington D.C. He then moved back to Caracas to work as national coordinator of the Eight National Development Plan in the Presidential Office for Coordination and Planning.
He served as president of IMPSAT Telecommunications in Caracas and the Sistema Satelital Andino Simón Bolívar. He helped found microjuris.com, an internet legal service for lawyers available in several countries in Latin America. He helped to establish on the largest Venezuelan cellular telephone companies, Digitel, in 1997. He served as its CEO between 1997 and 2002. He also helped found Digicel, a cellular telephone company in El Salvador and Guatemala.
He is currently dedicated to fund, create and develop new businesses in health, hospitality and tourism in Venezuela.