Marcela Merino is Senior Consultant at the Porter Development Initiative, where she leads the implementation of the Guyana Development Initiative (GDI), a multiyear national competitiveness project focused on building shared prosperity in Guyana. With extensive experience working across public, private, and nonprofit sectors, Marcela specializes in initiatives that enhance private sector development, regional competitiveness, and shared value creation.
Prior to joining PDI, Marcela served as a Research Associate at Harvard Business School’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness (ISC), supporting Professor Michael Porter on projects related to economic development, cluster strategy, and U.S. competitiveness. Her experience spans roles at McKinsey & Co., the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and the Economic Competitiveness Group, where she led and supported development projects in Latin America, including World Bank and IDB-funded initiatives. Marcela holds a Master’s in International Economics and Finance from Brandeis University, an MBA from Antonio de Nebrija University in Spain, and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the Central American Technological University in Honduras.
