Deloitte, Grupo Promerica, and INCAE Business School recently concluded the fifth edition of the Central American Best Companies (MECA) program in Panama City. The event recognized 32 outstanding medium-sized private companies from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Dominican Republic for their leadership and innovation.
Pilar Ruiz de Chávez, Latin America Partner for Best Companies, commented on the program’s reach: “Although the program is made up of seven countries, each with its own culture and characteristics, there is something that Central America’s Best Companies have in common: excellence and continuous improvement. Being a MECA does not depend on the country; it depends on commitment, doing things well with passion and purpose. Taking care of our people, innovating and always seeking to leave a positive mark.”
The MECA initiative operates in 45 countries worldwide. It uses Deloitte’s Value Map methodology to assess participating organizations’ business maturity through comprehensive diagnostics.
Rafael Sayagués, Managing Partner of Marketplace Central America, Panama & Dominican Republic at Deloitte said: “At Deloitte we recognize that medium-sized companies play a strategic role in the economy of Central America, Panama and the Caribbean. For this reason we reaffirm our commitment to support them once again through this solid high-impact initiative that offers support and tools to strengthen their management and accelerate their growth in the market.”
This year’s edition began with more than 120 registered companies across the region. In its second phase, participants received over one thousand hours of pro-bono guidance from expert coaches at Deloitte, Grupo Promerica and INCAE Business School to document best practices.
A multidisciplinary committee at Deloitte reviewed submitted cases before sharing results with an advisory group comprising representatives from all promoting institutions as well as external advisors. This process determined which companies would be honored as Central America’s Best Companies for 2025.
The program highlighted that 63% of these recognized businesses are family-owned—an indicator of their importance within regional economies—and noted that women hold CEO positions at 25% of these firms.
Ramiro Ortiz, CBO of Grupo Promerica stated: “At Grupo Promerica we believe in a stronger region—more equitable and sustainable. That is why we will continue supporting initiatives like MECA that strengthen the business ecosystem and promote responsible leadership in Central America.”
Carla Fernández Corrales, Senior Director of Executive Education & INCAE Online added: “Through the MECA initiative INCAE reaffirms its commitment to talent and vision among medium-sized enterprises driving regional development by strengthening their leadership innovation and international projection toward a new standard for global competitiveness.”
The closing events featured discussions about artificial intelligence applications in business followed by an awards ceremony recognizing resilience among these selected companies. Both winners and finalists received feedback reports developed by multidisciplinary experts to help identify key strengths benchmark performance against other private sector firms and receive recommendations for accelerating growth.
Diana Espinoza Leader of Central American Best Companies concluded: “With the close of our fifth edition we celebrate companies that—with leadership transformation—are generating positive impacts in their communities. Since 2021 together with Deloitte Grupo Promerica INCAE we’ve proven that leading with purpose generates lasting social impact necessary for our region’s development. We remain committed to driving what is extraordinary.”
