The Chamber of the Americas is a not-for-profit organization with a simple, profoundly important goal: To help you make the most of your business opportunity in the Americas. Stated more formally, the Chamber’s mission is to facilitate commerce and understanding between the businesses and governments of the Western Hemisphere.


Through trade missions, educational classes and other initiatives, The Chamber facilitates your business contacts, promotes international networking and encourages cultural understanding. We connect you to the people, governments and companies that drive current and emerging cross-border opportunities in the Americas.


A few years from now, the world will be wondering how certain firms were poised to seize the opportunity in the Americas so quickly and easily. Will you be one of those companies? The answer is yes if you have the foresight to become a member of the COA today. It’s easy.

Francisco Javier Figueroa Chairman Mr. Francisco Figueroa is the Latin America Sales Manager for Continental Airlines.   He is responsible for travel agency sales to Latin America in a territory that includes Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Utah.  Additionally, Mr. Figueroa also covers Western Canada that includes the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta.  Mr. Figueroa has been with Continental Airlines since 1991.  In addition to working in passenger sales for Latin America, Francisco has also worked in Domestic Sales.  Francisco Figueroa started his career at Continental Airlines in the reservations department, mainly as a international reservation’s trainer/facilitator.  He carried out this responsibility in Los Angeles, California and Salt Lake City, Utah.  Francisco Later moved to airport operations, where he worked as a Customer Service Agent and Supervisor in Los Angeles and San Francisco. During his tenure, Mr. Francisco Figueroa was involved in the development and deployment of an airport processing system.  Mr. Francisco Figueroa is a resident of Duarte, California, where he has resided since 1972 after moving from Zacatecas, Mexico.  Over the years, Francisco has developed deep seeded roots in the small San Gabriel Valley community, northeast of Los Angeles.  Mr. Figueroa was elected by a populous vote to the Duarte Unified School Board of Education in 1995.  He was reelected to the office in 1999, and in 2003.  During his tenure as a board trustee, Mr. Figueroa served a President of the Board in 1999 and 2004 and Vice-President in 1998 and 2003.  Under his leadership, all eight schools under his jurisdiction have gone through major renovations and reconstruction.  Most of the schools have been recognized nationally and locally; highlighting unprecedented achievement progress.   Moreover, the Alternative High School has been recognized as a California Model Continuation High School and Duarte High School was selected as “California Best Practices Study”, one of five in the state.  In difficult budgetary times, Mr. Figueroa has stressed and achieved strong a healthy business plan which calls for a five percent reserve, two percent above the state mandate.    Mr. Figueroa has received numerous recognitions and awards.  He was recognized by Continental Airlines sales department with the Top Flight annual recognition award in 1997 and 1999 for achieving top sales goals.  The Los Angeles Bilingual educators recognized Francisco Figueroa for the support of instruction program.  In 2003, the Duarte Unified School district staff for leadership in obtaining a $44 million construction bond recognized Mr. Figueroa.   Mr. Figueroa was Born in Zacatecas, Mexico in the town of Momax, northeast of Guadalajara, Jalisco.  He graduated from Duarte High School. Francisco earned his Associate in Arts degree in Liberal Studies from Mount San Antonio Community College in Walnut, California and his Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from the California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, Pomona.  Additionally, Mr. Figueroa received certification for completion of the Benjamin Rush Leadership program at the Dickinson College.   George Heinrich Chairman Emeritus With a vision for building a company that would take direct response marketing to a new level of excellence and international respect, George Heinrich founded Heinrich Marketing 25 years ago. Today, the company is an internationally acclaimed, full-service direct marketing and advertising agency specializing in customer acquisition and retention for its clients. With deep roots in financial services direct marketing, Heinrich is master of a broad spectrum of advertising disciplines and serves clients across many industries and international borders. Heinrich Marketing’s services include strategic and creative development, marketing research and response analysis. The agency’s exceptional work in direct mail, print advertising and Web development has earned relationships with some of the best-known companies in the Western Hemisphere including First Data Corporation, Wells Fargo, Federated Department Stores, Visa®, Banorte Bank of Mexico, Citibank Puerto Rico, GE Capital and many others. Heinrich Marketing developed this Web site for the Chamber of the Americas. The headquarters for Heinrich Marketing are in Denver, Colorado, and the company has a satellite office in Mexico City. This office assists clients in Mexico and throughout Latin America with marketing in their own countries and with efforts that extend beyond their borders. Heinrich’s United States Hispanidad division specializes in marketing to the Latino population in the United States, which has grown by an incredible 60% in the past decade alone. Equally important, Heinrich Hispanidad assists Western Hemisphere companies outside the U.S. that wish to market their products and services in the United States. In addition to his role as President and owner of Heinrich Marketing, George Heinrich is also the founder and Chairman of the Board of the Chamber of the Americas. Click here to learn more about Heinrich Marketing or call 1-303-239-5216.		Gilbert (Gil) Cisneros President and CEO As President and CEO of the Chamber of the Americas, Gil is responsible for day-to-day operations. In 1993, he co-founded the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Rocky Mountain Region, serving first as president and then as executive director – a position he held until April 30, 2001, when he resigned. In addition to his involvement with the COA, of which he is also a co-founder, Cisneros is president of Grupo Cisneros Internacional, an international consulting firm in Denver that helps U.S. companies develop Latin American markets. With a broad range of contacts on both continents, he is able to assist foreign firms that wish to export to the United States. In 2000, the Mexican Government honored him as Businessman of the Year for the Rocky Mountain Region. Cisneros is also a member of the International Development Committee, World Trade Center, Denver; the Colorado Republican National Hispanic Assembly, Denver; and a former member of the board of directors, Latin American Management Association, in Washington, D.C. Prior to serving as Executive Director of the U.S.-Mexico Chamber, he enjoyed a seven-year term as regional administrator of the United States Small Business Administration, Rocky Mountain Region; was community relations field manager for the Rocky Mountain States at Adolph Coors Company, Golden, Colorado; and served as executive director of the Denver Minority Business Development Center.