Ilya R. Espino de Marotta

Obtained her Marine Engineer degree from Texas A&M, in Galveston, Texas, U.S.A., in May 1985; and in
1996, her Master in Economic Engineer from the Universidad Santa María La Antigua (The Old Saint Mary University in Panama City, Republic of Panama), also known as USMA. Took Managerial Development courses in: The INCAE Business School, located in Managua, Nicaragua (February 2000) and, The Kellogg School of Management, located in Illinois, U.S.A. (July 2006).

Has worked for the Panama Canal for over 30 years on various positions.

In May 2012 she was assigned as Executive Vice President for Engineering and Program Management. This Vice Presidency is in charge of all engineering of the Panama Canal, managing all the construction contracts, and heading the execution of the Panama Canal Expansion Program.

On February 2019, she has been designated as Executive Vice-President for Transit Business
responsible for all maritime operations, emergency response, dredging operations, maintenance of
canal’s infrastructures, floating and rolling equipment, customer affairs and marketing analysis.
On January 1, 2020, she was appointed Deputy Administrator of the Panama Canal Authority.
She has also given many lectures on the Panama Canal Expansion Program and the national and international level and was awarded as “Outstanding Woman of the Year” by the Panamanian Association of Business Executives; Global Chairman’s Diversity Leadership by Stanton Chase; Forbes Magazine of Mexico recognized her in its list of the 50 most powerful women in Central America; 2016 Women who make a difference by the International Women Forum; holds the Distinguished Woman Award from the Association of Professional and Business Woman of Panama and Awesome Legendary Leadership (ALL) Award, Legacy Award, Texas A&M University, Aggie Women, 2018

Member of the Board of Directors of the Ronald McDonalds Charity Organization of Panama, 2017, Asociación Directoras de Panama, 2016, International Women ́s Forum (IWF) 2016, and the Judge of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering 2018
Personal: Happily married for over 30 years with Peter Marotta, three children Marco, Peter, and Andrea.

Likes: travel, go to the beach, workout, photography, diving, cooking when time allows.