In Panama City, the fifth edition of the «Best Central American Companies» (MECA) program concluded. Held under the slogan «Driving the Extraordinary,» the event recognized 32 medium-sized private companies from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Dominican Republic for their leadership, innovation, and results.
The MECA recognition is based on a comprehensive diagnosis where organizations document a business case. The evaluation was conducted using Deloitte's Value Map methodology.
Rafael Sayagués, Deloitte's Managing Partner for the Central America Marketplace, Panama, and the Dominican Republic, reaffirmed the firm's commitment to medium-sized enterprises, considering them strategic to the regional economy, and offered tools to strengthen their management.
Among the key findings of this edition, 63% of the recognized companies are family-owned, highlighting their significant impact on the region's economic development. All awarded companies and finalists received a feedback report with expert recommendations to accelerate their growth and foster continuous improvement.
Diana Espinoza, Leader of Best Central American Companies, concluded that the collaboration between Deloitte, Grupo Promerica, and INCAE since 2021 has demonstrated that purpose-driven leadership creates a lasting social impact, essential for the region's development.
The closing event included a symposium focused on the use of Artificial Intelligence in business, followed by the Awards Ceremony. The 2025 program began with over 120 participating companies, which received more than a thousand hours of pro-bono coaching from expert mentors from the three organizing institutions.
