Panama Canal Authority Board of Directors appoints new Canal Administrator

News Release Panama Canal Authority March 9, 2012

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD><TITLE></TITLE>
<META content="text/html; charset=unicode" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.19190"></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV>
PANAMA CITY, Panama, March 9,
2012. The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Board of
Directors announced today the appointment of engineer Jorge Luis Quijano as the
new Panama Canal Administrator.  Mr. Quijano will succeed Alberto Alemán
Zubieta, who has been at the helm of the Canal for the past 16 years and whose
term will end on September 3, 2012. 

“We are proud to announce
the appointment of Jorge Quijano as the new Canal Administrator. The Board of
Directors, as part of its legal duties and based on its autonomy, considers
engineer Quijano to have the knowledge and experience needed to manage the
waterway at this key moment in its history,” said Rómulo Roux, Board of
Directors Chairman and Minister for Canal Affairs.  

According to Roux, “the Board of Directors
completed this selection process through the elaboration of a specific
chronogram which compiled the challenges of the Canal and its expansion. 
Based upon this strategic planning process, the Board developed the profile of
the new Administrator.”

“This decision was based on
the responsibility and independence granted to the Board of Directors by the
Constitution and the Organic Law of the Panama Canal Authority, as a way to
preserve its institutionalism.  It reinforces the Board´s commitment to
setting the direction of the
organization in order to face future challenges, he
added."

Roux explained that Quijano
will now begin a transition period with the guidance of Administrator Alberto
Alemán Zubieta, to guarantee a smooth succession once he
officially occupies the position beginning on September 4,
2012.

About Jorge L.
Quijano
Jorge Quijano´s professional career at the
Panama Canal began in 1975 and after several promotions he was appointed
Maritime Operations Director in 1999.  The Operations Department is the
largest one within the Panama Canal and it is responsible for the operation and
maintenance of the infrastructure and equipment of the
waterway.
 
Since September 2006,
Quijano is the Executive Vice President of the Engineering and Programs
Management Department in charge of the Panama Canal Expansion Program.  He
heads a group of about 500 professionals which is
specifically responsible for contracting and managing the Locks Design and Construction contract,
the Atlantic and Pacific entrance channels dredging contracts, the contracting
of four dry excavation contracts to create a new 6.1 kilometer inland channel in
the Pacific end of the Canal, the Lake level dredging to be performed by
ACP´s workforce and other
smaller contracts.  As such, Quijano leads an integrated program management team made up of a
consultant and ACP’s own professionals who have the responsibility to direct the
execution of the entire Expansion Program. 
 
<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml"
/><v:shapetype id=_x0000_t75 stroked="f" filled="f"
path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75"
coordsize="21600,21600"><v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f
eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f
eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f
eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f
eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f
eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f
eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f
eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><v:path o:connecttype="rect"
gradientshapeok="t" o:extrusionok="f"></v:path><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:lock aspectratio="t"
v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype><v:shape
style="Z-INDEX: 251658752; POSITION: absolute; TEXT-ALIGN: left; MARGIN-TOP: 5.15pt; WIDTH: 97.9pt; HEIGHT: 115.15pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0px; LEFT: 0px"
id=_x0000_s1026 stroked="t" strokeweight="4.5pt" o:allowoverlap="f"
type="#_x0000_t75"><v:stroke linestyle="thinThick"></v:stroke><v:imagedata
o:title="2009-09-24-0022"
src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\MOSESC~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg"></v:imagedata><?xml:namespace
prefix = w ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" /><w:wrap
type="square"></w:wrap></v:shape>Born in
Panama City, Panama, Mr. Quijano is an Industrial Engineer, graduate of
<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
/><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Lamar</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceName> in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Beaumont</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">Texas</st1:State></st1:place>, and holds a Master of Engineering
Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management. He began his professional
development in the Texaco Oil Refinery in Panama, where he worked as a Process
Engineer and Product Forecaster. He started his career with the <st1:place
w:st="on">Panama Canal</st1:place> in 1975 and climbed through the professional
and managerial promotion ladder to the position of Maritime Operations Director
in 1999.  This is the largest
department of the Canal organization, directly involved in the operation and
maintenance of the principal infrastructure and equipment of the waterway. In
addition, he is a graduate of Executive Management Programs, both in the Federal
Executive Institute, <st1:City w:st="on">Charlottesville</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">Va.</st1:State>, and the <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Northwestern</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType>, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Chicago</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">Ill.</st1:State></st1:place><o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
As
Maritime Operations Director, he was responsible for transit scheduling, vessel
inspection, admeasurements, pilotage, tugs, launches and line-handler services,
lockage operations and maintenance, central inventory management and motor
transportation, emergency and contingency management (industrial fire fighting
and hazmat response), as well as accident investigations. The Department counts
with over 5,000 employees geographically spread on both sides of the Isthmus,
who team up to ensure a safe and expeditious transit through the Panama Canal
for the 14,000 vessels that annually cross the Canal, producing over $1.5
billion in revenues from tolls and other marine services.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
In
addition, he was the Chairman of the ISO 9001 Quality System Executive
Committee. Under his leadership, the Department of Maritime Operations obtained
the ISO 9001 Certification issued by Det Norske Veritas in May 2001 and
subsequent recertifications.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
He has
intermittently taught at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Panama</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>'s Graduate Law School Program
covering subjects related to the maritime sector.  He has offered numerous briefings and
presentations on the <st1:place w:st="on">Panama Canal</st1:place> to national
and international audiences.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
After
having led the Maritime Operations department for over seven years covering the
transition from US to Panamanian administration, since September 2006, he has
been in charge of the <st1:place w:st="on">Panama Canal</st1:place>'s $5.25
billion Expansion Program; and to that effect, he was appointed as Executive
Vicepresident of the Engineering and Programs Management
Department.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
He now
heads a group of about 500 professionals which is specifically charged to
contract and manage: the Locks Design and Construction contract, the Atlantic
and Pacific entrance channels dredging contracts, the contracting of four dry
excavation contracts to create a new 6.1 kilometer inland channel in the Pacific
end of the Canal, the Lake level dredging to be performed by ACP’s (Autoridad
del Canal de Panamá) workforce and other smaller support contracts.  As such Mr. Quijano leads an integrated
program management team made up of CH2MHill and ACP’s own professionals who have
the responsibility to direct the execution of the entire Expansion
Program.<o:p></o:p>
 </DIV></BODY></HTML>