Joel Velasco
Advisory Council Member
Professional Affiliation
Senior Vice President of International Relations & Head of Latin America, UnitedHealth Group
Expert Bio
Joel Velasco is Senior Vice President of International Relations & Head of Latin America at UnitedHealth Group. Previously, he was a Principal of Albright Stonebridge Group (ASG), where he drew on extensive experience working in Latin American markets across a range of sectors to assist clients navigate challenges and opportunities for sustainable growth.
Velasco was also Senior Vice President for external relations, including investor relations and public affairs, at the biotech firm Amyris. Prior to Amyris, he was Chief Representative in North America for the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA), where he led UNICA鈥檚 efforts to expand biofuel and sugar markets. From 2001 to 2008, Velasco was a Managing Director at ASG, working specifically on the Latin America team. Previously, he served as a Senior Advisor to the U.S. Ambassador to Brazil and as a personal aide to Vice President Al Gore at the White House.
Velasco received his M.A. from Georgetown University鈥檚 School of Foreign Service and a B.A. in Political Science from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. He speaks Portuguese and Spanish.
Insight & Analysis by Joel Velasco
- Past event
- Democracy
Lobbying and Corruption in Democratic Brazil

- Book
- Rule of Law
Lobbying Uncovered: Corruption, Democracy and Public Policy in Brazil
- Past event
- Coronavirus
WEBCAST | Healthcare in a Post-COVID-19 Brazil: Pathways for Public-Private Partnerships

- Past event
- Energy
Biofuels and the Green Energy Push: Brazil-U.S. Cooperation in Implementing Carbon Emissions Reduction Policies

- Past event
- Governance
Lobbying Uncovered: Democracy, Influence, and Corruption in Brazil

- Past event
- Democracy
President Rousseff Travels to Washington: A New Beginning in Brazil-U.S. Relations

- Past event
- Geoeconomics
Rousseff鈥檚 Uphill Battle to Revive Brazil鈥檚 Economy: What Brazilians Think of the President鈥檚 New Austerity Plan

- Past event
- Geoeconomics
Leadership and Responsibility in the New Brazilian International Agenda
