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As a global risks and investigations consultant, Daniela Cuellar ’16 delves into pressing global issues and shares insights with executives around the world. She says her Allegheny College education helped pave the way for her career.

“Allegheny is able to provide different majors and enables students to combine different skills that are key for work-life,” said Cuellar, who majored in international studies and economics with a minor in French. “I’m really glad I chose my international studies and economics major combination because I learned various skills that I need every single day for my job.”

Cuellar works for FTI Consulting in Bogotá, Colombia, as a senior consultant in the global risk and investigation practice. She examines the political, regulatory, social, and economic standing of Latin American countries for businesses that are looking to invest and operate in the region.

“I believe that Latin America has a lot of potential for business,” Cuellar said. “I constantly conduct analysis and risk assessments of countries in Latin America to help clients find business opportunities and mitigate potential risks.”

After graduating from Allegheny College, Cuellar went to Colombia to work for ProColombia, a government agency that promotes the country’s exports, foreign direct investment, and tourism. She began as a market research analyst and later moved into an investment advisor role.

Cuellar went on to serve under the presidency of Colombia, where she worked in the Presidential Council for Women’s Equity. The council promotes women’s rights by promoting public gender policy, implementing actions to prevent violence against women, and by creating more educational and business opportunities for women. As an advisor, she helped to connect the private sector and international organizations with communities of women who lived in areas affected by the armed conflict in Colombia. 

“My career in the government and now in a consulting firm requires me to be interdisciplinary,” Cuellar said. “Allegheny provided me with experiences in writing, researching, analyzing, and presenting, all of which are key in the consulting world.” 

Cuellar advises current students to “Take advantage of the wide variety of language courses offered at Allegheny. In today’s world, we’re more internationalized. Being exposed to a language is key, especially when you want to go into international affairs or consulting, where having the knowledge of another language and the understanding of another culture is fundamental.”