Meet the Speakers

As rector of the Institute for Transgenerational Studies (IET) Raquel has  worked to understand the expression of the past in the present, and translate it into teaching programs, didactics, methodology, and the search for transgenerationality theorists.

In1997, she began studying the Family Constellations method; In 1999 traveled internationally to learn more across three hundred days of training with the most important professionals.

Raquel founded the Bert Hellinger Institute of Mexico (1999-2008), today IBH; as well   as the National Center for Family and Trans-systemic Constellations AC, CONFamilias, and the Institute of Transgenerational Studies. They have been recognized by the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) in higher education since 2005.

Her passion for knowledge fostered over twenty years of psychology, psychoanalysis, systemic family and couple therapy has enriched her understanding of the field's impact and challenges it faces. 

Jair Vega Casanova is a sociologist and professor of social communication at the Universidad del Norte (Colombia). Jair does research in communication and media, qualitative social research and sociological theory. 

He has been guest professor and director of graduate projects of different postgraduate programs in Colombia and Latin America. He has also done consulting in Latin America and Africa for institutions such as: C-CHANGE-FHI, PAHO, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, Population Communication International, Bernard van Leer Foundation, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, CHECCHI and Company Consulting Colombia, Communication for Social Change Consortium, The Communication Initiative (www.comminit.com/la), Fundación Imaginario, among other. He is the editor of the Journal Investigación & Desarrollo and has been a guest editor and a member of the editorial committee from other scientific journals.

Jeffrey will be presening a talk at the conference entitled "Using Lived Experiences to Achieve Equitable Behavior Change"

Interventions to change behavior often focus on a two-dimensional problem, such as a specific health concern or environmental issue. But making progress on those issues requires looking beyond the topic of concern to understand the people and behaviors that contribute to these behaviors. More importantly, you must understand why those behaviors are performed in the first place and what could change them. Diving deep into the lived experiences of our audiences not only improves our understanding of the behavior and opportunities to change it but makes equitable outcomes possible by helping us understand why inequities exist. This keynote will explore how Rescue Agency achieves equitable behavior change through a deep understanding of its audiences’ lived experiences and how they influence their behavioral decisions.

Jeffrey is President and Founder of Rescue Agency, a behavior change marketing agency focused on making healthy behaviors easier and more appealing. His passion for social change began in high school when he started Rescue at the age of 17. While growing Rescue, Jeff studied Marketing for his undergraduate degree and received a Master’s in Experimental Psychology. He has led Rescue to manage dozens of behavior change programs across North America, tackling issues such as tobacco, obesity and violence. Rescue’s work includes the FDA's national tobacco prevention campaign for multicultural teens and its LGBTQ+ young adult effort, as well as active contracts with over a dozen state and local health departments. 

Jeffrey has presented keynote and plenary presentations at dozens of conferences including the Agents of Change Summit; CDC's Health Communications, Marketing, and Media Conference; the World Social Marketing Conference; and more. 

Links: @jeffreywjordan / https://www.linkedin.com/in/rescuejeff / @rescueagency

Ross Gordon is a Professor at Queensland University of Technology. He focuses on social issues and behaviour and social change, through a critical, reflexive, and multi-perspective lens. Ross currently serves on the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Behavioural Insights and Sciences for Health, and is a member of the management committee of the QUT Centre for Justice. He works on various behaviour and social change issues including non-communicable diseases, Covid-19, energy hardship and energy efficiency, climate action and environmental sustainability, alcohol, gambling, tobacco control, mental health, workplace bullying, and critiques of neoliberalism. Ross has been a principal or named investigator on projects attracting over $8.3m in research funds. He has published over 100 academic journals, book chapters and conference papers and a leading book: Strategic Social Marketing: For Behaviour and Social Change published by SAGE. Ross also enjoys playing and watching football, and is a techno DJ.

Twitter: @DrRossGordon

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=npZ4I3gAAAAJ&hl=en

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/professor-ross-gordon-38a25b4a

Inés Besada Paullier is a strategic communication expert with professional experience working with public and private organizations in the fields of health, education, and vulnerable youth. She is a lecturer in Social Marketing at the University of Montevideo, Uruguay, and holds a strategic communication position at the Health Technology Assessment Agency in Uruguay. Inés serves the Latin American Social Marketing Association (LAMSO) developing social marketing training and representing the organization in the co-development of the Social Marketing Statement of Ethics. She is the author of various chapters of the first publication in Spanish of the book Social Marketing for Public Health (2022), edited by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Commission for Cardiovascular Health of Uruguay. She earned a bachelor’s Degree in Communication at the University of Montevideo and received a certification in Social Marketing at Emerson College, Boston.

Nathaly Aya Pastrana,MSc, PhD, is a co-Founder of the Latin American Social Marketing Association (LAMSO), and founder of IMEK Research Center in Marketing & Development, an independent Colombian NGO addressing issues related to health, education and gender in the Global South using marketing and communication perspectives. She is a former member of the Communication Committee of the International Social Marketing Association (iSMA). Nathaly has contributed to initiatives addressing inclusive education and gender equality in Colombia, and noncommunicable and neglected tropical diseases in Mozambique, Nepal, and Peru. Her experience across sectors includes collaborations with the private sector, academe, and not-for-profit organizations. Nathaly obtained a master degree in marketing and a PhD in Communication Sciences from Università della Svizzera italiana in Switzerland, a certificate in public health from the Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), and a bachelor degree in Business Administration with a focus on marketing from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali.

Jeff French is a recognised global leader in the application of behaviour change and social marketing. Jeff has extensive experience of developing leading and evaluating behaviour change projects, social marketing programmes and the development of communication strategies at international, national, regional and local level.

With over 30 years experience at the interface between government, public, private and NGO sectors Jeff has a broad practical and theoretical understanding of national and international health and social development issues.

Jeff and has published over 70 chapters, articles and books in the fields of behaviour change, social marketing, community development, health promotion and communications. Jeff is a visiting professor at Brunel University and Brighton University and a Fellow at Kings College University London and teaches at four other Universities in the UK.

Jeff was the Director of Communication and Policy at the Health Development Agency for five years from 2000 – 2005. In March 2005 From July 2006 through to July 2009 Jeff set up and managed the National Social Marketing Centre for England. In August 2009 Jeff became the Chief Executive of Strategic Social Marketing Ltd.

Strategic Social Marketing works with clients from all over the world in the private, NGO and public sector on the development and evaluation of social behaviour change programmes. Strategic Social Marketing also provides consultancy services to some of the world’s biggest corporate communications and research companies.

Jeff continues to act as the principle adviser to the National Social Marketing Centre and the Department of Health behaviour Change and Social Marketing policy team. Jeff also acts as an advisor to a number of national policy committees, the EUCDC Knowledge and Resource Centre in Health Communication project, and is a member of the organising committee of the Global Social Marketer’s network. Jeff is a member of the editorial Boards of the International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing and the Journal of Social Marketing.

Jeff is Conference Chair of the World Social Marketing Conference. His new book ‘Social Marketing and Public Health Theory and Practice’, published by Oxford University Press is now available. Jeff is also the author of the NSMC’s new guide to procuring and managing the delivery of social marketing service.

Vilarmina Ponce Lucero is one of the co-founders of the Latin American Association of Social Marketing (LAMSO) and possesses over 19 years of robust experience in public health communication and behavior change. Her career has led her to work in various Latin American countries, collaborating with nongovernmental organizations and academic research centers.

Vilarmina is a social communicator with a specialization in communication and health, along with a master’s degree in management for social change. Her professional work is centered around the design and implementation of health initiatives, with a notable focus on social marketing. She has led projects aimed to women, indigenous communities, and regional networks, promoting social change in the global South.

In the past three years, Vilarmina has served as a tutor in the Latin American cohort of the social marketing for public health course offered at the Virtual Campus of Public Health of the Pan American Health Organization, in collaboration with the University of South Florida. Her commitment and experience are valuable assets for advancing health and well-being in the region.

Contact information: Twitter @vili_pl y al correo vponcelucero@gmail.com