Leadership Team
Meet the people who lead GLM’s different areas and support the development of our educational community.
Principal
María Mercedes de Brigard
Educator, philosopher, and master’s degree holder in Educational and Social Development. She is a co-founder of Gimnasio La Montaña and has led the institution as principal since 1988, supporting the development and evolution of its educational project.
Her career has been marked by a deep vocation for education and the conviction that it is a tool for transforming lives and building a better society. She has also actively participated in educational and social impact initiatives, including the founding of Red PaPaz and leadership in organizations committed to strengthening education in Colombia, such as Alianza Educativa.
Today, as Principal of Gimnasio La Montaña, she continues to promote an education that integrates academic excellence with human development, critical thinking, and commitment to society.
Founding Advisors
Lucila de Brigard Merchán
Senior Council
Educator with experience in preschool education, whose vision and expertise were instrumental in the early years of Gimnasio La Montaña. After nearly four decades of service, she continues to support the School today as an advisor, contributing her experience and perspective on the institution’s legacy and future.
Leopoldo Garcia Arévalo
Senior Council
One of the founders of Gimnasio La Montaña and a fundamental part of its development over nearly four decades. His career has been closely tied to the growth and consolidation of the School’s educational project. Today, as an advisor, he continues to contribute his experience and knowledge to guide the path of new generations.
Senior Council
Carolina Piñeros Ospina
Industrial Engineer from Universidad de Los Andes, with a specialization in Personal and Family Development from the Institute of the Family at Universidad de La Sabana (2004). In February 2003, Carolina was one of the founders of Red PaPaz, participating through the Parents’ Association of Gimnasio La Montaña. Since April 2004, she has been fully dedicated to the executive direction of Red PaPaz. Before Red PaPaz was founded, she carried out multiple professional and volunteer activities.
Jaime Enrique Medina Serrano
Alumnus of Gimnasio La Montaña, class of 2004. Lawyer specialized in Corporate Law and Financial Legislation, and holds a Master’s degree in International Financial Law. He has an extensive career in the financial sector. He currently serves as Senior Legal Counsel at Bancolombia S.A.
María Cristina Zea de Durán
Lawyer from Universidad Santo Tomás, Specialist in Administrative Law and University Teaching. She also holds a degree in Preschool Education. She has dedicated her life to public service.
Sandra Marcela Núñez Trujillo
Physician and holds a Master’s degree in Health Administration from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; she also holds a specialization in Epidemiology from Universidad del Rosario, where she was also a graduate-level professor. She has built her career in the administrative side of the healthcare sector. She currently serves as Medical Director at Novo Nordisk S.A.S.
Rafael María de Brigard Merchán
Diocesan priest, Philosopher and Theologian from the Major Seminary of Bogotá, and psychologist from the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome. Monsignor De Brigard is the Territorial Episcopal Vicar of Padre Misericordioso and also serves as Director of the Communications Office of the Archdiocese of Bogotá.
Board of Directors
Guillermo Alberto Isaza Mejía
Economist from Reed College and holds an MBA from Universidad de Los Andes. He currently serves as Director of CION, cooperative integration. He has held senior executive positions at Álvarez & Marsal and Citibank. He has significant experience in the financial sector and in corporate mergers and acquisitions.
Javier José Suárez Esparragoza
Civil Engineer from Universidad de Los Andes, holds Master’s degrees in Actuarial Science and Finance from Georgia State University. He currently serves as President of Seguros Bolívar and Corporate Vice President of Grupo Bolívar. He is a Member of the Board of Directors of Davivienda. He has extensive experience in the financial and insurance sectors.
Jorge Hernando Hoyos Maya
High school graduate of Colegio San Bartolomé La Merced, Industrial Engineer from Universidad de Los Andes, and holds an MBA from Instituto de Empresa in Madrid. He has served as Financial and Administrative Vice President of Reaseguradora Hemisférica, President of Seguros Atlas, and General Manager of Forjar Inversiones and Prominsa. He has been a university professor for more than twenty-five years at Cesa, teaching Social Responsibility, Corporate Sustainability, and Strategy. He is a member of several boards of directors at companies in the real economy and services sectors, as well as at foundations dedicated to childhood, education, and elderly care. He is the representative of Gimnasio La Montaña on the Board of Directors of Alianza Educativa.
Juana Morales Sáenz
Child psychologist, expert in parenting, child development, and social-emotional regulation. She is director and founder of Taller de Desarrollo Infantil Vueltacanela, an early childhood project with more than 30 years of history. She is co-creator of the Crianza con el Cerebro en Mente (Parenting with the Brain in Mind) model, which supports families, teachers, and caregivers involved in raising children, grounded in neuroscience research and brain development.
María Claudia García de Brigard
Lawyer from Universidad Javeriana, specialized in contract law and the energy and mining sector. She has 20 years of experience in negotiating national and international contracts, corporate governance, strategic planning and management of legal processes, as well as handling transactions with private and government entities. She currently serves as Senior Legal Counsel at Repsol Colombia Oil & Gas Colombia Limited.
María del Mar García de Brigard
Alumna of Gimnasio La Montaña, class of 1999, lawyer from Universidad Javeriana, holds a Master’s degree in Private Law and a specialization in Financial Legislation from Universidad de Los Andes. She has more than 20 years of experience in the insurance sector. She currently serves as Vice President of Claims at Chubb Seguros S.A.
Rodrigo Cabrera Liévano
Alumnus of Gimnasio La Montaña, class of 2003. Business Administrator from CESA, MBA from Inalde Business School, with experience in the airport, financial, and marketing sectors. He currently serves as Manager at Crepes y Waffles, a company he has been with for more than 11 years. During his years at Gimnasio La Montaña (GLM), he was a Student Council representative on several occasions, Student Ombudsperson (Personero), and the first national President of the School Conciliation Program of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce.
Yolanda Reyes Villamizar
Educator, writer, and columnist for the newspaper El Tiempo. She directs the bookstore and preschool “Espantapájaros” and advises national and international institutions on education and reading policy. Her books include El terror de sexto B, La casa imaginaria, La poética de la infancia, Qué raro que me llame Federico, and El reino de la posibilidad. She is the winner of the Ibero-American Prize for Children’s and Youth Literature.
Directivas internas
Leadership and Planning Council
This is Gimnasio La Montaña’s strategic direction and institutional management body. It makes decisions that guide the school’s course, defines priorities, policies, and programs, and coordinates different areas and sections to move in the same direction.
A space to think strategically, make decisions, and help GLM continue to grow with purpose.
Academic Council
A space to discuss, analyze, and make decisions about the pedagogical heart of Gimnasio La Montaña: its focus is on building a strong, relevant, and continuously evolving academic offering.
From there, the curriculum and assessment processes are designed and managed, academic challenges are analyzed, and strategies are promoted to address them. It also supports special academic programs, participates in the assessment of teachers’ academic competencies, and contributes to the review of the PEI.
Here, reflection on education becomes decisions that evolve our academic offering.
