Óscar Bravo

What is the main focus of your presidency, and how are you harnessing your experience in business development for the benefit of the company?

Terpel is a mature and solid company that has been and will be committed to contribute to the development of the countries where we operate. My purpose right now is to strengthen the work we have been doing in a people-focused strategy, pursuing the best service and memorable experiences for our customers. We are currently working to expand our scope of business along with the energy transition and investing in upgrading our technology to better serve our customers. We just opened the first LPG service station in Colombia and will be gradually deploying this technology in the main cities. In terms of electric vehicles, we have been deploying charging technology at our service stations and expecting to reach more than 30 by year end. We currently have three EV charging stations connecting Bogotá and Medellí­n. As well, we are providing electricity and charging infrastructure to the mass transportation vehicles in Colombia, mainly buses. Bogotá is moving rapidly to renew its fleet of buses, and we are currently leading that effort with close 55% market share. By year end, we should be serving more than 650 electric buses in Bogotá. We are also increasing our presence in the NGV segment by serving freight transportation companies and heavy users. Moreover, we are expanding our convenience stores presence in the country; by year end we plan to reach 100 up from 60 right now. We want to position our Altoque brand of convenience stores as the leading convenience brand in the country. Finally, we are investing in new technology and digital tools, to get closer to our customers, better understand their needs, and work of a frictionless relationship at the service stations and/or convenience store.

Can you elaborate on the benefits that Terpel provides to the Colombian economy?

We have a social responsibility that goes well beyond selling fuels and lubricants, we call ourselves “country allied,” which means that we care for the community which we interact with. We created Fundación Terpel 15 years ago to focus on promoting education to the most vulnerable kids, and by year end we will open Fundación Terpel in Panama. Going back to the country allied concept, with the current blockages that we have had during the social unrest in Colombia, we brought in fuel from Ecuador, exported from Terpel Ecuador directly to Nariño state, not only for Terpel but for all fuel wholesalers. Also in times of heavy rainfall, for example during La Niña, we played a significant role with Ecopetrol and the Ministry of Mines, allowing our storage and transportation infrastructure be used to provide fuel to the country. In most of those cases, there is no benefit for the company. We also have some stations in remote places that are not really profitable; however, if we were not present, they probably would not have fuel. Our responsibility goes beyond selling fuel.

How is sustainability a pillar in the company’s culture?

There is a significant commitment from our board of directors and top shareholders on what we can provide in terms of sustainability to the countries in which we work. We are a new player in the electric segment. Our Voltex brand, which we launched last semester, promotes sustainable mobility. We have 1,100 solar panels installed in our infrastructure, mainly in service stations and storage plants. In 2021, we have plans to install solar panels in seven other sites for self-generation, accounting roughly for 55% of the energy needed at each site. We also work on the responsible consumption of resources. This program includes water consumption and the packaging of the products in our convenience stores, and we promote initiatives to improve treatment systems in our storage plants to reduce contamination.