Maria Mercedes Corrales

Maria ("Mercy") Mercedes Corrales has spent 35 years in the corporate world, the last 20 as a global executive for Levi Strauss and Co. and Starbucks Corporation. She led regional businesses across Asia Pacific and Latin America in various functional and general management roles. Mercy was one of the first non-Japanese women to become CEO and representative director for two publicly listed companies in Japan — Levi Strauss Japan KK (2001-2005) and Starbucks Coffee Japan KK (2006-2009).

Mercy has acted as Board director of Fraser and Neave Ltd. (Singapore), Times Publishing Singapore, Sara Lee/D.E. Master Blenders (Netherlands) and as an advisor for a private equity firm. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of Huhtamaki, a global packaging company based in Espoo, Finland and on the Board of Trustees of the Mapua Institute of Technology in the Philippines. Mercy works as a consultant and executive coach and is a frequent guest lecturer and speaker on topics such as leadership, organizational development, diversity, women and innovation.

Mercy’s other passion is her Healing Leaf Garden, an organic farm dedicated to natural healing of body, mind and spirit.