Celistics has been honored in the 2011 International Business Awards, and will be recognized at a gala ceremony in Abu Dhabi on October 11^th, 2011, where Stevie Award trophies and Distinguished Honoree (honorable mention) medals will be presented.

Stevie Award trophy and Distinguished Honoree (honorable mention) medal winners were selected from more than 3,000 entries received from organizations and individuals in more than 50 nations.

The award recognizes the work and performance of professionals in the financial sector, and their contribution to the smooth performance of  their businesses. Juan Rosell, chairman of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations has granted the prize on March 23rd, at the Hotel Ritz in Madrid. As part of the awards, the consulting group `KPMG´ and the magazine “Actualidad Económica” magazine published a study of the financial departments of around 2,000 companies and public institutions in Spain.

Celistics Group is one of the main cell phone logistics operator and distributors in Latin America. The company handles national and international logistics and distribution of Telefónica in fourteen countries of the region. Celistics shares the award with large companies in various sectors such as Grupo Endesa, Gas Natural Group, Siemens and Ferrovial.

José Luis Riera was awarded and included among the most eminent CFO’s after careful evaluation of his career and recognizing his “merit in the business world.” José Luis Riera was a structured finance director of HSBC in Spain and Portugal. Prior to this position he worked for Banesto in the capital markets area and previously, he was responsible for Caja Madrid in China. There, Riera was elected president of the Chamber of Commerce of Spain in China. In his professional career other highlights include his designation in the year 2000 as Director of the Valencian Export Institute (IVEX). Since 2010 José Luis Riera is CFO of Celistics Group. This prestigious award has recognized the financial strategy he developed in this position.

The event, organized by Grupo Convergencia, took place June 8-9 at the Hotel Novotels in Buenos Aires, Argentina. During the two days of conferences and seminars, mobile operators, network manufacturers and devices and software providers reflected on key issues regarding the market and the mobile industry in Latin America. Participating at the opening session were Lisandro Salas, Argentina’s Secretary of Communications; Sebastian Cabello, director of GSMA LA; Erasmo Rojas, director for Latin America and the Caribbean of 4G Americas; and German H. Rodriguez, CEO of Grupo Convergencia.

More than 330 members of executive management were taking part in a forum where ubiquitous network access, services of mobile operators, the social and economic value of mobile telephony, the revolution brought by digital content and the future of mobile financial services, among other issues were debated.

The event featured distinguished speakers, representatives of the top companies in Latin America’s mobile industry such as Claro, Movistar, Personal, Nextel, Ericsson, HP, Qualcomm, BlackBerry, Red Link, Amdocs, Sondeos, Tekelec, Nokia, Alcatel and Onetouch, among others.

For the development of this operation, Celistics is projected to reach a turnover of $40 million annually resulting in the creation of over 50 jobs within six months.

Celistics entry into the Costa Rican market is a shift in its business model: Celistics will not only develop a comprehensive outsourcing of logistics and distribution for their clients, but will commit to an active commercial role by providing a strong sales force as well as its own outlets within the retail channel.

Celistics hopes to harness the potential presented by the Costa Rican market and the opportunities offered by the opening of competition in the market as well as other added-value supply chain solutions Celistics offers across the region.

Costa Rica has a population of 4.5 million and represents one of the highest per capita incomes in Central America. Costa Rica offers a high potential for growth in the telecommunications sector as the mobile telephone industry in the country has a penetration rate of nearly 70 percent.

Raul Santamaria, Chief Operating Officer for Celistics, commented: “We are very pleased with the entry of Celistics in the Costa Rican market, as it will strengthen its position in the region, a region where the company has extensive knowledge, experience and where it already has operations in twelve other countries in Latin America.”