María Caridad is an Economist by the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE) and has an M.S. in Economics from Texas A&M University. She is the coordinator of the Research and Evaluation area of Grupo FARO. Economist, expert in macroeconomic analysis and public policies, with 15 years of experience. She has worked as Director of Public Policy Management at the Ministry of Social Development Coordination (MCDS) and as a researcher in several consulting firms and research centres in Ecuador. She is a university professor and author of national articles and international publications on macroeconomic issues.