Correa was born in Medellín, Colombia. Before entering business he worked as a university professor and administrator as well as a public servant. He is a member of the US National Association of Realtors.[1] Correa has earned a BSc in Economics at Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, and pursued graduate studies and an MBA at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.[2][3][4]
Correa is active in real-estate through his firms, Luis F. Correa y Asociados (Luis F. Correa and Associates), Real Estate Total, and NAI Colombia, parts of Red Empresarial Luis F. Correa.[2][5] He is the owner of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts in Colombia through his company Diplomat Hotels,[6] has been involved in the development of the Sheraton brand in Colombia and Ecuador, and recently has managed the market entry of the Spanish hotel chain NH Hoteles.[3] In 2010 he began a plan aiming to reinvent Colombia's hotel industry by building 100 hotels in 10 years.[3][7] His contributions to the development of Colombia's economy have been noted by international leaders including President of Colombia Alvaro Uribe Velez[8] and Republic of China President Ma Ying-jeou.[9]
He simultaneously served as the federation's Regional President for the Americas, as well as a delegate to the United Nations Economic and Social Council representing the Federation as a special consultant.[5][4]
Luis Fernando Correa has written 5 books related to real estate.[3] He also has invested in several other business fields and through the Red Empresarial Luis F. Correa conglomerate is the owner of Lectorum Publications, Scholastic Corporation's Spanish-language book publisher, and Constructora Correas. He also is active in "Un Techo Para Colombia", a foundation dedicated to the construction of homes for the poor in Colombia, as well as The Global Housing Foundation, and The Scholarship Foundation.[2]
