Manuela Hawker de Azuola

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Manuela Hawker de Azuola is the Lady of the Solar de Divisa de Azuola and one of the principal figures guiding the contemporary development of the House of Azuola. An entrepreneur, consultant, editor and philanthropist, she holds a university degree in Law and has built her professional career across Costa Rica, the United States and the United Kingdom, contributing to the creation, structuring and growth of business, cultural, educational and social impact initiatives.

Of British ancestry and raised in Costa Rica, Manuela grew up deeply connected to a family tradition of enterprise, service and philanthropy. She is the daughter of John Michael Hawker, a British entrepreneur, hotelier and philanthropist, founder of Penthouse Carpets and of the Educando Niños Foundation.

Convinced that education had the power to transform the opportunities available to an entire community, John Michael Hawker founded Lady Gladys School in Alajuelita, naming it in honour of his mother. The school was established as a private educational institution serving primarily children from one of Costa Rica's most disadvantaged communities, enabling them, through symbolic tuition fees, to access a broader academic curriculum than was then available in many public schools.

Manuela played a personal role in continuing this work, contributing to the development and strengthening of the school's English language and computer studies programmes. She also volunteered as a preschool teacher, working directly with children during their earliest years of education.

This early experience enabled her to understand education not only through the planning of academic programmes, but also through close, practical service to the community. Her work focused on providing students with practical skills, broader educational opportunities and a stronger foundation for their future.

The school was subsequently acquired by the Ministry of Public Education of Costa Rica and became the Colegio Técnico Profesional de Alajuelita, continuing the vision upon which it had been founded: to provide quality education and new opportunities for the young people of the community.

From her father, Manuela inherited a profound appreciation for hard work, social responsibility and the importance of building a legacy capable of enduring across generations. Her identity, shaped by the union of her British roots and her life in Latin America, has fostered an international outlook in which British tradition, Latin American experience, and a strong commitment to education, family heritage and service to others converge.

Manuela began her professional career at EY, initially joining the firm's International Tax Services team. During this period, she worked on matters relating to international taxation, foreign investment and cross-border corporate structuring. She participated in the analysis and coordination of corporate structures spanning multiple jurisdictions, as well as in projects requiring the integration of tax, legal, commercial and operational considerations for internationally active clients.

She later joined EY Law, where she contributed to the establishment and development of the firm's office in Nosara, Costa Rica, helping to strengthen its presence in a region characterised by growing domestic and international investment.

Throughout her career at EY, Manuela gained experience in corporate law, regulatory compliance, business organisation, intellectual property, foreign investment and the coordination of cross-border projects. This work enabled her to develop a practical understanding of how businesses should be structured to operate effectively, safeguard their interests and achieve sustainable growth across different markets.

She later co-founded Cola Blanca Consulting, through which she advises companies, entrepreneurs and families with operations across multiple jurisdictions. Her work combines corporate and contractual analysis with a strategic and practical approach to business, supporting projects from their initial creation and structuring through to their operation, regulatory compliance, growth and international expansion.

Among her most significant projects has been her involvement in the development of Alma True Acemannan, an international company operating in the wellness and consumer goods sector. From its earliest stages, Manuela contributed to the project's corporate and contractual structuring, as well as to the coordination of its operations between Costa Rica and the United States.

Her work included liaising and coordinating with manufacturers, raw material suppliers, tax and legal advisers, logistics and distribution companies, e-commerce platforms and strategic partners. She also participated in the preparation and negotiation of commercial agreements, manufacturing and distribution contracts, intellectual property matters, regulatory compliance and collaborations supporting the growth and promotion of the brand.

Through this work, she helped transform a business concept into an international operation capable of integrating production, manufacturing, marketing, logistics and specialised advisory services across multiple jurisdictions.

Alongside her professional career, Manuela has maintained a deep commitment to philanthropy, education, children and the preservation of historical memory. Her understanding of philanthropy is founded upon the conviction that service should not be regarded merely as a form of immediate assistance, but as a long-term responsibility towards individuals, communities and future generations.

This commitment has been profoundly shaped by her father's work and by her own experience of working directly with children and educational initiatives. For Manuela, a true legacy consists not only in preserving what has been inherited, but also in placing it at the service of others and creating opportunities capable of enduring for generations to come.

She is also the founder and editor of The Hawker Country Edit, a publication devoted to the English countryside, home, culture, memory and family heritage. Through this project, Manuela explores the relationship between identity, belonging and continuity, documenting inherited traditions while recording the creation of a new family life in England.

Her editorial work is founded upon the belief that a home, a garden, an archive or a family history are not merely objects of contemplation, but living expressions of identity and continuity. This same vision guides her work within the House of Azuola.

As the Lady of the Solar de Divisa de Azuola, Manuela contributes to the organisation, preservation and promotion of the House of Azuola's heritage, while also supporting the development of editorial, educational, cultural and philanthropic initiatives designed to bring history closer to new generations.

Together with her husband, Gabriel H. de Azuola, she works to preserve documents, historical accounts, publications and heritage associated with the Azuola family and its place in the history of Costa Rica and Colombia. Her work also encompasses project coordination, institutional communications and the development of a long-term vision for the House of Azuola.

From the Solar de Divisa de Azuola, Manuela supports a new chapter in the history of the House—one in which heritage is understood not merely as an inheritance received, but as a living responsibility.

Her work seeks to unite history, enterprise, education, service and a vision for the future, ensuring that what has been inherited is preserved with rigour, shared with purpose, and enriched for the generations that will follow.

She speaks Spanish and English.