Gustavo Zerbino

Gustavo Zerbino is a Uruguayan businessman, speaker, and former rugby player whose life is inextricably linked to the 1972 Andes plane crash, of which he was one of the sixteen survivors. His survival experience has become a powerful testament to leadership, teamwork, and the capacity for human resilience in the face of extreme adversity.

After the accident and his seventy-two days in the mountains, Zerbino resumed his life and his studies, earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of the Republic. He also returned to the sport he loved, becoming a member of Uruguay’s national rugby team and competing in South American tournaments in the 1970s. This ability to rebuild his life, combined with his business expertise, has allowed him to build a career in the corporate world, where he applies the lessons he learned on the mountain.

Zerbino has devoted much of his career to sharing his experience through motivational conferences and talks for companies and organizations in the Americas and Europe. His approach is based on the concept of a “new perspective on life,” which emphasizes the importance of attitude as a conscious choice that determines outcomes. Through his story, he teaches audiences how to manage uncertainty, foster team cohesion in times of crisis, and apply the principles of high survival to everyday and workplace challenges.

His legacy is that of a speaker who does not speak solely from theory, but from lived experience, which gives his message a unique authenticity and transformative power. Zerbino is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the importance of solidarity and bold decision-making under pressure. His role on the board of the Uruguayan rugby organization and his ongoing outreach efforts demonstrate his commitment to giving back to life what it taught him during the most difficult circumstances.