Irene Sofía Esser Quintero is a Venezuelan actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Venezuela 2011. Esser grew up in Río Caribe, Sucre, Venezuela. She represented Venezuela in Miss Universe 2012, finishing as 2nd Runner-Up. Irene was born in the city of Puerto Ordaz, but has studied and lived in the town of Río Caribe, located in the state of Sucre, since she was a little girl. Her father, Billy Esser Bonta, is an important cacao businessman, owner of Hacienda Bukare, founded in 1997. After graduating from "Andres Bello High School" in Carupano, she moved to England, where she took a course at Shrewsbury College.