Jorge Cortés has a 24-year trajectory in the global capital markets, where he has worked in multiple capacities such as an investment advisor, broker, private banker, international markets analyst, global fixed income trader, relationship manager, treasury portfolio manager, and debt capital markets officer. This trajectory includes working for 14 years for the Treasury Departments of two multilateral development banks. Previously, he had worked for Oppenheimer & Co. and with Scotiabank, a first-tier multinational Canadian bank.
Jorge successfully co-managed a fixed income portfolio of approximately USD 1.5 billion during the World Financial Crisis. In this role, he was the portfolio manager of a proprietary fixed income portfolio composed of investment-grade and Emerging Market bonds, structured credit products, and asset swaps. He was also responsible for overseeing investments in third-party asset managers and funds with mandates in investment grade, foreign exchange, and EM / Frontier markets. He also oversaw investments in private equity funds.
He also worked in the global debt capital markets for several years, leading multiple bond issuances and their derivatives hedging throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. In his debt capital market roles, he formed a vast network of global institutional investors and counterparties such as pension funds, mutual funds, insurance companies, corporate treasurers, brokerages, investment banks, and sovereign wealth funds. He also continuously engaged with sovereigns, regulators, SRO’s, central banks, rating agencies, and multilateral organizations.
Jorge holds a J.D. in Law from the Escuela Libre de Derecho in Costa Rica, an MSc. in Economics with an emphasis on Banking and Capital Markets from the University of Costa Rica, and an MSc. in Banking and International Finance from Cass Business School in London. He achieved this latter degree as a recipient of the prestigious Chevening Scholarship from the British Council. He also obtained the ICMA Fixed Income Certificate (FIC), a professional qualification emphasizes practical skills based on a thorough understanding of valuation principles and the relationships between the cash, credit, and derivatives markets.