Spotlight on… My career

The most outstanding achievement of my career has been leading the legal corporate affairs of one of the most sustainable banks in the world, according to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. As the legal director of corporate affairs at Bancolombia, I work towards continuously strengthening the corporate governance practices of Grupo Bancolombia in Colombia and in each of the jurisdictions where we operate, namely Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama and the United States.

As responsible for implementing the corporate governance framework, I contribute to sustainable growth, risk mitigation, and building trust among the stakeholders of the leading bank in Colombia. Alongside my team, we participate in developing effective shareholder communication strategies, promoting engagement and aligning the interests of our more than 39,000 shareholders with those of our organisation. Furthermore, we ensure that our top-tier board of directors has the necessary tools and knowledge to make informed decisions. On the legal front, we lead the relationship with our regulator and are responsible for market disclosures both domestically and internationally, considering Bancolombia is a New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) listed company. Moreover, we provide legal advice to the risk management, auditing, accounting, marketing, and procurement areas of Bancolombia and its national subsidiaries.

My legal team is continually innovating to meet the expectations of our stakeholders. For instance, in response to new regulations regarding broader market revelations, we have implemented technological developments that facilitate collaborative work among different teams involved in disclosure preparation. This turned into a more efficient workflow, boosting productivity. Furthermore, it has enabled smooth collaboration among teams working in multiple jurisdictions. Additionally, concerning market revelations, we are part of an interdisciplinary group responsible for implementing ESG disclosure best practices to meet reporting obligations on ESG issues and climate risk. Finally, we are currently cooperating in implementing emerging regulations regarding Large Exposures, Ultimate Beneficial Owners, Internal Control, and the comprehensive risk management system (SIAR), among other initiatives.

Before my current role, I led the M&A and Capital Investments legal team of Grupo Bancolombia Investment Banking division (Banca de Inversión Bancolombia), from where I participated in structuring many of the country´s largest and most significant transactions. One of them was the acquisition of a 51.4% stake in Interconexión Eléctrica (ISA) by Ecopetrol for USD$3.6bn. Before this role, I worked at leading law firms in Colombia and the US (New York City), advising clients in their legal corporate and societal matters, debt issuances and financing projects.