About

With approximately two decades of experience in the financial services sector, including at such well-regarded global financial powerhouses as Deutsche Bank, ING and GE Capital, Isabel Ocaña Ruiz de Velasco is one of Mexico’s leading in-house lawyers in the sector. Now general counsel and chief compliance officer of Engenium Capital, she reflects on a highly rewarding but challenging career: ‘Over the years, I have been fortunate to be part of great companies during hectic (and critical) times. I honestly believe that crisis are also great opportunities to grow, to learn, and to change’. As an example, she recalls working in the industry during the global financial crisis 10 years ago: ‘During my tenure as general counsel for ING Investment Management, I had to face the 2008 crisis. The management team had to take difficult decisions in a time where we were uncertain about the future. 2008 and 2009 were, with no doubt, the years in which I learned how to really work under pressure. This was by far the best school in which to practice soft skills such as managing under pressure, creativity, adaptability, and problem solving’. She has deployed her ample abilities with great skill since taking on her current role with Engenium Capital in 2016, especially in regards to the major restructure that the company has undergone. ‘The legal team has been completely reorganised over the past two years’, she explains. ‘Until March 2016 our company was GE Capital Mexico, a subsidiary of General Electric (GE) and, at that time, the current responsibilities of the legal and compliance team were divided between three areas: legal, compliance and financial crime compliance. We had to consolidate the abovementioned functions, reassigning responsibilities and learning to work together as one team, while supporting a growing business and several initiatives to improve our technological platform. What was previously covered by 15 people at two centres of excellence is now performed completely by 12 people’. Ocaña’s proven ability to succeed in the highest-pressure environments, along with her technical skill in the financial sector and organisational nous show her to be a fantastic general counsel who is a credit to her company.