Michel Janna has been named as Colombia’s new director of public credit, the ministry of finance announces, following the resignation Monday of Maria Fernanda Suarez. Janna comes from Goldman Sachs, where he was head of sovereign risk for the Americas. He previously worked at Citi and also at Colombia’s central bank. Suarez’s office did not respond to requests for comment as to reasons for her departure, which is reported as being for personal reasons. Suarez had held the position since late 2011.
Category: People
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BRF Names Diniz to Board
Abilio Diniz has been named chairman of Brasil Foods (BRF), an appointment that will be voted on during the Brasil Foods’ April 9, annual general meeting, BRF says. According to wire reports, he had been asked to resign from the chairman post at Grupo Pao de Acucar amidst talk that he’d be making a move to another Brazilian company’s board. French retailer Groupe Casino, which controls Brazilian retailer Grupo Pao de Acucar through holding company Wilkes, had ousted Diniz from Casino’s board last year.
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JPM Picks Brazil Head
JPMorgan has Named Jose Berenguer as senior country officer of Brazil, effective April 1. He will report to jointly to Mary Callahan Erdoes, CEO of JPMorgan Asset Management, and Martin Marron, CEO of JPMorgan’s Latin America business. Berenguer was most recently CEO of structured credit at asset manager Gavea Investimentos, which he joined in March 2012. He was previously at Santander.
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Itau to Extend Setubal Reign
Roberto Setubal is to remain CEO of Itau Unibanco Holding during a two-year transition period after stepping down as CEO of the Itau Unibanco banking unit, it says. The move comes along with a proposal to raise of the retirement age for Holding CEOs to 62 from 60. Setubal, CEO since 1994, turns 59 this year. The bank also says that Marcos Lisboa, the senior vice president in charge of insurance and internal controls, would step down to return to academic work. Marcio Schettini, who is currently the senior vice president for card transactions, will oversee insurance as well as auto and mortgage lending. Chief Financial Officer Caio Ibrahim David was promoted to senior vice president.
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OHL Names Mexico CEO
OHL Mexico has chosen Sergio Hidalgo as CEO, the unit of the Spanish concession operator says. He joins from the ISSSTE government social security agency, where he was CEO. He replaces Juan Osuna, who continues in his role as executive vp.
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Barclays LatAm Head Exits
Monica Hanson, head of global finance for LatAm at Barclays, has left the bank, according to a person familiar with the matter. She had been in the role, a post created at the time to encompass regional DCM, ECM and leveraged finance origination, since April of last year. She had previously been head of the bank’s US DCM financial institutions team. Hanson had been with Barclays since 2008, when it acquired Lehman Brothers, where she had worked since 2001. A Barclays spokesman declined to comment on the matter.
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Grupo Elektra Names New Leadership
Mexico’s Grupo Elektra has named Mario Gordillo Rincon as CEO, it says. He comes from within the company and after holding various posts, serving as director of financial services and director of distribution among others over the past ten years. Also, the financial services company’s subsidiary, Banco Azteca, has named Luis Nino de Rivera as CEO. He has served on Banco Azteca’s board since 2002 as vice president. He has previously served as CEO of Dresdner Bank Mexico, vp of Citibank Mexico and CEO of Citibank Panama. Carlos Septien leaves the roles of CEO for both Grupo Elektra and Banco Azteca to work with Elektra parent company Grupo Salinas. He becomes part of the vp for information and public affairs.
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IFC Appoints New Regional Investment Head
Jean Philippe Prosper has been appointed vp for Latin America and the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa, the IFC says, overseeing investment in those regions. He leaves his post as IFC director for Latin America and the Caribbean, but will stay on as acting director while a replacement is found. In his new role, he will oversee investments and advisory service operations in 29 countries in LatAm and the Caribbean and 44 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. He also becomes a member of the IFC’s senior management, participating in strategic decisions and also tasked with managing relationships with government and private sector partners. He joined the IFC in 2000 and started working in Sub-Saharan Africa before moving to have a Latin America focus, according to the IFC. Prosper fills the role previously held by Thierry Tanoh, who left in June 2012 and is now CEO of Togo’s Ecobank. The position has been open since his departure.
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BG’s Barbosa Changes Posts
BG has named Brazilian Fabio Barbosa as chairman of BG South America, BG says. Barbosa leaves the CFO and executive director roles, citing personal reasons, and will work from Rio de Janeiro to give “senior counsel and advice” to BG’s Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay and Brazil operations. He will report to CEO Chris Finlayson. Barbosa previously served as CFO of Vale and worked in the Brazilian ministry of finance. Den Jones, BG Group’s financial controller, will act as interim CFO while a replacement is designated.
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Gol Names Smiles CEO
GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes has named Leonel Andrade as CEO of Smiles, its mileage loyalty company that is soon to be carved out through an IPO, the airline says. Andrade comes from Citi, where his positions included heading the Credicard credit division and its Brazilian retail banking operations. He was previously at Visa and HSBC. Smiles is expected to file soon for the IPO, targeting the April issuance window.