THE IIG COMPANIES - Key Persons
Mr. Cano joined IIG in 2002. With over 35 years of experience in trade finance in Latin America, he provides the firm with access to corporate relationships throughout the area, especially in the Andean Pact countries.
Mr. Cano is a highly experienced executive in banking and international trade finance. He has held several key managerial positions at Swiss Bank Corporation, Continental Bank, and American Express Bank Ltd. in the areas of correspondent banking and trade finance. He also acted as the Representative in Venezuela for American Express Bank Ltd.
Prior to joining IIG, Mr. Cano ran his own consulting firm advising US businesses on marketing in Latin America, while assisting Latin American companies in developing marketing strategies to successfully enter the US market.
Mr. Cano holds a Master of Business Administration degree in Economics and Finance as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Farleigh Dickinson University.
Job Titles:
- CIO
- Managing Partner
- Managing Partner and CIO Read More
Mr. Hu co-founded IIG and is chief investment officer of the firm.
Mr. Hu has had extensive professional involvement in the trading of emerging markets debt and related instruments and in the management of large proprietary portfolios. Prior to co-founding IIG he served as managing director and head trader for emerging markets and fixed income at Smith Barney and Nomura Securities International, as well as senior trader of LDC debt at American Express Bank Ltd. In those capacities he also played a significant role in the underwriting of numerous transactions on behalf of corporations, financial institutions and government entities.
Mr. Hu began his banking career at Mellon Bank N.A., where he structured cross-border trade transactions and served as an analyst in the bank's Metals and Mining Credit Group.
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant
- Executive Assistant, the IIG Companies LLC Read More
Mrs. Francis joined IIG in 2017 as an Executive Assistant for Managing Partner Martin Silver.
Prior to joining IIG, Mrs. Francis worked at both Aequum Law where she was an Executive Assistant to the company's Managing Partner and CITYatwork, a New York educational consulting company, where she held the position as a project manager on the numerous programs the company is involved with.
Mrs. Francis holds a B.A. in Merchandising Management from the International Academy of Design and Technology in Chicago.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director, IIG Trade Finance LLC Read More
Mr. Geringer joined IIG in August 2017. He is a seasoned executive with 24 years' experience and track record in emerging markets. He has executed transactions from origination, to development and implementation, including financing and control in different countries in Latin America and Eastern Europe.
He has worked for important Wall Street firms including Nomura Securities, Salomon Smith Barney, Mizuho and UniCredit. In those capacities, his areas of concentration were fixed income trading, corporate finance and investment banking.
Mr. Geringer holds a Masters of Business Administration and a degree in Economics. He is fluent in Spanish and Russian.
Job Titles:
- Investment Banker
- Representative Colombia Read More / ECUADOR
Based in Bogota, Colombia, Mr. Osorio, a seasoned investment banker, has served as a consultant and advisor to IIG for its Colombian trade finance business since February 2014. He founded CFSA Banqueros de Inversión in 1991, a Colombian investment-banking boutique. The company originates and structures investment-banking transactions in the energy and oil sectors. As its managing partner, Mr. Osorio is in charge of management and execution of transactions.
With over 20 years of experience in the corporate, investment banking sectors and academia in Colombia, Mr. Osorio has served on the boards of Jabonerías Del Caribe SA, Termotasajero S.A. ESP, Distasa S.A. ESP, Club Campestre Guaymaral and C.I. Norcarbón S.A. He also taught Commercial Law in the Economics and Business Administration School of the Universidad Javeriana and taught Money and Banking at Politecnico Grancolombiano Banking School.
Mr. Osorio earned a Juris Doctor Degree at Pontíficia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia (1979) and a Master Of Arts Degree in Money and Banking from Northeastern University in Boston (1982).
Job Titles:
- Consultant and Advisor to
- Representative Ecuador Read More / MALTA
Based in Ecuador, José Vera Grunauer has served as a consultant and advisor to IIG for financings involving Ecuadorian corporate and export-oriented transactions since April 2005.
Mr. Vera has over ten years of experience in the corporate and banking sectors of Ecuador and Chile. In Ecuador, he has distinguished himself in a variety of senior management roles with Banco La Previsora, including as general manager of the Previfondos fund and trust company, finance manager of the commercial division of the bank and investment manager of Previbursatil, the bank's brokerage house. Previously, while based in Chile, he served as portfolio manager at Bank of Credit and Investments, Bancredito's brokerage house.
Mr. Vera currently serves as partner and chief executive officer of two Ecuadorian-based companies, Emvalores S.A., a financial consultancy company, and Consultora Vera S.A., one of the country's most prominent engineering companies. Mr. Vera has also served as a financial advisor to Ecuador's Ministry of Health and Odeplan (Organización de Desarrollo y Planificación Nacional).
Mr. Vera holds an MBA from the University Adolfo Ibañez in Chile and a postgraduate degree from the London Business School.
Job Titles:
- Senior Accountant
- Senior Accountant, the IIG Companies LLC Read More
Ms. Barrientos is responsible for handling all aspects of accounting and bookkeeping related to the firm, its subsidiaries and all pooled investment vehicles.
Prior to joining IIG in 2010, Ms. Barrientos worked for nine years as an associate in the finance division of Deutsche Bank where she was primarily involved in preparing and analyzing financial and ad-hoc reports for senior managers and reviewing and maintaining complex journal entries as well as day-to-day funds accounts reconciliation.
Ms. Barrientos holds a Bachelor of Arts in business administration from the Institute of Technology Santo Domingo (INTEC) in the Dominican Republic. She also earned an Associate of Applied Science degree with a major in accounting from LaGuardia Community College.
Job Titles:
- COO
- Managing Partner
- Certified Public Accountant, Is a Graduate of City University of New York, Brooklyn College
- Managing Partner Read More
Mr. Silver is responsible for the firm's overall management and practice, including oversight of the firm's operations as well as marketing and business development, operations and finance functions.
Prior to co-founding IIG in 1994, Mr. Silver served in several executive management positions with American Express Bank Ltd, including executive director and comptroller, holding responsibility for the bank's global financial management and serving as primary liaison with various regulatory bodies in the U.S. and overseas. Mr. Silver was instrumental in establishing and maintaining the company's LDC trading operation and debt/equity swap programs. His other accomplishments include the financial management of the American Express Bank's $2 billion-plus exposure in LDC debt and equities, the sale of the company's private bank and oversight of a $2 billion investment portfolio. Earlier roles include various senior financial positions with Manufacturers Hanover Corporation and Irving Bank Corporation. He began his career with KPMG Peat Marwick.
Mr. Silver, a certified public accountant, is a graduate of City University of New York, Brooklyn College.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director, the IIG Companies LLC Read More
Michael Shore has been in the international investment industry for over 16 years. He heads IIG's Strategic Projects, including the development of new trade finance related structured finance vehicles including funds and CLOs.
Prior to joining IIG in 2015, Mr. Shore was Executive Director of MS Global Finance, a boutique investment bank and advisory firm where he was responsible for the origination, credit analysis, structuring and private placement of trade finance, project finance, corporate finance and other structured finance transactions in the developing and emerging markets worldwide.
Mr. Shore began his career at Emerging Markets Securities LLC, where he played an instrumental role in the structuring and management of two securitized trade finance funds valued at nearly $200 million.
Mr. Shore has a BS in Business Administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder where he also minored in Economics. He holds the following FINRA Registrations: Series 7 (General Securities Registered Representative), Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent-NY), Series 79 (Investment Banking Representative) and Series 99 (Operations Professional).
Job Titles:
- Director, Operations
- Senior Director and Head of Trade Finance Services
- Senior Director, Operations, Trade Services, IIG Trade Finance LLC Read More
As Senior Director and Head of Trade Finance Services, Mr. Cadena is responsible for managing the loan servicing unit, ensuring the most efficient and timely processing of trade transactions and outstanding customer service. He is responsible for reviewing and verifying all transactions and assuring that the staff has a full understanding of facilities and financial structures in place.
Mr. Cadena, who began his finance career in Ecuador, brings 23 years of banking experience to the firm across different areas such as loan operations, letters of credit, paying and receiving, treasury operations, customer service, foreign exchange and investigations. Prior to joining IIG in 2006, he was employed at BPD Bank for 13 years, during which he worked his way up to Operations Manager. Previously, he worked for Capital National Bank as a Loan Operations Manager, and Banco Mercantil de Venezuela as the Private Banking Supervisor.
Mr. Cadena holds an Associate degree in International Banking from Mercy College. He has completed professional courses in International Trade Finance in the School of Professionals at NYU and Lending & Banking Operations at the Bankers School, as well as obtained a Banking Certificate in International Banking from The American Institute of Banking of New York.
Job Titles:
- Consultant and Advisor to
- Representative Chile Read More / COLOMBIA
Based in Santiago de Chile, Roberto Figueroa serves as a consultant and advisor to IIG for financings involving Chilean corporate and export-oriented transactions since February 2005. With over 30 years of experience in the corporate and banking sectors in Chile, Mr Figueroa previously consulted for major financial institutions including: Julius Baer Bank, Credit Lyonnais and Bank Boston. He currently serves on the board of directors of four Chilean companies.
Mr. Figueroa has held senior positions at American Express Bank, KLM, Viña Santa Carolina, Dart Industries and Compañía General Financiera. He graduated from the Catholic University of Chile in Business Administration and holds a post-graduate degree in Business Administration from the same university.
Job Titles:
- Chief Compliance Officer
- Chief Compliance Officer & Senior Director, Operations, IIG Trade Finance LLC Read More
Mr. LaVecchia serves as the Chief Compliance Officer and is a Senior Director and Head of Treasury, Risk Management and Systems in IIG's Operations team. In this capacity, he is responsible for the day-to-day oversight and management of all treasury functions related to IIG managed clients as well as all administrative bank accounts. He is also responsible for monitoring and compliance with IIG managed vehicles' investment restrictions and risk mitigation.
Prior to joining the firm in 1997, Mr. LaVecchia distinguished himself as an operations manager at firms as large as Smith Barney and Merrill Lynch and as innovative as Niederhoffer & Company. He brings over 20 years of extensive experience managing departments dealing in equities, commodities, foreign exchange, fixed income and derivatives. At Smith Barney, he was also responsible for the Commodity Division's annual client tax reporting.
Additionally, in his capacity as operations manager for the major brokerages and start up trading firms, he has had responsibility for accounting, finance administration, cash management, audit and regulatory compliance reporting (NYSE, NASD and CFTC).
Mr. LaVecchia earned his Bachelor's degree from Kean College.