Jan leads the Financial Institutions Team for Central America at IDB Invest, which he joined in 2017. He is responsible for originating and structuring financing operations for financial intermediaries that have an impact on development. He has led transaction loans, capital markets and capital investments in the region that promote access to financing, women’s empowerment and climate change mitigation. Before joining the IDB Group, he worked in the investment banking divisions of UBS and Lazard Asset Management, providing financial advisory to corporate and financial services clients in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean for more than twelve years, based in the New York and Panama City offices. Jan earned a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (USA) and has an undergraduate degree in law and political sciences from Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua (Panama).
Green finance in the private sector was predominantly linked to corporate responsibility. It’s now the time to integrate climate action into the core business of financial institutions.
It’s important to invest in the construction of buildings that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it is equally, or more, important to create a new financial framework and a new mentality that helps investors direct their funds in this regard.
Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) factors have evolved from externalities to key components of business models, and integral elements of corporate strategies.
Female street vendors are the epitome of Latino micro-entrepreneurs, with a very clear business plan to someday set up their own stores or restaurants. During this crisis, the financial sector must take on an intermediary role by providing them with the financing they need to go digital.
Unlike the 2007–2009 crisis, when the global banking system was one of the factors that caused the economic downturn, in this crisis banks are set to be part of the solution. That is the role they must play. How can they do this?