Management & Directors

José R. Fernández is Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of OFG Bancorp and its primary subsidiary, Oriental Bank. He also is Chair of the Board of Directors of OFG’s other major subsidiaries – Oriental Financial Services and Oriental Insurance. From 1991, when he joined Oriental, until 2004, when he was named CEO, Mr. Fernández managed all of the company’s core businesses.

Since heading up OFG, Mr. Fernández has significantly expanded Oriental’s stature and capabilities through organic growth and three major acquisitions: Puerto Rico’s Eurobank in 2010, BBVA’s Puerto Rico operations in 2013, and Scotiabank’s Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands operations in 2019. Starting as the 9th largest bank in 2004, Oriental has become the challenger institution among the three remaining Puerto Rico banking institutions, with No. 2 and 3 market shares in retail and commercial banking, and wealth management. In so doing, Oriental has led the local banking and financial services industry with the introduction of innovative customer-facing digital technology, providing unparalleled levels of convenience and value-added service.

Mr. Fernández also devotes considerable time and effort to organizations focused on the economic, environmental and educational development of Puerto Rico. From 2015-2018, he was Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, one of the oldest Catholic educational institutions in Puerto Rico. From 2011-2016, Mr. Fernández served as a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council. From 2013-2015, he was President of the Puerto Rico Bankers Association. Since 2008, Mr. Fernández has been a member of the Business Advisory Board of the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza School of Business, and a Member of the Advisory Board of Puerto Rico Conservation Trust. In October 2020, Mr. Fernández was named a NACD Board Leadership Fellow.

Mr. Fernández holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Maritza Arizmendi Díaz, CPA, Esq., is Chief Financial Officer, in charge of corporate finance, accounting, financial and capital planning, treasury, asset liability management, information technology, and facilities management.

Ms. Arizmendi has successfully held positions of increasing executive management and responsibility in banking and finance throughout her career. She joined OFG in 2012 when it acquired Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria’s Puerto Rico operations, where she was CFO and Treasurer of the subsidiary of the Spanish bank.

Ms. Arizmendi was named OFG’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance in 2012, Chief Accounting Officer in 2014, and CFO in 2017. Her areas of responsibility have steadily expanded since then and have included upgrading OFG’s financial management systems.

She started her career in financial services in Puerto Rico in 1990 at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where she attained the position of Senior Auditor. In 1994, she was named Vice President of Loan Review at Poncebank, which was acquired by BBVA in 1998. Subsequently, she became Vice President of Risk Management of BBVA’s PR Operations in 1998, Senior Vice President of Financial Planning in 2000, and Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer in 2006.

Ms. Arizmendi is a Certified Public Accountant and is admitted to practice law in Puerto Rico. She received her B.S. in Accounting and J.D. from University of Puerto Rico.

Ada García Castello is Oriental’s Managing Director, Customer Intelligence and Operations, responsible for all retail and business banking operations, data integrity and analytics, and executing Oriental’s strategy of improving the customer experience.

Her mission is to implement Oriental’s transformative goal of creating a “digital first,” omnichannel bank that seamlessly integrates data about customer interactions, internal and external-facing technology, and all customary retail and business banking operations.

Ms. García was named to her position in 2022. Prior, she served as Oriental’s Director of Business Development and Director of its residential mortgage business since 2012.

Ms. García’s accomplishments at Oriental include leading efforts to simplify the residential mortgage loan process, reducing closings from an average of 45 to 36 days. During the Covid pandemic, she led Oriental’s successful plan to become the first bank in Puerto Rico to launch a fully digital automated platform for applying for and disbursing Paycheck Protection Program loans in five days, benefiting more than 7,000 small businesses and their 80,000 employees. All of these efforts were instrumental in providing Oriental with significant competitive advantages, growing the company, and making the experience easier for customers.

Prior to joining Oriental, Ms. García was with Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria’s Puerto Rico operations, where she served as Director of Mortgage Business, Business Development Manager, IT Manager and a member of the Board of Directors of the insurance operation. BBVA PR was acquired by OFG in 2012.

She has been Secretary of the Governor’s Board of the Mortgage Bankers Association in Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Notes Management Association. Ms. García began her career at Accenture in Spain as a Systems Analyst after receiving her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics and computer science from the Technical University of Dresden, Germany.

Hugh González is General Counsel, overseeing the company’s legal and compliance departments.

Named to the position in 2021, he advises OFG’s and Oriental’s executive and senior leadership on strategic initiatives, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, securities, regulation, corporate governance and commercial matters.

Mr. González played an important role in completing the acquisitions of Scotiabank’s Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands operations in 2019 and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria’s Puerto Rico operations in 2012.

He also serves as Assistant Secretary of the Board of Directors of OFG Bancorp and Oriental Bank and as Secretary of the Boards of Directors of various subsidiaries, including Oriental Financial Services LLC, OFG Ventures, and OFG USA LLC.

From 2012-2020, he was the company’s Deputy General Counsel. Prior to this, he was an Associate at McConnell Valdés LLC, a major Puerto Rico law firm, where he was elected Member.

Mr. González earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Columbia College, Columbia University, and his J.D. from New York University School of Law.

Patrick J. Haggarty is Oriental’s Managing Director, Commercial Banking, responsible for implementing the commercial banking strategy for global and local corporate clients, as well as for institutional clients with a presence in Puerto Rico.

He also directs Oriental’s transactional, international, and trade finance services in support of all customers. In addition, he oversees Oriental’s trust operations, which manage more than $2.6 billion in assets in IRA, Keogh and other retirement plans.

Mr. Haggarty has been involved in banking in Puerto Rico for more than 30 years with a focus on commercial banking the last two decades. He has extensive experience in the structuring and execution of commercial loans, development and implementation of transactional service platforms and products, issuance of debt in capital markets, and the use of financial derivatives for clients in a wide range of industries and sectors.

He joined Oriental in 2012 after it acquired Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria’s Puerto Rico operations, where he led the wholesale banking business from 2003 to 2012. He started at BBVA Puerto Rico in 1989.

Throughout his career, he has managed operations responsible for real estate financing, business banking, retail banking, wealth management, strategic planning, marketing, corporate communications, and finance.

Mr. Haggarty has an MBA from the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de la Empresa (IESE) in Barcelona, Spain, and a BA from Tufts University in Massachusetts.

Ganesh Kumar is Chief Strategy Officer, U.S. Business, leading banking initiatives in the continental United States, which are considered to be critical for achieving the company’s geographic diversification and expansion. Dr. Kumar is also the second ranked executive at OFG.

Since joining the company in 2004, Dr. Kumar has been instrumental in transforming OFG, implementing its strategic vision, leading acquisition and integration efforts, and spearheading its emergence as a premier retail bank in Puerto Rico. He is considered an expert on where banking, marketing, operations and technology come together.

From 2017-2023, he served as Chief Operating Officer, where he led business development and expansion in Puerto Rico. His being named COO culminated efforts to consolidate OFG’s retail functions, including digital banking, end to end, as part of OFG’s emphasis on achieving a clear differentiation in how it delivers products and services. Dr. Kumar also developed OFG’s U.S. commercial loan participation business.

From 2012-2017, Dr. Kumar served as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Risk Officer, and Chief Operations Officer.

Before joining the company, he was a director of consulting at Gartner Inc. (NYSE: IT), an industry leading research and advisory firm, where he assisted a wide array of financial service companies develop technology-enabled strategies and operational plans to meet desired results. Prior to Gartner, he was a manager at McKesson Corporation (NYSE: MCK) from 1997 to 1999; a planning and technology architect at Intercontinental Hotels Group (NYSE: IHG) from 1995 to 1997; and a consultant to financial services clients worldwide from 1986 to 1995.

Dr. Kumar holds a doctorate in management from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, where he is a member of the Alumni Advisory Council.

César A. Ortiz-Marcano is Chief Risk Officer, leading OFG’s and Oriental’s enterprise risk management, including credit risk, as well as physical and information security.

As CRO, he is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive risk management strategy that aligns with business objectives and regulatory requirements. This includes, among other things, identifying, assessing, and monitoring various risks, including credit, market, operational and liquidity risks.

Previously, he was Managing Director of Retail Business Development, a position he was named to in early 2022, where he was in charge of leading efforts to grow Oriental’s small business, consumer, residential mortgage, and auto loan portfolios.

Prior, he served as Director of the Corporate Performance Office, responsible for formalizing medium- and long-term operating leverage targets and ensuring the organization achieves them.

Mr. Ortiz has also served as Vice President of Commercial Credit and Operations, Chief Risk Officer, Controller, and Chief Accounting Officer.

He started his career in financial services at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where he rose to become Senior Manager in the Audit Department.

Mr. Ortiz has an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, a J.D. from Inter American University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from University of Puerto Rico. Mr. Ortiz is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Mari Evelyn Rodríguez Mimoso is Oriental’s Chief Retail Banking Officer, leading business development efforts to grow the small business, residential mortgage, and auto loan portfolios. This is her second tenure at OFG.

Ms. Rodríguez has significant executive experience in managing and expanding financial service businesses and technology at all three publicly traded banks in Puerto Rico and at one of its largest commercial insurance brokers. She is recognized for her track record of turning strategy into execution.

Before re-joining Oriental in 2023, Ms. Rodríguez was CEO of Marsh McLennan’s Puerto Rico Office. During her six-year tenure, the business experienced significant revenue and margin growth; effectively managed its response to Hurricane Maria in 2017; and improved its Net Promoter Scores. Ms. Rodríguez managed relationships with Marsh McLennan’s largest Puerto Rico clients; served on Marsh McLennan’s worldwide leadership committee; and was a member of the Board of Directors of Lynch Insurance Brokers.

Prior to Marsh McLennan, Ms. Rodríguez was Senior Vice President of Platinum and Business Banking at FirstBank Puerto Rico from 2013-2016, where she managed the new, personalized wealth management and private banking solution during and after its launch.

From 2008-2013, Ms. Rodríguez served as Oriental’s Senior Vice President of Commercial Banking, turning the nascent business into a growing operation. From 2006-2008, she was Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning & Marketing. Earlier in her career, she held positions at Verizon Wireless, Banco Popular, and Advent-Morro Capital Partners, a leading private equity firm in Puerto Rico.

Ms. Rodríguez is Vice President of the Board of Directors of Coalición Legal para Puerto Rico, which helps non-profits obtain free legal counsel by connecting them with qualified attorneys. She also is on the Board of Colegio Puertorriqueño de Niñas, a not-for-profit all-girls school in Puerto Rico.

Ms. Rodríguez earned her B.A. in Government at Harvard University and her MBA in Finance from University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

Chairman of the Board of OFG Bancorp since 2012.

Mr. Inclán has been a member of the Company’s Board of Directors since 2008 (including terms as a director of the Bank). He previously served as a director of the Company and Oriental Bank from 1995 to 2006.

Julian S. Inclán has been the President of American Paper Corporation, San Juan, Puerto Rico, a distributor of fine papers, office supplies and graphic art supplies, since September 1994. Mr.Inclán has served as Managing General Partner of Calibre, S. E., a real estate investment company, since 1991, and as President of Inclán Realty, San Juan, Puerto Rico, a real estate development company, since 1995. He is also the Managing Partner of Hamlet Associates, San Juan, Puerto Rico, a real estate development company since 1999.

Prior to American Paper, Mr. Inclán held executive management or sales positions at Puerto Rican Cement Co., Inc., Container Corporation of America, and The Economic Development Administration.

Mr. Inclán also has participated as an officer in a number of business and social organizations, such as Colegio San Ignacio Scholarship Fund, Association of Independent Printing Paper Merchants, and Caparra Country Club.

He graduated in 1969 from Fordham University with a bachelor's of science with a major in economics. In 1972, he earned a masters of business administration with a concentration in business economics and finance from Columbia University Graduate School of Business.

José R. Fernández is Chief Executive Officer, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of OFG Bancorp and its primary subsidiary, Oriental Bank. He also is Chairman of the Board of Directors of OFG’s other major subsidiaries – Oriental Financial Services and Oriental Insurance. From 1991, when he joined Oriental, until 2004, when he was named CEO, Mr. Fernández managed all of the company’s core businesses.

Since heading up OFG, Mr. Fernández has significantly expanded Oriental’s stature and capabilities through organic growth and three major acquisitions: Puerto Rico’s Eurobank in 2010, BBVA’s Puerto Rico operations in 2013, and Scotiabank’s Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands operations in 2019. Starting as the 9th largest bank in 2004, Oriental has become the challenger institution, rising with No. 2 and 3 market shares in retail and commercial banking, and wealth management. In so doing, Oriental has led the local banking and financial services industry with the introduction of innovative customer-facing digital technology, providing unparalleled levels of convenience and value-added service.

Mr. Fernández also devotes considerable time and effort to organizations focused on the economic and educational development of Puerto Rico. From 2015-2018, he was Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, one of the oldest Catholic educational institutions in Puerto Rico. From 2011-2016, Mr. Fernández served as a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council. From 2013-2015, he was President of the Puerto Rico Bankers Association. Since 2008, Mr. Fernández has been a member of the Business Advisory Board of the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza School of Business, and a Member of the Advisory Board of Puerto Rico Conservation Trust. In October, 2020, Mr. Fernández was named a NACD Board Leadership Fellow.

Mr. Fernández holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Director of OFG Bancorp since 2014.

Jorge Colón Gerena is the principal shareholder, president and CEO of restaurant operating companies that have the exclusive rights to the Wendy’s, Applebee’s and Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-BBQ and Red Lobster franchises in Puerto Rico.

Since 1995, he has been the principal shareholder, president and CEO of Wendco of Puerto Rico, Inc., which owns 77 Wendy’s restaurants, generates more than $130 million in annual sales, and employs more than 3,000 people.

He also is the founder and CEO of companies that operate Applebee’s and Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-BBQ restaurants in Puerto Rico, and the chairman of holding companies for the Sizzler, Longhorn and Olive Garden restaurant chains on the Island.

Mr. Colón Gerena serves on the Boards of Directors of Center for a New Economy, an economic policy think-tank; Centro para Puerto Rico & Sila M. Calderón Foundation, a non-profit that works to eradicate poverty and empower low-income residents; Puerto Rico Tourism Company; and Central Caribbean University, the Island’s premier private medical university.

In the past, he was in charge of capital programs for the Puerto Rico Museum of Art, a Director of the Puerto Rico Restaurant Association (ASORE, its Spanish acronym), on the Advisory Council on Small Business and Agriculture to the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and Chapter Chairman of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).

Mr. Colón Gerena earned a Bachelor’s in Arts & Sciences with a concentration in Business Management from Interamerican University in San Juan, and completed Executive Management courses at Northwestern University and Harvard Business School.

Director of OFG Bancorp since 2016.

Néstor de Jesus has more than 30 years of experience as an investment banker serving Puerto Rico private and public sector clients.

From 1984-2014, Mr. de Jesus was an investment banker in Puerto Rico with Lehman Brothers and Barclays Capital. Since 1996, he was Director of the Puerto Rico Office, Municipal Bond Division. His clients included higher education institutions, hospitals, real estate developers, manufacturing companies, hotels and tourism-related projects, and public sector issuers of revenue and general obligation bonds. He currently serves on the boards of directors of Rovira Biscuit Corporation, Rovira Foods and Academia Maria Reima Inc.

From 1979-1984, Mr. de Jesus served as Senior Consultant and Supervisor for the Management Consulting Group in the San Juan office of Ernst & Whinney (now Ernst & Young). His work focused on financial operations and management controls in the manufacturing, commercial, healthcare and government sectors.

Mr. de Jesus has a 1975 BS in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a 1979 MBA from the Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Michigan. He has been a board member of a number of Puerto Rico organizations, including the Government Development Bank for Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Housing Finance Authority, Ana G. Mendez University System, Puerto Rico Convention Bureau, Wharton Club of Puerto Rico, and the Puerto Rico Financial Analysts Association.

Director of OFG Bancorp since 2022.

Annette Franqui is a Founding Partner, President and Chief Investment Officer of Forrestal Capital, a business and investment advisory firm formed in 2003 to service the original Latin American founding families of Panamerican Beverages (Panamco). Forrestal Capital invests primarily in direct private equity and venture capital transactions in diverse industries.

Ms. Franqui is also a member of the Board of Directors of Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. (NYSE:ARCO) and a member of its Compensation and Nomination Committee. Previously, she served as the Chief Financial Officer for Panamco and as a Managing Director at J.P. Morgan.

Ms. Franqui is currently serving a term as Chairperson of the Board of Directors of AARP and had previously served as a Director and member of its Audit and Finance Committee since 2014.

Director of OFG Bancorp since 2019.

Sue Harnett has significant experience leading domestic and international financial service organizations through periods of major transformation often involving the reengineering of operations, technology, data, products, services, and marketing, as well as M&A and integration.

Since 2015, she has been a senior advisor to digital startups and mentor at the FinTech Innovation Lab, sponsored by Partnership Fund for New York City and Accenture. From 2012-2015, she was COO of North America for QBE Insurance Group Limited, one of the top insurers and reinsurers worldwide, based in Sydney, Australia. From 2001-2012, she held four key positions at Citigroup: President of Local Consumer Lending (2011-2012), Head of Global Business Performance (2008-2011), CEO of Citibank Germany (2004-2007), and Head of Retail Banking/Deputy CEO of Citibank EMEA (2001-2004).

Ms. Harnett served on the Board of Directors of First Niagara Financial Group, a $40 billion in assets publicly traded bank, from 2015 until its acquisition by KeyCorp in 2016. She has also served on the Board of QBE Insurance, CitiFinancial, and Visa Canada. She was Chair of Citi’s Management Board in Germany and of the Global Perspectives Advisory Group of Marquette University College of Business. Ms. Harnett currently serves on the board of Life Storage, Inc.

She holds a Bachelor's degree from Marquette University, an Executive Master of Business Administration degree from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management, and a Board Leadership Fellow from the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Director of OFG Bancorp since 2021.

Rafael Vélez is the Founder and President of Atabey Capital (2016), a private equity advisement firm, and Campo Alegre (2016), a 500-acre pineapple farm in Puerto Rico. From 2007 until 2019, he was the Founder and President of Putney Capital Management with offices in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, a non-discretionary advisor to an investment fund with investments in the energy, agroindustry and construction material sectors in the Caribbean and North of Latin American region.

From 2004 to 2012, he was the founding partner of Barreto & Vélez, a CPA firm specialized in advising clients manage inherent risks through sound corporate governance practices. Mr. Vélez also serves as Board member of the Boys & Girls Club of Puerto Rico as well as YPO Puerto Rico and is a member of the Georgetown Latin American Policy Association.

Director of OFG Bancorp since 2023.

Angel Vázquez is the President of Pan Pepin, Inc., a bread manufacturing and distribution company, since January 2021.

Previously, he served as the President of B. Fernández & Hnos. Inc., a Puerto Rico distribution company since 2007.

Mr. Vázquez serves on the Boards of Directors of two Puerto Rico non-profit organizations, the Fundación Biblioteca Rafael Hernández Colón and SER de Puerto Rico. He also served on the Board of Trustees of the DGI Investment Trust, a registered investment company sponsored by Oriental Bank, from 2021-2023, and on Oriental Bank’s Trust Committee from 2011-2021.

Mr. Vázquez received a BBA in Finance from the University of Texas, Arlington.

Carlos O. Souffront, Esq. is Secretary of the Board of Directors, a position he has held since 1996.

From 1988 to 1996, he served on the Board of the Company’s predecessor, Oriental Federal Savings Bank. From January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2020, he served as the Company’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel.

Prior to joining the Company in 2008, Mr. Souffront was a Partner at McConnell Valdes (“MacVal”), San Juan, Puerto Rico, from 1979 to December 2007. At MacVal he practiced corporate law with a concentration in Banking Law and Merger & Acquisitions, and served in numerous administrative functions such as Chair of the Policy Committee, member Executive Committee, Chair of the Corporate Department, Chair of the Administrative Committee, Chair of the Mergers and Acquisition Practice Group, among others. Prior to joining MacVal as a Partner in 1979, Mr. Souffront served from 1976 to 1979 as Vice President and General Counsel of Rexco Industries, Inc. and from 1972 to 1976 as an associate at MacVal.

Mr. Souffront was admitted to the Bar of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in 1972. He is a member of the Puerto Rico Bar Association and of the American Bar Association. Mr. Souffront holds a B.A. from Harvard University (1968) and a Juris Doctor from the New York University School of Law (1972).