Management Committee

Jorge Carstensen is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Sophós Advisors, a Miami- based Risk Management Consultancy. Sophós Advisors is an independent platform that brings together diverse insurance and risk management providers, such as life insurance, property & casualty and captives to deliver tailored and comprehensive solutions.

In nearly twenty years advising global private clients, Jorge has developed an extensive experience identifying risks within the family wealth context. His particular expertise is in designing bespoke solutions that work towards the clients’ long-term strategy of protecting, growing and transferring wealth. These solutions encompass insurance, trust and estate planning, portfolio management, asset allocation, family governance and succession strategies, as well as captives for the family enterprise.

Jorge has worked as Private Banker at Scotia Wealth Management, Itaú Private Bank, and the Royal Bank of Canada, being responsible for growing and managing relationships for High and Ultra High-Net-Worth individuals and businesses. During this time Jorge developed an expertise in Captives, helping Latin-American family businesses implement innovative alternative risk transfer solutions and self-insurance mechanisms. He also worked as Head of Wealth Management at Helvetica 1890, a Miami and Geneva-based Multi-Family Office.

Early in his career, Jorge was a senior advisor at a single-family office, managing a portfolio of commercial real estate properties. He has lived and worked in several countries, including Mexico, Canada, the US, France, and the Bahamas.

Jorge holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University-Kingsville, as well as diplomas from post-graduate programs in Advanced Management and Executive Development from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Jorge also completed the course in Financial Planning at the University of South Florida and the Certificate in Private Wealth Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is fluent in English, Spanish and French.

Mr. Jorge Hoyos started his career in 1990 in New York City as a fixed income trader at the New York Branch of Banco Mexicano Somex.  After that, he was a Senior Portfolio Manager at Prudential Securities Incorporated.  Since 1999 he was qualified  as an Investment Professional by the New York Society of Security Analysts.  In 2001 he joined UBS International where he was a Managed Assets Consulting Associate.  Since 2008, also at UBS, he has been focused on advising families in both Mexico and the US on financial matters related to wealth management and family-owned businesses. 

EXPERIENCE

André is a Managing Director in BDO’s Transaction Advisory Services responsible for leading due diligence engagements for both strategic and financial buyers, corporate clients, and public entities. He oversees buy-side and sell-side transactions and guides clients through deal-related issues. André also leads the LATAM Transaction Advisory Services practice for the firm.

André has more than 14 years of professional services experience. He has worked on more than 100 transactions across a variety of industries in the middle market, including industrial products, manufacturing and distribution, food and beverage, healthcare, consumer products and retail. In addition to buy-and sell-side services, André also performs working capital calculations and other agreed upon procedures projects.

Prior to joining BDO, André managed multiple debt facilities, treasury, and FP&A for a multinational private company, and directed the integration of large asset portfolio acquisitions that doubled the company’s size.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

EDUCATION

M.B.A., University of Miami, School of Business
B.S., Financial Economics and Accounting, University of Redlands, California

Alejandro Romero began his professional career at LLORENTE & CUENCA in 1996 as an intern at our Madrid office. He has been leading the firm’s expansion in Latin America since 1997 and has launched operations in Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Panama and Ecuador.

An expert in Financial Communication, Crisis Communication, Marketing and Corporate Communication, Mr. Romero has worked on the most representative crisis communication projects in the region, such as those of Pacific Industrial Bank, Bavaria, and the share dispute over the brewery Backus & Johnston. He has also provided consultancy services to economic groups such as the Santo Domingo Group in Colombia, the Romero Group in Peru, the Luksic Group in Chile, Empresas Polar in Venezuela and the Grupo Financiero Uno in Central America.

Mr. Romero led three of the ten most significant corporate deals in the region, being involved in the communication strategy of the sale of operations by Bellsouth to the Telefónica Group, the acquisition of the Bavaria business group by SABMiller in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Panama, and the sale of the Financiero Uno Group to Citibank deals worth in excess of 14.9 billion dollars. He has thus become one of the most significant M&A specialists in the region. Prior to joining the company, he was part of one of the Communication Departments of the Prisa Group.

Espy is Actuarial Factor’s Principal and has over 23 years of actuarial experience.  She is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society, a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries, and a Distinguished Toastmaster.  She has extensive experience in property and casualty, personal and business, accident and health, and life in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean.  

Just prior to founding Actuarial Factor located in Miami, Florida, Espy worked as Vice President, Chief Actuary of Latin America in Chubb.

Her actuarial work includes pricing, reserving, feasibility studies, peer reviews, expert testimony, and mergers & acquisitions.

Carmen Richards is Senior Vice President International Wealth Management Advisor for Merrill a Bank of America Company. One of most important financial institutions in US. She is an accomplished professional and dedicated philanthropist, Carmen began her financial career in 1994. As Managing Director for Citibank Mexico, Carmen was part of the Due Diligence team for the Casa de Abaco acquisition. She also was responsible for that firm’s “affluent and ultra-high-net-worth segments” of local and international clients – supervising more than 120 points of contact and 795 financial advisors. During that time, Carmen became very active in Mexico‘s cultural activities and was part of the “Circle of Friends of Museo Tamayo” among others cultural organizations.

Carmen joined Merrill Lynch in December 1999. She was a member for six years of the national board for the Merrill Lynch Women’s Exchange, which supports and encourages women financial advisors nationwide. Carmen advocacy to women development and philanthropy makes her a relevant reference in Miami her hometown. She has built a wealth management practice around high profile women clients and Global families in the international and domestic market. Carmen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Robotics and Computer Science from Universidad La Salle in Mexico City and an MBA (Masters of Business Administration) from IPADE (Instituto Panamericando de Alta Direccion de Empresas) her MBA has been certified by Harvard Business School. Carmen holds Series 7, Series 66 and insurance licenses and is candidate for CPWA designation.

Antonio Peña is a Shareholder of Greenberg Traurig, the law firm with most attorneys listed in “Best Lawyers in America,” and the President of the Inter-American Chapter of the United States–Mexico Chamber of Commerce, a leading binational business organization focused on trade and investment in the Americas. Antonio advises clients in connection with mergers and acquisitions, offering structures, joint ventures, private equity investments and other corporate matters in the U.S., Latin America and Spain, and has been the recipient of multiple awards, including The Legal 500’s 2018 “Private Practice Powerlist” Award, which recognized him as one of the best lawyers in the U.S. with a focus on Mexico, and the M&A Deal of the Year Award from Latin Lawyer magazine. Antonio served as lead counsel to a Middle Eastern company in its $2 billion acquisition of a Latin American manufacturer and guided Equity International, a leading private-equity firm founded by Sam Zell, in investments that generated the largest hotel platform in Latin America. He also continuously represents Arcos Dorados Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ARCO) and MasterCard, Inc. (NYSE: MA) in multiple ventures and investments in Latin America, which include MasterCard’s 50/50 joint venture with Telefonica S.A. for the provision of mobile financial solutions to millions of customers. Antonio, who speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese, has four law degrees from the United States, Mexico and Spain and is admitted to practice in Florida and Mexico.

International business executive with extensive experience on strategic business and financial advisory and solid academic formation in finance, banking, management, economics and public relations. Currently based in New York City as Regional Vice President of the East Region and Executive Director of the Northeast Chapter of the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, a premiere non-profit business association of multinational companies, financial institutions and international firms. 15 years of experience producing conferences, events and seminars on capital markets, infrastructure and project finance, energy, private equity, real estate and international trade, among others.

Prior to the United States – Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Alejandro practiced management and financial consulting focused on loan secondary markets, valuation, restructuring and banking. He was also Director of International Affairs at Mexico’s National Banking and Securities Commission.

Alejandro is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and has a BA Degree in Economics and concluded his MBA studies at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de Mexico (ITAM)