Mónica Aparicio Smith is an Economist from the Universidad de los Andes and a Fellow of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University. She has extensive experience in the financial sector from both the public and private sectors, and from multilateral banking.
Currently a member of the following boards of directors:
- Banco GYT Continental in Guatemala 2018 – Present
- Cemex Latam Holdings 2018 – Present
- ITAU Colombia Bank 2015 – Present
- Banco BHDLeon in Dominican Republic August 2020 – Present
Monica has sat on the following boards of directors: Banco Santander and its affiliates, Avianca Holdings, Banco Interamericano de Finanzas Banbif, Transparency International colombian chapter, Casa Editorial El Tiempo.
She was the Executive Director of the Guarantee Fund for Financial Institutions (Fogafín), between 2008 and April 2012.
She was President of Banco Santander in Colombia from 1999 to 2002, and despite being in the midst of the financial crisis, she managed to reduce the loss levels that the bank had been presenting. That year she left the country to accept the same position at Banco Santander in Puerto Rico.
She has also served as International and Monetary Executive Vice-President of the Banco de la República de Colombia, Representative of Colombia at the World Bank reporting to the Executive Director for Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, the Philippines and others, Head of the Public Investment Unit of the National Planning Department, Assistant Economist of the Office of Advisors for Coffee Affairs of the National Government in the National Federation of Coffee Growers, and Assistant to the Deputy Technical Manager of the Banco de la República. Aparicio was the first woman to reach several of these positions.
She has also been a strong advocate for financial education, seeking to reverse the «financial illiteracy» seen in the country. To this end, she has promoted laws that oblige private entities that offer financial products to promote the financial education of citizens.