Luis G. Degwitz has over 15 years of experience in banking and with financial institutions. He started his career in investment banking in 2005, successfully structuring and selling products of top tier companies in Latin America. Luis holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Universidad Metropolitana and a MSc. in Finance from IESA in Caracas, Venezuela. He joined Wellmeaning Properties in 2013 to set up private equity and real estate backed funds and investment products based in Miami, Florida. Luis was also active in project finance and debt re-structuring when he co-founded a Panamanian financial boutique firm, SSU Consultores S.A. He successfully completed deals in Latin America, particularly in energy infrastructure. In 2013, he joined International Union Bank (IUBank) as a Director, an international bank established in 1981 out of Panama City, Panama. At IUBank, he has been serving on various committees, including the company’s Investment-, Compliance- and Strategy Committee. During his tenure as a Director, he also oversaw the management of the bank’s proprietary investments. In 2017, he co-led and completed a full migration of IUBank’s operations, licensing, and incorporation from Panama to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory. Furthermore, he was in charge of establishing the bank’s trust license to engage in wealth management and investment services for its clients. Luis was a guest speaker at the 2013 Bloomberg ZSEM Annual Financial Conference in Zagreb, Croatia, on the topic of “Private Equity Markets in Latin America”. On behalf of Rising Star Financial, Luis is heading-up the firm’s business development division for Latin America and the Caribbean. His international background makes him a cosmopolitan ambassador of our investment philosophy.