Jessica López Saffie
Jessica López | |
|---|---|
Jessica López in 2023 | |
| Minister of Public Works | |
| In office 11 March 2022 – 11 March 2026 | |
| President | Gabriel Boric |
| Preceded by | Juan Carlos García |
| Succeeded by | Martín Arrau |
| Head of Banco del Estado de Chile | |
| In office 27 April 2022 – 10 March 2023 | |
| President | Gabriel Boric |
| Preceded by | Ricardo de Tezanos |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Hojman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 December 1956 |
| Party | |
| Parent(s) | Armando López Margarita Saffie |
| Alma mater | University of Chile |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Economist |
Jessica Teresa López Saffie (born 18 December 1956) is a Chilean economist and politician who serves as Chile's Minister of Public Works.[1][2][3]
Between April 2022 and March 2023, she served as chair of the BancoEstado, becoming the first woman to hold that position.[4]
Since 10 March 2023, she has served as Minister of Public Works of Chile—becoming the second woman to lead that ministry—under the administration of President Gabriel Boric.[5]
Family and education
She was born in Santiago on 16 December 1956, the daughter of Armando René López Flandes and Margarita Saffie Cauas, of Palestinian descent. She completed her primary education at Saint Gabriel’s School and her secondary education at the Liceo N.º 1 Javiera Carrera. She later pursued higher education in business administration with a specialization in economics at the University of Chile between 1974 and 1978.[6][7]
During that period, she was a member of the Communist Youth of Chile (JJ.CC), and later affiliated with the Socialist Party of Chile.[7]
Professional career
From 1981 to 1990, she worked at the Banco del Desarrollo —now Scotiabank Chile—, where she held various positions. She later joined the BancoEstado during the presidency of Andrés Sanfuentes.[8] Over a period of 24 years, she served as risk manager, comptroller, and vice-chair of the board of directors.[9]
After a period devoted to corporate advisory work and serving as a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), she returned to BancoEstado in 2014, when President Michelle Bachelet appointed her general manager. She became the first woman to hold that position within a Chilean bank.[8]
She is also a partner and director of the Centro de Integración Cognitivo Corporal (CICC).[10] In December 2018, she assumed the position of executive president of the National Association of Sanitary Services Companies (Andess), succeeding Víctor Galilea Page.[11]
She has also served as a corporate director at Itaú Bank,[10] as an advisor to Comunidad Mujer, and as a board member of the Foro Educativo and TIGRA foundations.[12]
On 26 April 2022, she was appointed chair of BancoEstado by President Gabriel Boric, becoming the first woman to hold that position. She served in that role until 10 March 2023, when, during the second cabinet reshuffle of the Boric administration, she was appointed Minister of Public Works, replacing architect Juan Carlos García Pérez de Arce.[13]
References
- ^ "La ingeniera comercial Jessica López asume el cargo de Ministra de Obras Públicas". Ministry of Public Works of Chile. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
- ^ "Perfil: Economista cercana al PS con experiencia en el sector público y privado: Jessica López, la nueva ministra del MOP". Ex-Ante. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
- ^ "Jessica López, ministra de Obras Públicas: En Chile estamos con dificultades para encontrarnos y dialogar". El País. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
- ^ "President Gabriel Boric appoints Jessica López as chair of BancoEstado". El Mostrador (in Spanish). 26 April 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ "Cabinet reshuffle: Van Klaveren replaces Urrejola at Foreign Affairs and Pizarro replaces Benado at Sports". Emol (in Spanish). 10 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ^ "La primera gerenta general de un banco Jessica López". Economía y Negocios (in Spanish). 29 January 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ a b Novoa, Sandra (2 May 2022). "El trayecto de Jessica López desde las JJCC a la presidencia de BancoEstado". La Tercera (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ a b Various authors (2019). Las primeras: Mujeres que abrieron camino en Chile. Ediciones El Mercurio. p. 133. ISBN 978-956-9986-43-7.
- ^ "Jessica López Saffie". Comunidad Mujer (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ a b "Quién es y qué piensa Jessica López, el nombre que baraja Mario Marcel para presidir el BancoEstado". Ex-Ante (in Spanish). 21 February 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ "Jessica López Saffie, ex gerenta general de BancoEstado, inicia sus funciones al frente de Andess". Economía y Negocios (in Spanish). 14 December 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ "La ingeniera comercial Jessica López asume el cargo de Ministra de Obras Públicas". www.mop.gob.cl (in Spanish). 10 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ^ "Cabinet reshuffle: Who is Jessica López, the new Minister of Public Works". CNN Chile (in Spanish). 10 March 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.