José Rafael Fernández

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. American Banker named Mr. Fernández “Community Banker of the Year” in 2023 for his leadership in growing the company.

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.