Raul A. Zubillaga

Areas of study: Finance and investment banking

Additional education: In 1993, he earned the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst

Current employer: CitiTrust

Title: Managing Director and Chief Trust Investment Officer for Global Wealth Structuring

Here to there: Zubillaga has more than 25 years of experience in the financial industry. Before joining Citi in 2001, he was with Banco Santander Central Hispano International. He held various positions of increasing responsibility; most recently, he was director of asset allocation and advisory services. In this role, he was responsible for creating and implementing a new business model and product, Asset Allocation and Advisory.  The business model focused on client services and not on the investment product.

Current job responsibilities: Responsible for investment oversight in discretionary trusts and for overseeing the trust accounting department, which manages more than 300 accounts and billions of dollars in investments world-wide.

The college’s influence: “It provided a very strong technical education and, back in 1982, there were very few jobs in the Miami area in corporate finance.  My technical knowledge was specifically tied to my education and was a key factor in my getting an internal auditing position.”

Favorite aspect of job: “Taking over the large responsibility, from A-Z, in controlling the investment process.”

Affiliations: President (1999/00) of the Miami Society of Financial Analysts; member of the local chapter of the Association of Investment Management and Research.

Advice given to those wanting to enter the wealth structuring sector: “Persistence and focus are critical because there are a limited number of jobs in the industry.”