Mauricio CARDENAS

Biographie

Mauricio Cárdenas, an economist who served as Colombia’s minister of finance and public credit from 2012 to 2018, and is now Visiting Professor and Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).

 As finance minister, Cárdenas oversaw a successful adjustment program during the oil shock of 2015-2016. Despite a significant reduction in exports and government revenues, Colombia preserved its investment grade status and was able to achieve remarkable social and economic progress. Prior to the shock, Cardenas led a 2012 reform that cut payroll taxation which led to a significant expansion in formal employment. The same reform also reduced taxes on portfolio foreign investment, which led to significant increase in capital inflows.

 As finance minister, Cárdenas was Chairman of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and of the Intergovernmental Group of Twenty-Four (G-24). He was chosen by Euromoney, as finance minister of the year in 2015.

Cárdenas became finance minister immediately after serving for about one year as minister of mines and energy. Earlier in his career he was Director of National Planning, Minister of Economic Development, and Minister of Transport.

 Cárdenas has twice been the executive director of Fedesarrollo, a think tank in Colombia that conducts research on economic and social policy. He has also been a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, where he led the Latin American Initiative.

 Cárdenas holds a PhD in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree from the University of the Andes. He is married and has three daughters.