Fernando Bonardi is currently working as a family office advisor from his base in Buenos Aires. He formerly was head of BNY Mellon Investment Management in Santiago, Chile for 17 years, and prior to that held a series of financial roles. With a career that has spanned decades, Fernando has worked through many different cycles in Argentinian market history, and we discuss the evolution of his career adaptations he had to make – such as relocating to work from Chile for a number of years, when the bank he was working with pulled out of Argentina.

We then explore the current climate in Argentina, and reflect on the adjustments that the population has had to make. We discuss persistent inflation and other economic crises, and how this led to a breach of trust and drove savings overseas. We examine the psychological impact of a lack of trust and ongoing uncertainty, and ask whether it instills a resilience, agility and an ability to move quickly in a population.

Turning then to the current election cycle, Fernando lays the groundwork for some cautious optimism, but recognizes that the situation is and continues to be fluid.

We recorded this podcast prior to the September 8 elections in Buenos Aires which delivered a blow to President Milei’s party.