About

As vice president of the legal department and corporate secretary of Banistmo, the largest bank in Panama and Central America, Maria Christina Vila de Van Hoorde oversees a highly-rated team of lawyers that provides full legal support to the bank’s operation in Panama, reviewing and negotiating all contracts of suppliers within the bank. Over the past three years in the role, Vila has impressed with her leadership skills and her ability to drive business strategy for her employer, bridging the gap between the legal department and commercial functions. Before joining Banistmo in 2013, Villa spent nearly 10 years working at Citibank Panama, where she most recently served as a legal head of all Citi operations in the country. During this period, Vila gained recognition for overseeing legal aspects of key transactions, as well as providing legal and compliance support to the integration process of two banking entities in Panama, namely Citibank N.A. Panama branch and Banco Citibank (Panama). This included the mergers of two banking entities, of two brokerage houses and of four banking subsidiaries, as well as the dissolution of over 54 special purpose vehicles. Previous roles in Vila’s career include a managerial position within the trust department of Banco General (then known as Banco Continental de Panama), a legal role with the Superintendence of Banks of Panama and a private practice role at law firm Sucre, Arias & Reyes in Panama.