GlobalSource Partners Argentina Analyst Dr. Joaquín Cottani is one of Argentina’s best known and highly respected economists. In a career spanning both the public and private sector, he been a leading figure in government administration, multilateral organizations and the US financial services industry. He is a worldwide authority on Argentina’s transition to an open economy and is also renowned for his studies on inflation targeting, tax systems and trade issues across Latin America.
Most recently Dr. Cottani served as Secretary of the Economy in Argentina’s Ministry of Economy as part of the transition team of President Javier Milei. In that capacity, he advised the administration on the outline of its economic plan and on its dialogue with the IMF.
His previous work in Argentina’s Ministry of Economy includes as Undersecretary of Finance and Undersecretary of Macroeconomic Planning during the years of Argentina’s re-entry into the capital markets in the 1990s. As Undersecretary of Finance, Dr. Cottani managed Argentina's domestic and external debt and negotiated the terms at which the country obtained its financing, as well as advising the finance minister on every aspect of the economic program that involved budgetary financing. As Undersecretary of the Economy, he negotiated the terms of the Extended Fund Facility with the IMF that formed the basis for the subsequent re-negotiation of Argentina's external debt under the Brady Plan. In that role, he also led a team of experts that provided the monitoring of macroeconomic targets, negotiations with multilateral organizations, and the supervision of official economic indicators and the national accounts.
Dr. Cottani was also a lead economist at the World Bank, identifying lending opportunities, developing lending and research strategies, and implementing projects in countries in Latin America. In the private sector, he was Chief Latin American Economist of S&P Global, Citigroup and Lehman Brothers, developing the strategy and outlook for Argentina, as well as the region.
In addition to his vast experience in the public and private sectors, Dr. Cottani has taught at NYU, Boston University and Rutgers, as well as at the National University of Córdoba in Argentina. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Yale University and and an undergraduate degree in economics from the National University of Córdoba, Argentina.