About StratInfo
StratInfo is a team of professionals located in Miami, Florida. The firm was founded in 1993 by Manuel Lasaga and Alicia Diaz, two business economists with extensive experience in the financial services industry. StratInfo's principals and associates have ample experience working with businesses and with government agencies. They are also sought after by national media for expert commentary. Our principals and associates share a background in the corporate sector, an in-depth understanding of the market, and experience in framing decisions for executives. Our advice is rooted in a pragmatic approach to decision-making and a broad perspective of market fundamentals.StratInfo's
well developed methodology underlies all our products and services. We are continuously engaged in research of the latest techniques in economic, market and financial analysis, to assure the highest standards for our services. StratInfo has been engaged by clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to small professional firms and we are proud of booking about half of our business through referrals and repeats. StratInfo is certified by the State of Florida as a Minority Business Enterprise and by Miami - Dade County as a Micro/Small Business Enterprise.StratInfo Principals
Manuel Lasaga, Ph.D.
mlasaga@stratinfo.com
Manuel Lasaga is President and co-founder of StratInfo. He has more than 22 years experience as a business and financial economist advising entrepreneurs, multinational corporations, financial institutions, government agencies and professional services firms and as a senior executive.
Lasaga has long experience in the development of business strategies, the evaluation of loan performance and in the analysis of financial and industrial markets. He has nationally-recognized capability for independent analysis of the Florida, U.S., and Latin American economies in order to propose strategies to decision makers in international banks and multinational corporations. He is also called upon as an expert witness in litigation matters involving economic losses.
Lasaga is an advisor to banks in the area of Asset / Liability management and in assisting banks with the development of investment strategies to optimize their risk-adjusted returns. He has assisted De-Novo banks through the organizational and approval process for their banking license in the State of Florida.
As a registered Investment Adviser in the State of Florida, Lasaga uses an in-depth knowledge of economic cycles and trends to anticipate the impact on industries and sectors in order to frame optimal investment strategies.
Lasaga relies on his extensive knowledge of industries and financial markets to develop business plans and valuations.
His professional career includes Citicorp in New York, where he worked extensively in the restructuring of the external debt of Latin American countries; Wharton Econometric Forecasting Associates in Philadelphia; and Southeast Bank in Miami. He has consulted for 15 years with the World Bank in Washington D.C., specializing in the evaluation of banking structures and development projects throughout Latin America.
Lasaga was a member of Florida Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors. An active community leader, he has served for fourteen years on the Board of Directors of Baptist Hospital of Miami and is a member of the Hospital’s Executive Committee and the Baptist Health System’s Investment Committee. He is also Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Miami Dade College’s School of Business.
He is regularly consulted by local as well as international media for expert commentary on the global economy and its impact on business activity. His frequent speaking engagements include briefings for corporate directors, foreign commercial attaches, industry executives, chambers of commerce, and legal/accounting/financial organizations.
Lasaga holds a Master’s Degree and a Ph.D. degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. For fourteen years, he has taught International Finance and Managerial Economics and Microeconomics at the University of Miami, and is also a lecturer for the MBA program at Florida International University.
Robert Ortega
rortega@stratinfo.com
Robert Ortega is Managing Director of StratInfo. He has over 20 years experience in defining and implementing new business plans; focusing on the marketing program and sales efforts designed to maximize earnings from providing products and services to target markets. His experience ranges from developing marketing plans for specific business products to managing the operations of a business.
After training as a credit analyst, Ortega began his career at Citibank New York in 1983 as part of the international loan syndication team, managing the restructuring of Argentina’s Foreign Debt. His negotiating skills well-positioned him to trade Latin American debt before the standardized documentation was introduced with the innovative Brady bonds.
Ortega held various leadership positions in structured-product sales at major international banks in London. As Head of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Sales and Marketing at Rabobank International, he built a sales team across five regional country offices. While a Director of Emerging Markets Derivative and Structured-Products at Dresdner Bank, he trained former lending officers to design innovative products for their clients. He was also in charge of new investment products development for Citigroup Global Markets as Director of CEE Sales
As a real estate and mortgage broker he established solid client bases in Florida and Colorado through effective marketing strategies. A versatile entrepreneur, Ortega founded the Preshana Farms School of Classical Horsemanship in Aspen Colorado. He managed the school and its program.
Ortega has an MBA from Harvard and a BA degree in Consumer Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a BS degree in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Alicia L. Díaz, Economist
adiaz@stratinfo.com
Alicia Diaz is Vice-President and co-founder of StratInfo. She is an economics and finance consultant with more than 10 years experience.
Ms. Diaz has broad experience in international business research, in assessing international risks and identifying business opportunities in global markets. She has also done extensive research on the Florida economy. Her professional career includes founder and President of AD/vantage Point Inc., a business consulting firm, and Southeast Bank in Miami, as an officer and international economist, with responsibility for preparation of country risk assessments and loan exposure recommendations for more than 50 countries worldwide. Ms. Diaz has also collaborated with the North-South Center of the University of Miami on several research projects; and is a co-author of The Enterprise for the Americas Initiative: Its Impact on South Florida. She has also made numerous presentations at business seminars.
Ms. Diaz holds a Bachelor's Degree in Finance from Florida International University, where she has completed courses in the Graduate School Program for economics.