Jaime Gilinski-Bacal, a Colombian banker, investor and philanthropist, is a benefactor to many causes supporting individuals of Jewish faith and heritage. Recently, Harvard University’s Chabad House was the recent recipient of a generous gift by Jaime Gilinski and his wife Raquel. Chabad House seeks to engage fellow Jews through educational programs in all areas of Jewish life. Chabad also reaches out to the greater Harvard University community to bring together undergraduates, graduates, faculty, and Jews of all backgrounds on an ongoing basis. All programs and services are provided free of charge. Jaime Gilinski also serves as the chairman of Chabad House’s Capital Projects. He graduated from Harvard Business School in 1980.

The Gilinskis have also developed Jaime and Raquel Gilinski Hillel Ambassador Program, which will award up to 15 merit-based scholarships per year at the Hillel Community Day School in North Miami Beach, Florida. This first-of-its-kind program was developed to recognize students in grades 6 through 12 who show a commitment to excellence. Gilinski “ambassadors” distinguish themselves in leadership and academic achievement, community service, or extracurricular activities. They represent the school’s mission to create lifelong learners and the next generation of leaders in their community.

Jaime Gilinski is a prominent Colombian entrepreneur. In the United States, he is the owner of South Florida-based JGB Bank. Jaime Gilinski also owns banks in Latin America, and is spearheading the massive Panama Pacifico real estate development near the Panama Canal.

The Gilinski Group, headed by Colombians Isaac and Jaime Gilinski, has a track record of winning investments in the financial sector, beginning with its acquisition of Compañía Financiera Internacional in the 1970s. But it was its 1991 acquisition of Banco Andino that helped solidify the Group’s lead.

At the time of the purchase, Banco Andino was hemorrhaging $8 million a month. It took several years to get the bank back on its feet, but within four years it became one of the most efficient banks in the Colombian banking system. The Gilinski Group sold the reconstituted bank for a reported $70 million.

The family then moved to purchase Banco de Colombia, partly with a $50 million investment for privatization from international financier George Soros. They later sold the control of the bank to Banco Industrial Colombiano, and its controlling stakeholder Sindicato Antioqueño, for $418 million — a transaction that ranks among Colombia’s largest. After the sale, Sindicato Antioqueño merged the institutions and called the entity Bancolombia. The Gilinski Group maintained a 19 percent share in the new bank as part of the deal. As of 2009, the market capitalization of Bancolombia in the NYSE is in the order of $6 billion.

After selling its controlling stake in Bancolombia, Jaime Gilinski acquired Eagle National Bank, now known as JGB Bank. Jaime Gilinski is the only Colombian approved by the US Federal Reserve to own a bank in the United States.

Continuing to see promise in Colombia’s banking sector, Isaac and Jaime Gilinski also acquired Banco Sudameris and Banco Tequendema in 2003. Subsequently, they were merged into then $4-billion-asset GNB Sudameris. As of 2009, Banco Sudameris is the most efficient bank in the Colombian banking system. It achieved a profit of $40 million in 2008. The move was followed by the purchase of Servibanca, an ATM network with more than 1,200 machines, and Suma Valores, a stock exchange commission agent company. 

Isaac and Jaime Gilinski have set The Gilinski Group on a growth course, keeping in mind the company’s 80-year history, when it invested in one of the first industrial projects in the Valle del Cauca, on the Pacific Coast of Colombia. The Gilinski Group later became better known for its savvy investments Colombia’s banking sector.

In the late 1970s, Isaac Gilinski bought Compañía Financiera Internacional [International Financing Company] and in the 1990s his son Jaime Gilinski acquired Banco Andino and Banco de Colombia. The Banco de Colombia purchase, and subsequent sale to Banco Industrial Colombiano for $418 million, ranks among the largest transactions in that country’s history. The Group later acquired Colombia’s Banco Sudameris and Banco Tequendema, and merged them into then $4-billion-asset GNB Sudameris. Seeing opportunities outside of their native country, the Gilinski family acquired the South Florida-based Eagle National Bank, now known as JGB Bank.

More recently it’s Panama that’s attracted the Group’s attention. The opportunities in that nation led Jaime Gilinski, in conjunction with London & Regional Partners, to be among the 16 international firms to bid on the Panamá Pacífico Project, which is being built on the site of the former Howard Air Force Base near Panama City.

This massive $700-million real estate development project comprises 2,750 acres of land and is one of the largest in the world. It’s part of the wave of investments that are pouring into Panama as a result of the country’s multi-billion-dollar expansion of the Panama Canal, and Panamá Pacífico is expected to generate over 20,000 jobs for the region.

Panamá Pacífico will serve as a hub for international trade, as well as residential and retail complexes in Panama City. The mixed-use master planned development is designed to take full advantage of an air strip on the property and close proximity to the Panama Canal. Several multinational corporations have made plans to invest in the project, including Singapore Airlines, 3M, and Caterpillar.

The residential component of Panamá Pacífico is expected to include 20,000 homes that will be designed in an eco-friendly manner that complements the area’s stunning natural environment of mangroves, wetlands, and tropical forests. Golf courses, gardens, walking paths, and open spaces are planned as well as luxury hotels. Once completed, the project is expected to be valued upwards of $10 billion.

The Gilinski Group continues to seek investment opportunities in Colombia, where its business interests include the Cali, Colombia-based snack foods manufacturer Yupi and Rimax Plastics, which was founded by Isaac Gilinski.

With Isaac and Jaime Gilinski at the helm, the Gilinski Group is poised for global growth.

Through the Gilinski Group, the Gilinski family is pursuing growth in Latin America. Isaac and Jaime Gilinski are making investments in banking, finance, real estate, and other industries. The family’s story of success began in the Valle del Cauca industrial project over 80 years ago.  

These days, the Gilinski Group is much better known for their investments in the financial sector. In the late 1970’s, Isaac Gilinski purchased Compañía Financiera Internacional [International Financing Company]. In the 1990’s his son Jaime Gilinski acquired Banco Andino and Banco de Colombia. The Banco de Colombia purchase and subsequent sale to Banco Industrial Colombiano for a sum of $418 million ranks among Colombia’s largest transactions ever.

To this day, the Gilinski Group is growing in Colombia. They acquired and subsequently merged Banco Sudameris and Banco Tequendema. This merger created GNB Sudameris, a bank with assets of over 4 billion dollars. The purchase of Servibanca, an ATM network with over 1,200 machines, and Suma Valores, a stock exchange commission agent company, has further expanded the network. And in 1997, Jaime Gilinski purchased the South Florida-based Eagle National Bank, which is now JGB Bank.

The Gilinski Group is bullish on banking. But in Panama, an exciting real estate project offers tremendous potential. Jaime Gilinski, in conjunction with London & Regional Partners, has been chosen as the preferred bidder on the Panama Pacifico Project in Panama City, Panama. The $700 million project is one of the largest development projects in the world. The development will serve as a hub for international trade, and will also be an exceptional place to live. Jaime Gilinski and London & Regional Properties project a value of $10 billion upon completion.

The Yupi products company shows that the Gilinski Group continues to pursue excellence in manufacturing and technology. Based in Cali, Colombia, Yupi is a well-known snack food company in Latin America, and exports to nine countries. Gilinski Group also owns Rimax Plastics, which was founded by Isaac Gilinski.

With the leadership of Isaac and Jaime Gilinski, the Gilinski Group is poised to grow in Latin America and the world. Their example shows that diversified investments, innovation, and an eye on good opportunities is the route to success in a rapidly changing world.