Reform In the Argentine Stock Exchange
Conrado Etchebarne, (Argentina ’62)
Senior Partner, Cabanellas, Etchebarne, Kelly & Dell’Oro Maini
In 1962, Conrado Etchebarne traveled from Argentina to complete his Eisenhower Fellowship with the Multi Nation Program. His objectives were to explore public offering and securities, stock exchanges, understand public/private institutions and gain insight on American lifestyles, family structure, religion, and culture. He also wanted to explore the importance corporations have on economics, politics and justice in developed countries, with the goal of understanding social impact in a world with millions of stakeholders. Dr. Etchebarne described his experience as a golden opportunity that allowed him to learn that the household economy in the United States was based on savings invested in businesses.
He returned to Argentina with the conviction that a good relationship with the United States was crucial in the development of his country as well as neighboring countries in South America.
After his fellowship, he was appointed by the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange as an external advisor to the Presidency, tasked with drafting a holistic reform of the Argentine stock exchange system. This legislation created by Dr. Etchebarne helped develop the Securities and Exchange Commission, which now regulates the public offering of securities and stock exchanges in Argentina. Soon after the law was adopted, he was named Argentina’s Minister of Justice.
In addition to advancements in his professional career, Dr. Etchebarne has stayed involved in the EF community. The first democratic presidential elections in Argentina inspired him to propose the 1988 Single Nation Program for Argentina. As a result, this program was instituted and Fellows from the program went on to become Ministers of Education and Labor, an Army General and head of Gallup Poll, to name a few. Six years later he organized an international EF conference which hosted Fellows from five continents and EF Chairman President George H.W. Bush. He has been the head of his country’s Nominating Committee for many years, and has been named trustee.
At the closing dinner of the Latin American Regional program in November 2008, Eisenhower Fellowships presented a “lifetime achievement” award to Dr. Etchebarne. In announcing the award, EF President John Wolf said: “He is an outstanding Fellow who has inspired numerous others with his leadership. He has given back more than we could have imagined to the Eisenhower Fellowships family.” On May 17, 2012, Eisenhower Fellowships bestowed the Distinguished Alumnus Award upon Dr. Etchebarne to recognize his significant contributions in his field of work, and his outstanding leadership in the global network. The recipients of this award are recognized for their post-fellowship work that reflects President Eisenhower’s commitment to creating a world more peaceful, prosperous, and just. Currently, Dr. Etchebarne is a Senior Partner of the law firm Cabanellas, Etchebarne, Kelly & Dell´Oro Maini.
Of his Eisenhower Fellowship experience, Dr. Etchebarne has said, “I have embraced for the past 50 years the philosophy and values of EF. I have enjoyed being a member of Eisenhower Fellowships, an organization that opens the door, as it did for me, to potential leaders all over the world. It is always a joy and a challenge to find a candidate to be an Eisenhower Fellow and to follow his or her achievements after the fellowship, both in a personal and professional level. It’s a unique experience for all of us who have the chance to be part of the EF family.”
Eisenhower Fellows are part of a global network of diverse, dynamic, doers.
