Hugo Sebastián Lavados Montes (born 4 February 1950) is a Chilean economist who served as minister during the first government of Michelle Bachelet (2006–2010).
He has served as rector of the San Sebastián University (USS), a position he assumed for a second time on 1 June 2023. He was also a minister of state, serving as Minister of Economy during Michelle Bachelet's first government.C. Ramírez and M. Winter, "Extrañeza en sector privado por la salida de Ferreiro y Rojas pese a positiva evaluación", El Mercurio, 9 January 2008; accessed 28 March 2018.
Biography The son of Manuel Lavados, a small industrial entrepreneur who operated an iron foundry on the same property as his home, and Luisa Montes, a primary-school teacher who taught at School No. 6 in Talca, he studied—like his older brothers Jaime ―who later served as head of the University of Chile― and Iván (who directed the Inter-University Development Center for more than thirty years)—at the boys' high school in that city"Iván Lavados Montes, abogado y especialista en derecho económico", El Mercurio, 7 November 2009; accessed 28 March 2018. and later at the José Victorino Lastarria High School in Santiago.María Cristina Silva Méndez, "De provincianos a autoridades", El Mercurio, 22 June 2002; accessed 28 March 2018.
He is an economist from the University of Chile and holds a master's degree from Boston University."Presidente Lagos designó a Hugo Lavados nuevo director de ProChile", El Mercurio, 6 August 2003; accessed 28 March 2018.
He served as Superintendent of Securities and Insurance from 1990 to 1994, and concurrently as a member of the Antitrust Resolution Commission. He later became general manager of Banco BHIF (1994–1998) and executive vice president of Habitacoop, a position he assumed in December 1998 while the cooperative was facing significant difficulties.
Lavados subsequently served as director of the state export-promotion agency ProChile until march 2006, when Ricardo Lagos' government ended
He was appointed Minister of Economy, Development and Reconstruction, at 2008 during M. Bachelet first government (Lavados is a member of the Christian Democratic Party of Chile, which at the time formed part of the governing coalition).Teresa Correa, "ProChile fija sus tareas para aprovechar los TLC", El Mercurio, p. B3, 26 August 2003; accessed 28 March 2018.Eduardo Olivares and Mario Riveros, "La dupla Velasco-Lavados se fortalece en el nuevo gabinete económico", El Mercurio, p. B12, 10 January 2008; accessed 28 March 2018.
He left the ministry at the end of the administration in March 2010, shortly after the legal reform that created a dedicated institutional framework for the tourism sector.
At the beginning of 2013, he became chairman of the board of AFP Cuprum following its acquisition by Principal Financial Group.AFP Cuprum to the SVS, 4 February 2013 The following year, he was appointed rector of the San Sebastián University,San Sebastián University, 1 July 2014 a position he held until March 2018, when he was succeeded by Carlos Williamson."Profesor Carlos Williamson asume como Rector de la Universidad San Sebastián", USS website, "Temas de Interés" section, 21 March 2018; accessed 28 March 2018.
As rector, he faced criticism over his connections with the governing coalition, which critics argued enabled him to act as a lobbyist in securing state funding."Mónica González: 'Me gustaría saber cuánto le paga la USS a su rector Hugo Lavados, ex ministro DC y lobbista para obtener beneficios fiscales'", El Mostrador, 5 July 2016; accessed 28 March 2018.
Among his academic activities, he has served as a research professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Chile and has taught macroeconomics, microeconomics, economic development, and project evaluation in the university's economics program.
He was recognized as the outstanding academic of the Faculty of Administration and Economics at the University of Santiago, Chile in 1983.
He has also worked as a consultant for the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank in Peru, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Paraguay on securities-market reform and modernization.
On 25 May 2016, he joined the Board of Directors of Everis as an Independent Director.
References
External links Lavados Profile at Corfo