Penserra’s Francisco de Bocos, a Mexican-born capital markets executive, forged a successful career in finance by staying intensely focused on what was directly in front of him; namely, his customers. Francisco enjoys sharing the inspiring story of his remarkable rise on Wall Street with non-profit organizations such as Latinos in Finance, encouraging youngsters to dream big and work hard for those dreams.
Q: Please describe your responsibilities as a senior member of Penserra’s Capital Markets team.
A: My responsibilities include providing capital markets coverage to Fortune 500 companies as well as origination of new debt, equity transactions and share repurchase execution.
Q: As a Hispanic-owned minority business enterprise (MBE), how does Penserra provide value to its clients?
A: At Penserra we employ a comprehensive team approach leveraging all the firm’s resources. We have an in-depth understanding of debt origination, syndicate, IPO, and secondary offerings. We have significant experience working with corporate, preferred, agency, asset-backed and equity issuers. We also have an accretive distribution network through diverse small to mid-sized buy & hold institutional clients that will complement any lead manager’s demand.
Q: Your background is quite unique. How did you end up pursuing a career on Wall Street?
A: Back in 2008, I was given the opportunity to have a unique internship at a broker dealer that specialized in secondary trading of all fixed income products. Unique internship? Let me explain… At the time I had two jobs and did not really have the time to add a third one. The person who gave me this opportunity was somebody that understood what I was going through and designed the internship to fit my busy schedule. Something I will always be grateful to him for. So, I started going to his office on Mondays and Tuesdays during regular market hours and then on to my two regular jobs. After the internship was over, I was offered a position as an operations liaison for the California office. I was given an opportunity of a lifetime with the condition that within a year I will pass a test. Little did I know it was the series 7 exam. Despite the odds stacked against me, I passed the test on my first try and went on to start what now has been a 12-year career in various positions in the business.
Q: You serve as a volunteer for many Hispanic organizations, including Latinos in Finance. How has giving back to your community impacted your life?
A: It has changed my life and helped me to become a better person. As we go through our daily life, we often become so focused on what we are doing or trying to accomplish that we forget what is important. There is nothing better that seeing the eyes of a young person get big when I share my story with them. It gives them hope that no matter who they are or what they are going through, if they work hard, have attainable goals as well as the desire to be and do better, anything is possible.