Carlos P. Portes is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Portes Group. The Group is an insurance and financial service provider that specializes in life, health, property, and casualty insurance, mutual funds, bonding, real estate services, import/export of commodities, medical equipment, various others and financing. The firm serves clients from all economic backgrounds, ranging from low income clients, to major investors.

   As the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Portes group for the past 24 years, Mr. Portes is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the group’s services, and thirty staff members. Mr. Portes was born in Cuba, and came to the United States alone at the age of nine in 1961. He spoke no English, and of course had no money. His parents were trapped in Cuba. Through the assistance of the catholic Church "Operation Peter Pan" (Pedro Pan) he was relocated to Marshalltown, Iowa, where he was raised by the Hockett family, and by shoveling snow and gardening , saved enough money to bring his parents to the U.S. after 6 anxious years of separation. The family decided to settle in New York where Mr. Portes worked 20 hours a day, 7 days a week to support his family, and make ends meet. Achieving Marginal financial stability, Mr. Portes returned to high school to complete his diploma.

   At the age of 20, he began to work for Allstate Insurance Company, after overcoming adversity in a crippling injury. He began his climb to success as an insurance broker, and soon entered into economics and politics. He was appointed Special Ambassador for Latin American affairs by former President Carter. He would travel through Latin America with First Lady Rosalyn Carter. In 1979, Mr. Portes established his own company, an insurance brokerage firm, in commercial insurance and construction bonding. With the same diligence and drive for success that he had applied in his previous endeavors.

   The Portes Group was established in 1979, and currently employs over 300 agents. Mr. Portes is an excellent speaker and was selected as the Key Note addressee by the Horatio Alger Foundation for the Annual Recipient High School Award Nominee in the State of New York. Over the past 20 years, Mr. Portes has been an outspoken leader of Cuban Politics in exile, highly respected for his moderate views and vast knowledge of Cuban issues. Mr. Portes ranks in the top five Cuban-American leaders in the U.S. and has debated publicly with numerous elected officials and Cuban Public Officials regarding the past, present and future of Cuba/U.S. relations. Mr. Portes is accredited by numerous institutions as well as the US government, as an expert in the Hispanic and Afro-American Communities, his keen knowledge of the various cultures, their histories, and economic presence in the U.S. has given his companies and associates a real advantage in addressing these multi cultures nationally and internationally.

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