Marcel Jacobo Laniado de Wind

Life & Legacy

Marcel Jacobo Laniado de Wind (June 4, 1927 – August 8, 1998) was an Ecuadorian agricultural engineer and banker who held a number of important public and private positions in Ecuador. He was a humanist, and a public figure in Ecuador for his efforts to improve the country.
He founded both the "Banco de Machala," which helped develop the trade of bananas in the El Oro Province of Ecuador, and later in 1971 founded "Banco del Pacifico." He was known for creating credit approval policies friendly to all economic groups, including loans for small farmers and small businesses; microcredit for artisans and low income people. He was influential in bringing internet to much of Ecuador in the early 1990s. From 1984 to 1986, he served as Ecuador's Minister of Agriculture under Leon Febres Cordero, as well as a number of other positions.