Michele Cortese

Senior Investment Professional

Michele Cortese brings invaluable expertise to the MC Square Advisory Board, focusing on macroeconomics, geopolitical assessment, and public policy matters. With over three decades of experience, Mr. Cortese has provided guidance to governments, major corporations, and financial entities on navigating capital markets, risk management, debt restructuring, capital optimization, credit rating management, and integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects into their strategies. During his tenure at SG CIB, the Investment Banking Division of Société Générale, spanning more than 20 years across London, Paris, and Milan, Mr. Cortese held significant roles. He spent ten years overseeing the Investment-Grade Sovereigns and Public Sector Debt Capital Markets (DCM) before transitioning to lead the Debt Capital Markets team with a focus on Italy and Greece. Prior to SG CIB, he specialized in serving Sovereign and Supranational institutions at Lehman Brothers in New York, later shifting his focus to the Italian market while based in Lehman Brothers' London office. In 1993, Michele Cortese began his professional journey in the Corporate Finance department of New Japan Securities Europe, a securities house affiliated with the Industrial Bank of Japan in London, now part of the Mizuho Financial Group. Mr. Cortese completed the Advanced Management Program at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France. He earned his BA in Business Administration and specialized in Corporate Finance from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. Additionally, he pursued graduate courses in Business Management and Corporate Finance at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Outside of his professional endeavors, Michele Cortese is an athlete, participating in competitive road running, mountain trail running, and tennis. Moreover, he is fluent in English, French, and Italian, with a basic understanding of Greek.