Deborah Rivera, Founder and Managing Partner

The Succession Group, founded in 1998, conducts executive search and management consulting in corporate finance and sales and trading with a focus on energy origination and commodities trading in the U.S. and globally.  The Succession Group also conducts executive search and organizational research in treasury products including derivatives, FX and other specialty structured products including alternative risk transfer, insurance derivatives, residual value income and other insurance-reinsurance capital markets products. 

Prior to Ms. Rivera’s career in the executive search consulting business she was a Vice President at JP Morgan in the International Institutional Sales Group.  She was recruited by JP Morgan from Probursa International in Mexico City (second largest investment bank with the largest retail distribution in Mexico previously affiliated with Bear Stearns).  Ms. Rivera was an Associate at Bear Stearns & Co. in the International Investment Banking Division, where she was staffed on a variety of industry transactions in Latin America (Andean Pact and Mexico and Asia (India and Sub-continent) from 1991 to 1993. 

As research analyst she worked on the launch of the first ECU-dominated long term product by the M.A.T.I.F, S.A. (French Futures Exchange) in Paris from 1989 to 1991. 

Ms. Rivera started her career in the analyst-training program at Citicorp Investment Bank in 1986. 

Ms. Rivera joined the executive search consulting industry in 1995 where she developed a client base in Eastern Europe focusing on the origination and sales/research activity in Russia and Eastern Europe in all industry groups (focus on Oil & Gas and Metal & Mining and Financial Institutions).  

She holds a B.A. (International Organizations:  Political Science and Economics) and M.A. (with fellowship) from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and University of Michigan (additional coursework through exchange programs in Spain, France and London). 

Ms. Rivera speaks native English and Spanish in addition to speaking fluent French.  Knowledge of Portuguese, Italian and Russian. 

Professional Affiliations: CHA, Connecticut Hedge Fund Association, 100 Women in Hedge Funds, Inter-American Development Bank, (IADB, International Development Bank for Investment and Development in the Americas) The Asia Society (Professional and Cultural Organization with large Asian/Indian Wall Street Membership), Women on the Street (Private Organization of Senior Women in Financial Services) and Catalyst, organization dedicated to corporate boards.