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Chairman of the Board of Directors of Oriental Financial Group since 1996. José Enrique Fernández, who joined Oriental in 1988, served as President and CEO of Oriental Financial Group, from 1996 to 2004, and President and CEO of Oriental Bank, from 1988 to 2004. Mr. Fernández transformed Oriental from a small savings and loan on the Eastern end of Puerto Rico, to the multi-billion dollar institution it is today, providing a complete range of consumer and commercial banking-financial solutions throughout Puerto Rico, including consumer, commercial and mortgage lending; checking and savings accounts; financial planning, insurance, money management, and investment brokerage; and corporate and individual trust and retirement services. Prior to joining Oriental, Mr. Fernández was President and CEO of Drexel Burnham Lambert Puerto Rico Incorporated, San Juan, Puerto Rico, from 1984 to 1988; President and CEO of A.G. Becker Puerto Rico from 1978 to 1984; and Vice President-Associate Manager of Prudential Bache Securities from 1965 to 1978. At Oriental, his other positions include Chairman of the Board of Directors of Oriental Financial Services Corp. since 1991, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Oriental Bank since 1988. Mr. Fernández serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, and as a member of the Board of Trustees of the YMCA Retirement Fund, New York, New York. He served from 1997 to 1998 as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Sacred Heart University, San Juan. On March 23, 2005, it was announced that Mr. Fernández was awarded the prestigious Cross of the Church and Pontiff, or Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, by Pope John Paul II. The honor, one of the highest conferred on laypersons, was bestowed upon Mr. Fernandez for his dedication and personal service over many years to social and educational organizations in Puerto Rico, the U.S and other countries. Mr. Fernández holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Notre Dame. He furthered his studies in management and finance at the New York Institute of Finance. | 