Raymond James honors Hispanic and Latinx during Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated annually from September 15 through October 15 to recognize Hispanics and Latinx Americans who are influential forces here in the United States. Celebrations took place all month long to honor the Hispanic and Latinx community within the Raymond James walls.

A plethora of associates at the firm come from Hispanic and Latinx backgrounds including Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Argentina and many more. To honor these individuals and their families, Mosaic, the multicultural associate inclusion network, hosted various events surrounding the theme “Raices: Celebrating the Roots of Hispanic Heritage.”

Understanding the roots of Hispanic Heritage at Raymond James with Carlos Munoz-Lucas

Director of Private Markets in the Alternative Investment Group of Raymond James Global Wealth Solutions Carlos Munoz-Lucas spoke virtually with Senior Vice President, Supervision Lianabel Mendez about growing up in Spain, immigrating to the United States, and how he got his start in the financial services industry. 

Carlos was raised in Alicante, Spain – he calls it the “Florida of Europe” – with a dream to come to the United States. After graduating from high school, Carlos longed to leave his homeland to attend school in the U.S. His parents were not initially enthusiastic about this goal, due to other opportunities available to him in Spain. Carlos put in extensive work and even completed two years of undergraduate school in Madrid before finally fulfilling his dream of moving to the States, where he completed his final two years of his bachelor’s degree. 

He recalled the many culture shocks he experienced after his arrival – including having to perfect his English and the supermarkets spor

ting seemingly endless rows of cereals and sodas.

After completing his undergraduate degree, Carlos earned his Master of Business Administration with a concentration in International Business. Shortly after, he was called back to Spain to complete what was then mandatory military service in the Spanish Armada. He credits the relationship with his now wife for bringing him back to the U.S. following his service. 

It was not until 1998 that Carlos found himself in the financial services industry. By a stroke of luck, he befriended a man who would soon be his colleague and the Chief Investment Officer of the Raymond James Private Client Group, Larry Adams. The two chatted about the financial industry when Larry shared an opportunity at Deutsche Bank where Carlos would work to structure and position portfolios for institutional and high-net-worth clients. In 2016, Deutsche Bank was acquired through Alex. Brown, and Carlos officially became a member of the Raymond James family.

Carlos has been with Raymond James for seven years and resides in New England with his wife and two sons. Though he has adapted to American culture, he strives to integrate his Spanish culture by cooking a “below-than-average” paella and parading the popular Spanish Iberico ham during the holidays.

Raymond James celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by sharing the impact of Hispanic and Latinx culture.

Mosaic, the multicultural inclusion network at Raymond James, hosted an array of events to educate associates on the importance of Hispanic Heritage Month and to celebrate Hispanic and Latinx associates. The group hosted a salsa lesson and created a music playlist full of popular genres like Tejano, Bachata, and Merengue.

An expedition guide was created for associates in all corporate locations to discover restaurants, museums, books and other Hispanic and Latinx businesses.

Learn more about the firm's Diversity and Inclusion efforts.