Rafa Lopez Espinosa COO Equities Citadel
Rafa Lopez Espinosa is the Chief Operating Officer for Global Equities at Citadel, based in New York, where he helps lead one of the most competitive and high‑performing teams in the investment industry. With more than 20 years of global leadership experience, he is recognized for building and scaling businesses, executing complex transformations, shaping corporate strategy, and developing high‑impact teams in fast‑paced, high‑stakes environments.
At Citadel, Rafa partners with the Global Equities leadership team to drive operational excellence, execute growth strategies, and foster a meritocratic culture grounded in integrity and performance.
Prior to joining Citadel in 2025, Rafa spent over a decade at Point72, holding senior roles across strategy, operations, and international leadership. As Chief Operating Officer for the International Business, he managed a network of 11 offices across EMEA and APAC, overseeing strategy, implementation, operations, and cultural development for more than 1,000 employees. As CEO of Point72 Poland, he launched the Warsaw office from the ground up during the pandemic, growing it from a single employee to more than 360 staff in three years, while building high‑performing teams in technology, operations, finance, and human resources. Concurrently, as President of Point72 France, he led the Paris office through a period of rapid expansion, quadrupling its size and positioning it as a major profit contributor for the firm.
Earlier at Point72, Rafa served as Global Head of Strategy, designing and leading firm‑wide strategic priorities and transformational projects with large‑scale impact. He also held roles as Director of Transformation and Chief of Staff to the Global COO, and as Director of Strategy and Business Development, working directly with senior leadership on key initiatives and special projects.
Rafa began his career in management consulting at the Boston Consulting Group, where he rose to the role of Principal in the New York office, advising leading financial services, private equity, and healthcare clients. As part of BCG’s prestigious Ambassador Program for top performers, he spent a year in São Paulo leading strategic engagements for clients across Latin America. His consulting work included large‑scale cost transformations, M&A and portfolio strategy, and the design of big data capabilities for global firms.
His earlier experience includes roles as an MBA intern at Endeavor in Brazil, where he developed an international expansion plan for a healthcare startup, and at BT Group in London, where he worked on corporate strategy for the UK SME communications and IT market. He also began his professional journey as a research engineer at EDF R&D in Paris, developing quantitative models to forecast wind farm production.
Education
Rafa earned his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was a Rafael del Pino Scholar (the Spanish equivalent of a Fulbright Scholarship). At Stanford, he served as the Spain Study Trip Leader and was active in the Finance & Investment Club and the Private Equity Club. He was invited to the Academic Recognition Dinner for top academic performers and earned a Global Management Program Certification.
He holds an MSc in Electrical Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, graduating as Salutatorian, where he was class representative, coordinated the Careers Forum (Heliatom), and represented the rugby team. He completed part of his graduate studies at CentraleSupélec (formerly École Centrale Paris) as an Erasmus Scholar, earning top marks (19/20) with a focus on energy, mechanics, and aeronautics.
Rafa attended Marist School Chamberí in Madrid, completing his high school education before entering university.
Additional Background
Rafa has lived and worked in global financial and cultural hubs including New York, Connecticut, Miami, Warsaw, Paris, London, Madrid, and São Paulo. He is fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French.
Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, reading, and maintaining an active lifestyle. He is a certified CrossFit trainer, scuba diver, and lifeguard, and holds a black belt in judo. He serves on multiple boards and supports philanthropic causes focused on education, children, and humanitarian relief for Ukraine.
His professional expertise spans hedge funds, multi‑manager platforms, alternative investments, private equity, quantitative modeling, data enablement, corporate development, strategy, organizational design, and transformational change—anchored by a consistent record of delivering results in competitive, high‑growth environments.
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