Speaker Profile

Eugene Rhuggenaath studied Business Administration at the University of Miami and later at the Rotterdam School of Management.

After obtaining his Masters Degree, he joined DTE Consultants, Inc., Curaçao in the position of Deputy Director and manager of “new technology” research from 1998 to 2000. In 2000, he took on a new challenge in the service of The Software Factory (Curaçao) Inc., as Managing Director / Facilitator. There he was responsible for project management, account management and operations, technology research and best practice; financing of companies.

From 2001 to 2003, Eugene Rhuggenaath worked for Citco Banking Corporation NV, Curaçao as a Trading Officer; responsible for international customer relations, the implementation of security trades and participation in (backroom) process improvement in Citco’s international / offshore fund custody services.

Eugene Rhuggenaath left the private sector in 2003 and took on a new challenge in the public sector. He held various positions as a representative of the political party Partido Antia Restruktura (PAR). He was a member of the Island Council of Curaçao during this period. Between June 2004 and July 2005 and later between March 2006 and December 2006, he was Deputy in Finance. From June 2007 to August 2009, he was Deputy in Economic Development and Tourism.

Rhuggenaath returned to the private sector in 2009 when he served as a Senior Operations Advisor at Matrix Management Solutions NV until 2010.

He then held a top position at the International Financial Center and Exchange (IFC & E) NV, Curaçao, as Managing Director and Director of Operations from 2010 to 2011. He went back into politics in 2015 and held a political position in November 2015 as Minister of Economic Development until December 2016, and from December 2016 to March 2017 for the PAR.

Since May 2017, he has led the Rhuggenaath cabinet.

Eugene Rhuggenaath has been a member of the political party PAR since childhood. In 2017, he was campaign leader for the elections and party leader to the present.