Ing. Jorge L. Quijano

Jorge L. Quijano is the CEO of the Panama Canal Authority, the autonomous agency that manages the Panama Canal, the leading interoceanic waterway that serves world maritime commerce.

Jorge L. Quijano began his professional development in the Texaco Oil Refinery in Panama, where he worked as a Process Engineer and Product Forecaster. He started his career with the Panama Canal in 1975 and climbed through the professional and managerial promotion ladder to the position of Maritime Operations Director in 1999, the largest department of the Canal organization, directly involved in the operation and maintenance of the principal infrastructure and equipment of the waterway.

As Maritime Operations Director, he was responsible for transit scheduling, vessel inspection, admeasurements, pilotage, tugs, launches and line-handler services, lockage operations and maintenance, central inventory management and motor transportation, emergency and contingency management (industrial fire fighting and hazmat response), as well as accident investigations. Under his leadership, the Department of Maritime Operations obtained the ISO 9001 Certification issued by Det Norske Veritas in May 2001 and subsequent re-certifications.

In September 2006, was designated to manage the Panama Canal's $5.25 billion Expansion Program; and to that effect, he was appointed Executive Vice President of the Engineering and Programs Management Department. Under the Expansion Program, he headed a group of professionals in charge of contracting and managing: the Locks Design and Construction contract, the Atlantic and Pacific entrance channels dredging contracts, the contracting of four dry excavation contracts to create a new 6.1 kilometer inland channel in the Pacific end of the Canal, the Lake level dredging to be performed by the Panama Canal Authority´s workforce and other smaller support contracts.

Jorge L. Quijano is the recipient of international awards for his achievements and contributions to the world maritime industry. These are the following:

 The “Texas Industrial Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award” presented on February 15, 2013 by Dr. Brian Craig, chair of the Department of Industrial Engineering of the College of Engineering at Lamar University, on behalf of the University of Texas - Arlington, the University of Texas - El Paso, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, University of Houston and Lamar University.
 “Honorary Citizen of Texas”, presented on February 15, 2013 by the Texas Senate.
 “Medal of Merit Joaquín J. Vallarino E.”, presented on May 14, 2014 by the Board of Directors of the Consejo Interamericano de Comercio y Producción (CICYP)
 “Master Real Estate Award 2015, presented on September 24, 2015 by the Panamanian Association of Brokers and Real Estate Developers and the International Real Estate Federation.

A native of Panama City, Republic of Panama, Jorge L. Quijano is a graduate of the industrial engineering school of Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, and holds a Master of Engineering Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management. He is also a graduate of Executive Management Programs, both in the Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois. He lives in Panama with his wife, Marcia, and their two children.