Luis E. (Lucho) Osorio-Cortes

Luis E. (Lucho) Osorio-Cortes is a Senior Advisor for Market Systems at Mercy Corps, where he focuses on creating inclusive market development strategies that foster economic growth and resilience. Based in London, he has extensive experience working in various countries, including Colombia, Peru, Nepal, and Kenya, among others.

Professional Background

Osorio-Cortes transitioned from a background in Chemical Engineering to international development in 1995. He initially worked with the Colombian NGO Fundacion Social, where he gained experience in participatory development and project management. He holds an MPhil in Development Studies from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, earned through a scholarship from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Before joining Mercy Corps in January 2021, he spent a decade at Practical Action in the UK, concentrating on market systems development and organizational learning. His work includes significant initiatives such as:

• USAID's Leveraging Economic Opportunities (LEO) Programme, which supports inclusive growth through market programming.
• The Market Facilitation Initiative (MaFI) under the SEEP Network, aimed at enhancing collaboration among market facilitators.

Osorio-Cortes is also known for his contributions to the Water Innovation Technologies (WIT) program in Jordan, which applied market systems development principles to achieve substantial water conservation outcomes.12

Key Skills and Interests

His expertise lies in:

• Market Systems Development (MSD)
• Organizational Learning
• Resilience Building
• Scaling Up Initiatives

Osorio-Cortes is passionate about sharing knowledge with entrepreneurs and policymakers to foster sustainable market development initiatives that can scale effectively.1