Why FCTC Exists

Jorge E. Vallejo is the Founder and Executive Director of From Combat To Corporate (FCTC-USA), a career-transition organization dedicated to helping service members and veterans translate the skills, leadership, discipline, and experience gained through military service into meaningful civilian careers.

The idea for FCTC was born from Jorge's own experience in the corporate world.

While working at JPMorgan Chase, Jorge was part of a team that made a commitment to hire service members transitioning from active duty into civilian careers. As part of that effort, he interviewed numerous transitioning service members and ultimately hired five for his team.

Many of those individuals came from military intelligence, where they had developed skills in analysis, investigation, information gathering, risk assessment, decision-making, and operating in complex environments. Jorge recognized that these capabilities were highly transferable to the team's Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Compliance First Line of Defense operations.

What made the experience particularly meaningful was seeing these individuals make the transition firsthand. Skills that had been developed in military service, often described in military terminology unfamiliar to civilian employers, were translated into professional capabilities that created real value in a highly regulated corporate environment.

Jorge saw something that stayed with him: the challenge was not a lack of talent. It was the translation of that talent.

He also saw the other side of that equation: the impact that the right opportunity, guidance, and employer connection could have on a transitioning service member's confidence and future. Watching the individuals he hired succeed in their new corporate environment became a defining experience and ultimately inspired the creation of From Combat To Corporate.

Jorge brings more than 15 years of experience in financial services, operational risk management, AML/KYC, compliance, governance, and corporate operations, with experience spanning banking, wealth management, private banking, investment management, and other highly regulated environments.

Through FCTC, he is working to build a bridge between military experience and civilian opportunity—helping service members understand the value of what they have already accomplished, translate that experience into language employers understand, develop additional professional skills, and connect with organizations that recognize the value of military talent.

“Military experience has value. Translating it is the challenge.”

That belief is at the heart of FCTC-USA.