Celestina Ordaz joined the Basel Institute in May 2024 as a Specialist, Asset Recovery, based in Mexico.

Celestina completed her university studies at the Autonomous University of Mexico, specialising in procedural law. She held several positions in the judicial branch of the State of Mexico and passed the competitive exam for the position of civil judge.

In 1999, she joined the Federal Judiciary. From 2011 to 2015 she was assigned to the only court specialised in Extinción de dominio (non-conviction based forfeiture) in Mexico, whose main function was to prepare draft sentences and process cases in this field throughout the Mexican Republic. During this period Celestina participated as a speaker in courses organised by the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) of the US Department of Justice and the Attorney General's Office of the State of Mexico.

Celestina also contributed to a regional exchange on mock trial methodology in Extinción de dominio organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative.

Celestina holds a Master’s degree in Corporate Business Law and completed several diploma courses relating to human rights protection and commercial insolvency proceedings.