Board of Directors
- Patrice Etlin
- Cate Ambrose
- Enrique Bascur
- Eduardo Elejalde
- Susana Garcia-Robles
- Alvaro Gonçalves
- Philip T. von Mehren
- Erik Peterson
- Marcus Regueira
- Arturo Saval
- Susan Segal
- J. Scott Swensen
Patrice Etlin, Chair
Managing Partner, Advent International
Patrice Etlin joined Advent International, a global private equity firm with operations across Latin America, in 1997 and started the firm’s investment activities in Brazil. As one of Advent’s 14 global Managing Partners, he helps oversee the firm’s strategic direction and investment activities, with a particular focus on Latin America. Mr. Etlin has 18 years of private equity experience and has led, co-led or participated in 13 Advent investments. These include Terminal de Contêineres de Paranaguá, the third-largest container terminal in Brazil; Kroton Educacional (BM&FBOVESPA: KROT11), one of Brazil’s largest private education companies; International Meal Company (BM&FBOVESPA: IMCH3), the leading quick-casual restaurant chain in Latin America; Microsiga, Brazil’s largest ERP software provider (now part of TOTVS, BM&FBOVESPA: TOTS3); and CSU CardSystem (BM&FBOVESPA: CARD3), the largest independent credit-card administrator in Brazil. Mr. Etlin is also a board member of ABVCAP, the Brazilian private equity association, and a member of the Listing Committee of Bovespa Mais.
From 1994 to 1997, Mr. Etlin was a partner at International Venture Partners in São Paulo, where he was responsible for the overall operation of a media and communications fund focused on Brazil. Previously, he spent five years with Matra Marconi Space, initially as a systems engineer on a project to develop a European military observation satellite. In 1990, he was promoted to general representative for Brazil, in charge of setting up a private telecommunications satellite system providing services to Mercosul countries.
He received an undergraduate degree in electronic engineering from the University of São Paulo, a master’s in industrial engineering from École Centrale de Paris and an MBA from INSEAD.
Cate Ambrose, President
President and Executive Director, Latin American Private Equity & Venture Capital Association
Cate Ambrose joined the Latin American Private Equity & Venture Capital Association as Executive Director in August 2007. Her background with venture capital and private equity investment in the region dates back to the late 1990s. She is currently a member of the US-Brazil Venture Capital Task Force hosted by the Commerce Department and the Kauffman Foundation, and speaks and writes regularly on a range of topics related to public policy and private investment in Latin America.
Prior to joining LAVCA, Ms. Ambrose was Chief of Advocacy for the Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor, a United Nations initiative co-chaired by Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto and former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, where she directed research projects on business regulation and property rights in Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala, India, Kenya and Tanzania. Until 2005, Ms Ambrose was Executive Director of Programs at The Economist, where she founded the first industry gathering on private equity investment in Latin America, and chaired annual roundtables with the Presidents of Mexico and Colombia. She also chaired a range of meetings on finance, economic policy and business strategy in the US and Latin America, and founded The Global Agenda, a high-level panel of economists, policymakers and business leaders. Ms. Ambrose began her career as a journalist in Spain.
Ms. Ambrose holds an MPA in International Economic Policy from Columbia University, and received her BA in Latin American studies from St Lawrence University and the University of Madrid.
Enrique Bascur
Managing Director and Latin America Department Head, CVC International
Enrique Bascur is Managing Director and Latin American Department Head of Citigroup Venture Capital International since 2006. Prior to his current role, Mr. Bascur was Citigroup’s Corporate Finance Head in Santiago, Chile. Between 1992 and 1997, Mr. Bascur worked at Bankers Trust in New York, focused on capital markets and M&A transactions across the Latin American region. In 1990 and 1991, he was Citicorp’s Corporate Finance Head in Venezuela and before that an investment banker at Citicorp Chile. He started his career at the Chilean securities market regulator, SVS, in 1980. He has held numerous directorships in several companies and is currently a board member of Sundance Investments LLC, Intcomex, Inc., Dream S.A., Adir (La Curacao), Tenedora Augusta (Hoteles Prisma), and Avantel Holdings, Ltd.
Mr. Bascur holds a Master in Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business and a Civil Engineering degree from Universidad Católica de Chile.
Eduardo Elejalde
Founding Partner, Latin America Enterprise Fund Managers
Eduardo Elejalde is a Founding Partner of Latin America Enterprise Fund Managers, L.L.C. (LAEFM) and has concentrated on private equity fund management in Latin America since 1994. He is a member of LAEFM’s board of directors and of the Investment Committees of the funds that it manages. More recently, Mr. Elejalde has been living in Colombia where he is President of LAEFM Colombia Ltda., a subsidiary of LAEFM and the manager of funds focusing on the Colombian hydrocarbons and forestry sectors. He is also a member of the Investment Committee of the fund of funds being sponsored by the Banco de Comercio Exterior de Colombia (BANCOLDEX), and served as Chairman of the Board of the Latin American Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (LAVCA) from 2006-2011. Mr. Elejande is a member of the board of directors of Corporación Inversor, which is raising a fund to invest in businesses with a significant social impact. Previously, Mr. Elejalde was managing director of Samuel Montagu, senior merchant banker of Bankers Trust Company, senior vice-president of Shearson Lehman Brothers and division chief of the World Bank, where he started his career in 1972. He has been involved in successful transactions, including private equity and other financings, restructurings and/or mergers and acquisitions, in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and the United States.
Mr. Elejalde has a BS in Chemical Engineering from MIT and an MBA from Columbia University.
Susana Garcia-Robles
Lead Investment Officer, Early Stage Financing Group, Multilateral Investment Fund
Since 1999, Susana García-Robles has created and guided the seed and venture capital investments of the Multilateral Investment Fund in Latin America and the Caribbean. She also leads MIF’s microfinance activities for Argentina and Uruguay. Ms. García-Robles serves on many boards of directors and investment committees of seed and venture capital funds, and serves as Advisor to different governments on issues related to the seed and VC industry. She has been a member of the US-Brazil Venture Capital Task Force since 2006. From 1994 to 1999, she worked with local and international NGOs and several Latin American countries on economic development issues at the U.N. She participated as a country delegate in all the main negotiations of the major U.N. conferences during that period.
Ms. Garcia-Robles holds a Master’s Degree in International Economic Policy from Columbia University, and a Master’s in Philosophy and Education from the Catholic University of Argentina.
Alvaro Gonçalves
Founding Partner, CEO and Chairman of the Investment Committee, Stratus Group
Álvaro Gonçalves is Founding partner, CEO, and Chairman of the Investment Committee of Stratus Group. Formerly, Mr. Gonçalves held the position of MD of Pactual Electra Capital Partners, a private equity fund jointly sponsored by Electra (UK) and Banco Pactual (Brazil). He also served as Chairman of the Brazilian Private Equity Association from 2004 to 2006. In addition to private equity, Mr. Gonçalves has substantial industry experience in C-level executive roles, leading turnarounds, acquisitions and divestitures. He has also served on the board of directors of Brazilian and multinational companies.
Mr. Gonçalves holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from FEI (São Paulo), a postgraduate degree from FGV (São Paulo) and an MBA from IMD-International (Switzerland).
Philip T. von Mehren, Outside Counsel
Partner, Baker & McKenzie LLP
Philip T. von Mehren joined the New York office of Baker & McKenzie LLP as a partner in January 2007. His practice is focused on cross-border acquisitions and dispositions, often for strategic and financial buyers, including private equity and venture capital funds, often in a distressed situation. Mr. von Mehren also represents various strategic and financial purchasers in U.S. LBO transactions. He has substantial experience representing private equity funds with a Latin American focus in offshore and onshore aspects of transactions in Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina and Chile. Mr. von Mehren was recently appointed as a member of an eight person advisory committee of the Firm’s Global Restructuring Focus Group. He is admitted to practice in the State of New York and in the District of Columbia.
Mr. von Mehren received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School, his M. Phil from Cambridge University and his B.A. from Reed College.
Erik Peterson
Managing Partner, Aureos Capital
Erik Peterson is Aureos’ Regional Managing Partner for Latin America, where he manages the Aureos Latin America Fund (ALAF) and the Aureos Central America Fund (ACAF). ALAF is a private equity fund targeting companies in Mexico, Central America and the Andean Region, while ACAF focuses on the Central America region. Mr. Peterson chairs the ALAF investment committee and is a member of the Investment Committees of ACAF and the Emerge Fund. Mr. Peterson has sixteen years of experience in private equity and investment banking gained at Provident Group Limited, Bank America Robertson Stephens and Bank of America.
Mr. Peterson holds an MBA, with a concentration in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management, from the Wharton School of Business, USA, an M.A. in International Studies (LatAm) from the University of Pennsylvania, USA, and a B.A. in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley, USA.
Marcus Regueira
Managing Director and Founding Partner, FIR Capital
Marcus Regueira is a Founding Partner at the venture capital fund FIR Capital and immediate past president of ABVCAP, the Brazilian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association. He brings to FIR over 20 years of experience in underwriting, trading, M&A transactions, and technology joint-ventures in the American and Brazilian capital markets. He is also the founder of Instituto Hartmann Regueira, a not-for-profit organization which mission is to strengthen social organizations and their best management practices.
Mr. Regueira received a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Arturo Saval
Managing Director, Nexxus Capital
Arturo J. Saval Pérez has more than 25 years of experience in investment and commercial banking.
Mr. Saval has participated in numerous debt, private and public equity transactions, as well as multiple advisories.
Prior to joining Nexxus Capital, he served as Deputy Managing Director at Santander Investment Mexico. Previously, he held senior positions at Grupo Financiero GBM-Atlántico, Interacciones and Grupo Serfin, where he served as member of the boards and investment committees of several financial entities and investment funds.
Mr. Saval earned a BS degree in industrial engineering from the Universidad Iberoamericana, a degree in financial analysis from the University of Michigan and a diploma from the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey.
Susan Segal
President and CEO,the Americas Society and Council of the Americas, International Advisory Board, Endeavor
Susan Segal was elected President and CEO of the Americas Society and Council of the Americas in 2003 after having worked in the private sector, with Latin America and other emerging markets for more than 30 years. Prior to her appointment, Susan was a partner at Chase Capital Partners/JPMorgan Partners focusing on private equity in Latin America as well as pioneering early stage venture capital investing in the region. During her career as a banker, she focused on multiple areas including but not limited to investment banking, building an emerging market bond trading unit and the debt crisis of the 1980’s and 1990’s where she chaired the Chilean and Philippine Advisory Committees. She is a board member of the Tinker Foundation, the Advisory Board of Endeavor and a member of the Council of Foreign Relations. Susan’s awards include the Order of Bernardo O’Higgins, Chile and Cruz de San Carlos, Colombia.
Ms. Segal holds an MBA from the Columbia University School of Business, and a BA from Sarah Lawrence College.
J. Scott Swensen
Chairman, Conduit Capital
J. Scott Swensen co-founded Conduit in 2003 to manage the Latin Power Funds, which were initiated at Scudder, Stevens & Clark in 1993, with Mr. Swensen as Lead Investment Manager. In 1998, Mr. Swensen was named head of the Private Equity Group at Scudder and Chairman of the Investment Committee of Scudder Venture Partners, a fund-of-funds focused on US venture capital. In 2000, he was named head of the Special Investments Group. Immediately prior to Scudder, Mr. Swensen was a Managing Director at Banque Paribas, responsible for energy and project finance in North and South America, and commodity derivatives and futures brokerage worldwide. Mr. Swensen started his career at Chase Manhattan Bank, where he spent eleven years.
Mr. Swensen holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering with High Honors from Stevens Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. degree from New York University.
