Alvaro Rodriguez Arregui

Co-founder and Managing Partner of IGNIA Partners, LLC, a US$65 million venture capital social investment firm based in Monterrey, Mexico, focused on investing in and developing commercial enterprises serving the base of the socio-economic pyramid with social impact.

Chairman of the Board of Compartamos Banco (BMV: COMPARTO), Americas largest microfinance organization.  Based in Mexico with 1.3 million clients, average loan balance of US$350, approximately US$600 million in total assets and almost US$100 million of net income.

Former Chairman of the Board of ACCION International, a US based non-for-profit and a global pioneer of microfinance and worldwide leading development organization in the field.

Former Chairman of the Board of Unidos Lo Lograremos, AC; a 22 year old Monterrey, Mexico based NGO that works to transform society to improve the integration of persons with disabilities into society.  

He is also a Board Member of Harvard University’s David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies; LASPAU-Harvard University; Banamex, Mexico (Advisory Board), World Microfinance Forum of Geneva, MetroNet/Xertix (Mexico), Asociación Mexicana de Capital Privado (AMEXCAP) and a mentor of Endeavor Global.

Former Chief Financial Officer of Vitro (NYSE: VTO and BMV: VITRO), one of the largest glass manufacturers in the world. Prior to joining Vitro, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Farmacias Benavides (BMV: BEVIDES), the largest drugstore chain in Latin America. From 1999 to 2002 he served as Chief Financial Officer of Grupo Salinas’ retail arm, Elektra (NYSE: EKT and BMV: ELEKTRA) where he was part of the team that created Banco Azteca. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in Economics from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM).

In 2005 Alvaro was named Young Global Leader (YGL) by the World Economic Forum (WEF) for his accomplishments and his commitment to shape a better World. In 2008 he was invited as a member of the WEF’s Global Agenda Council and in 2009 to the WEF’s Global Redesign Project. He is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), Monterrey chapter.  In addition, the magazine América Economía, in their 20th Anniversary issue, named him as one of 10 “Leaders of the Future” in Latin America. Rodríguez is a Pan American (1991) and Central American (1990) rowing medalist and was eighth in the World University Games (1989).

Summit Video: Alvarado Rodriguez Arregui
Financial Literacy and Banking the Unbanked: From Third World Poor to First World Under-Served