Sunday, April 15, 2018

Venture Capitalist - Angel Investor - Entrepreneur - Board Advisor - Financial Advisor

Summary of Experience

Areas of Expertise:
• Team Lead (P&L management)
• Entrepreneur & Consulting (setup of startups to VC funding)
• Mergers & Acquisitions and corporate and sovereign debt raising

• Strong experience in:
• Setup and development of startups
• VC funding of startups
• Advisory on buying and selling companies
• Industry focus: tech and internet for various industries

Some Achievements:
• Springwater Capital: identification of potential startup investments and advisory on developing their businesses – over 800 startups identified in pipeline in 15 months
• Springwater Capital: management of all elements of the financial management of the Group, investments & divestments
• Consenda: setup of business and business development to major and small to medium sized newspapers
• Advisory to VC funds on their startup investments
• Led multimillion dollar M&A transactions in various countries and raised billions in corporate, sovereign and multilateral funding, including over $900 million raised for the African Development Bank.

Other relevant experience:
• Co-Founder and Co-Editor of the leading Spanish-language financial news web site for 10 years (2005-2015), reaching almost one million unique readers per month
• Advisor to various startups
• Active with the IE Business School Entrepreneurial program
• Advisor to Produktif – a non-profit developing affordable and sustainable modular housing with zero carbon footprint

Sunday, April 01, 2018

Pontum Ventures

Managing Partner

Investors
Entrepreneurial ecosystem
Supporting Startups with building & funding
Connecting Corporates with Startups & Innovation
Working with Angel investors wanting to invest
Working with venture capital investors

www.pontumventures.com

Friday, July 01, 2016

Springwater Capital

Chief Risk Officer & Chief Financial Officer Overseeing all financial and risk aspects of the business, investments & divestments - Private Equity.

Thursday, October 01, 2015

Springwater Capital - Ecosystem Ventures

General Partner - Venture Capital

Investing in early-stage entrepreneurial ventures with a focus on investing in very early-stage companies to assist them to establish and grow their businesses also assist in expanding into markets in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Strong knowledge, contacts and experience of the ecosystem: entrepreneurs, startups, mentors, accelerators, investors, Angel investors, family offices, etc., including as an entrepreneur, Mergers & Acquisitions, portfolio management and Board representation.

Saturday, January 01, 2011

Entrepreneur - Consenda AG

January, 2011 to today - Advisor and Executive Director

Advising on Business affairs, financial and all aspects of international development of Consenda products and services.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Blogger and commentator

April, 2005 to October, 2015 – Co-founding Editor of El Blog Salmón weblog

For its first 10 years I was the main contributor to the leading Spanish-language business and financial collaborative weblog, El Blog Salmon (www.elblogsalmon.com/), as well as being one of the founding editors.

See all my articles at: https://www.elblogsalmon.com/autor/onesimo-alvarez-moro

This business and financial weblog has been published continuously since April, 2005, and has experienced continuous growth in unique visitors and in monthly page views, becoming the most widely read Spanish-language business and financial weblog worldwide.

In 2010, El Blog Salmón was awarded the prestigious Bitacoras.com 2010 as the best Spanish-language weblog in the business category.

As part my leadership at El Blog Salmón, I have participated in the selection of new editors as well as participating in design, rollout and penetration of the weblog.

In addition, I have participated in consulting and speaking at conferences, as well as being irregularly quoted in other publications.

Entrepreneur and Blogger

October, 2004 to today – Founder and Managing Editor of Governance Focus weblog

The Governance Focus weblog (www.governancefocus.com/), focused on corporate and board governance, ethics, compliance, environment, development and social responsibility. Information is obtained from many sources for information, opinion and debate.

Un lugar de temas, ideas y debate sobre el buen gobierno de empresas y de Consejos, ética, medio ambiente, desarrollo y responsabilidad corporativa, a nivel mundial. La información y documentación proviene de muchas fuentes para el máximo de información, opinión y debate. In English & Español.

As part of Governance Focus, I have participated in consulting and conferences related to the areas of governance, ethics, the environment and business practices, social responsibility certification of business activities and consulting on company social community participation.

Have consulted on governance, CSR, online content and online community issues.

Independent Consultant

November, 1998 to January, 2011 - Advisor to venture capital

I act as an advisor to venture capital organizations in Europe and in the US on their investments, on their restructurings, on their divestments and on their capital raising.

I also act as an advisor to companies seeking to raise equity, from venture capital and from mergers and acquisitions.

As advisor I have performed the following services in connection with various engagements over the years:

  • Review the Company’s current business operations, prospects and projected financial results and such other matters as the Advisors deems relevant to enable it to render financial advice and assistance to the Company.
  • Assistance in the preparation and review of a required documents.
  • Assistance with the tailoring of a negotiating strategy and continuing assistance in all discussions and negotiations.
  • As well as full assistance in the preparation and presentation of any Letters of Intent.
  • Assistance with the legal, fiscal, auditing and accounting aspects of any transaction, as well as coordination of all outside advisers.
  • Advice on the appropriate financing structure for lhe acquisition or acquisitions, if required.
  • Identification and contact potential investors.
  • Assistance in the negotiation and structuring of an investment and advising the Company with respect thereto.


I help companies understand the following and demonstrate these to potential investors:

  • A clear understanding of the business.
  • A clear understanding of the barriers to entry and other hurdles of business.
  • Drive and ambition for the business.
  • Relevant experience of the management team.
  • A vision for the growth of the company.
  • The character, expertise, experience and skills of key members of the management team.

Entrepreneur - Consenda, Inc.

March, 2004 to March, 2007 – Vice President, Business Operations

Consenda Inc. is an American media software company that has developed online content and recommendation delivery platforms called NewsPoint.

NewsPoint is based on the “RSS” online publishing format, and custom branded versions of NewsPoint are licensed exclusively to traditional publishers, online publishers and media companies for distribution to their end users.

With a small management team, we completed the full steps of client and partnership development and product implentation.

This followed the full range of business development and client management steps, including such steps as the identification of partnership candidates, structuring the approach to potential partners, initiation of contacts, development of presentations and negotiation of partnerships, hands on negotiation of contracts, implementation of agreements, management of technology implementation, including liaising with and management of both technical departments, ongoing management of partnerships, including:

• Identification of partnership candidates,
• Structuring the approach to potential partners,
• Initiation of contacts,
• Development of presentations and negotiation of partnerships,
• Hands on negotiation of contracts,
• Implementation of agreements, including liaising with and management of both technical departments,
• Coordination with clients of all marketing and promotional messages for final users,
• Ongoing management of partnerships.

In two years, our signed clients are The Guardian of London, Los Angeles Times / Tribune Interactive, Law.com / American Lawyer, MacMillan publishing group and the local Swiss newspaper, GstaadLife. Our partnership pipeline is also well developed. Our work with publishers requires us to closely consult and assist them in developing their complete online strategies, in combination with their mainstream businesses.

In addition, we have signed multiyear partnerships with Yahoo!, the leading web portal and worldwide ad management and support company and with Publigroupe, the leading Swiss advertising management group.

During this period we also put together a powerful Advisory Board whose members have assisted us in moving the business forward.

Consultant

November, 1998 to March, 2004 - Consultant, New York

Working in conjunction with Gundersen Partners, LLC. I worked as an independent advisor and strategic internet consultant in mergers and acquisitions, capital raising and private equity, with special focus in marketing, the internet and new media. Examples of Gundersen Partners M&A clients, including both acquirers and acquirees, are D’Arcy, Y&R, McCann MRM, Tempus Group/Added Value Group, Direct Partners, Sloan Group, and Singer Design.

During this period I worked developing TradeAmbassadors, an online platform for the development of trade and business development conferences, and BoardNexus, an online platform for the automation of Board member activity through online information and document management tools.

At Gundersen Partners, the New York-based recruiter and consultant with six offices in four countries, I also acted as their Chief Financial Officer, including managing relationships with banks, with accountants and developing and negotiating their international acquisition/growth activities.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA Group)

1995 to 1998 - Capital Markets and Corporate Finance, London, U.K.

Origination and full execution of equity and debt capital markets transactions, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, privatizations and project finance.

Advising international companies in their direct investments in Latin America and Central America, and of Latin American companies in their opening to foreign direct investment.

Coordination and overall management of the international investment banking and corporate finance activities of the BBVA financial group throughout Latin America, including Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Argentina. Local investment banking companies were made up of more than 75 executives and with approximately 12 direct reports.

Also, advising groups with industrial holdings/investments on their portfolio strategy, performance monitoring and on the industrial position of each individual company, including potential M&A and partnerships.

1991 to 1994 - Director of Corporate Finance, Madrid, Spain

Advising international companies investing in Spain in acquisitions, joint ventures and partnerships as well as Spanish companies investing outside, particularly in Latin America. In addition to advisory in privatizations.

Morgan Stanley Dean Witter (formerly Dean Witter Capital Markets - International)

1987 to 1990 - Vice President, Mergers and Acquisitions, London & New York

Advising in international acquisition opportunities, primarily for European clients.

1983 to 1987 Vice President, Investment Banking, London

International financings (including bond issues, syndicated loans, private placements and structured financings). Clients included financial institutions, companies, governments and agencies.

In addition, I worked in the area of third world debt with various governments including in Latin America and Africa.

Australian Taxation Office

1979 to 1981 - Taxation Assessor, Melbourne, Australia

Assessment of taxation obligations for individuals and corporations, particularly the interpretation of government legislation and its application to business situations.

University Education

Graduated in 1983 - Instituto de Estudios Superiores de la Empresa (“IESE”), Barcelona, Spain

M.B.A. - M.E.D., Master in Business Administration - Master en Economía y Dirección de Empresas (Harvard Business School - affiliated program), including a semester at the Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Illinois, USA.

Graduated in 1981 - La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

Bachelor of Economics. The last two years completed part time while working at the Australian Taxation Office.

Other Information

Voluntary: During my time in New York, I served on the Advisory Board of the non-profit, City at Peace-New York (US) (www.cpnational.org/ny).

Publishing: Numerous articles in economic journals and extensive collaboration on the book “Euronotes” published by Euromoney.

Seminars & Speeches: Have presented various seminars and speeches, primarily on new forms of financing, on venture capital, entrepreneurial activity and on emerging markets