MEET
OUR
TEAM
Our team's broad expertise, investment discipline and ability to leverage a remarkable business network, enables Phinova to identify, assess, structure, develop and successfully exit investment opportunities.
Our combination of sound international experience, world-class governance standards and proven track-record, with local proprietary origination, deep market knowledge, direct contact with authorities and relevant players, in different sectors and regions, make Phinova an exceptional partner striving to produce outsized returns.
Led by experienced Managing Partners and supported by a strong team of Professionals.
WALTER FONSECA
Partner
Based in Geneva and Monaco, Walter Fonseca is one of the co-founder of Phimpact Investments and its M&A arm Mc Fonck Partners SA. Previously he founded RecipRock Investments, boutique specialized in M&A, fundraising and strategic acquisitions for selected Family Offices and private investors. Walter has more than 30 years of experience in private equity, M&A and venture capital. He led more than 20 successful acquisitions, 19 M&A deals, and more than 10 venture capital investments, leading personally more than 10 successful exits mainly through strategic buyers.
Prior to his entrepreneurial life, he developed his career in international organizations like Merrill Lynch, ABN AMRO and Citicorp, in New York, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, London and Geneva. Jointly with ABN AMRO, he co-founded the Beyond Wealth Investors Club, which focuses in strategic responsible investments. Before he was part of the founding team of Citicorp Venture Capital. He has participated in more than 19 fund raising process for different direct investment vehicles, from VC`s to club deals, private equity and real estate investment funds. Acting on behalf of the investors, he was appointed as board member in 22 privately held and listed portfolio companies, including two where he acted as CEO. As a philanthropic fundraiser he promoted the IAE Endowment Fund. PAD from the IAE Business School, Master in Finance and Graduate in Economics from de Buenos Aires University. Global CEO Program IESE, Spain. Post degrees in Philosophy and Strategy.
CHEMA FERNANDEZ SALGADO
Partner
Chema has a wide experience as responsible for specification and procurement of materials, contractor selection, construction management, estimating, bidding, and negotiations with owner and third-party. Furthermore, he has supported industrial and financial investors in technical, commercial and regulatory DD, mainly in the Energy sector. In the buyer side, he has worked on renewable assets in Spain (solar PV plants and wind farms), natural gas transmission and distribution business for Endesa inter alia. Whereas in the seller side, he has driven transmission and distribution gas assets in Spain and Portugal, solar PV plants and wind farms among others. Related to Mergers and Acquisition processes, his participation has been focused on reviewing assets integrity (including condition, design, construction, capacity and maintenance costs) and potential key issues identification: understanding of the Energy Sector in Spain, including the market, regulated and commercial operations related to the assets; analysis of the capital investment process, network design/planning, work management and capital cost efficiency related to assets’ potential expanding; and reviewing of potential projects under construction, already authorized or in an advanced approval stage.
ADRIAN TORRES AMBITE
Partner
Based in Madrid, Adrián is partner in Arbro Consulting and its co-founder of Viridi Energia. Adrián has more than 20 years of experience in a Private Equity, M&A, Financial Analysis and Valuation. He led a successful acquisition and had been involved in several M&A deal around the world. Adrian has gathered broad experience as he has led processes of Financial Restructuring, Strategic Analysis, Due Diligence, Valuation and M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions). Prior to Arbro and Viridi, Adrián developed his career in international organization like Deloitte, Duff & Phelps (Kroll) and Cleon Capital Prive Equity in Spain, Mexico and London.
CYNTHIA GIOLITO
Head of Sustainability
Cynthia has been a specialist in private social investment, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability for 12 years. During her career, she led the CSR and Sustainability Management of Telecom Group for Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Furthermore, Cynthia joined Samsung as the Senior Manager of Corporate Citizenship with scope in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay where she led This Citizenship Plan for more than 5 years, in which the company implemented high impact programs in education and technology, young innovation, employability and digital inclusion, with regional and global interaction.
Cynthia was a member of the GDFE (Grupo de Fundaciones y Empresas) Board of Directors and coordinated the Samsung Innova Board in 2017 and 2018.
Keynote speaker.
Cynthia has degrees in Translation, Marketing and completed her Executive Program on CSR at the Universidad de San Andres, furthermore she holds a diploma on Private Social Investments for Base Development from the Tecnológico de Monterrey.
ANDER ATORRASAGASTI VILLAR
Investment Officer
Ander is a highly experienced consultant specialized in regulatory frameworks in the field of energy at a Spanish and European level, leading several projects hand in hand with big industrial groups and government entities.
Ander joined ARBRO in 2017 as Senior Consultant, carrying out consulting projects related to M&A processes, where his participation has focused on the review of asset integrity compared to market standards, validation of regulatory requirements, identification of potential key aspects, knowledge of the Spanish and Latin American gas system including regulated or commercial operations related to the assets and review of projects under construction, authorized or in advanced stages of processing.
Furthermore, Ander has actively collaborated in various operations, related to renewable energy plants, focused on obtaining authorizations and licenses, market studies and project feasibilities.
LUCAS FONSECA
Investor Relations
Based between Geneva and Madrid, Lucas is a partner at Phimpact Investments and has a vast international experience, having developed his professional experience in Europe and Latin America, with a particular accent in technology, impact investments, renewable energies, fund raising and cross border transaction.
Prior to join Phimpact, he worked as an Investment Officer at Proparco in Mexico, the International direct investments arm of the AFD, Agence Française de Développement, with a focus in clean energies projects in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. He was responsible for the financial modelling, risk assessment and deal structuring of the investments of the group in the region. Demonstrating skills to participate in multicultural negotiations and in complex international deal structuring.
Graduated from Universita Commerciale Luigi Bocconi (Milan, Italy) in International Economics, Management & Finance, with a major in Finance and a Thesis on behavioural economics applied to fund raising strategies.
Lucas is fluent in Spanish, English, French and Italian.
CHARLES MACK
General Council
Based in Europe, CHARLES MACK developed his career as a Corporate Lawyer in London, Padova and Munich, Dr. Mack has developed and impressive proprietary origination network throughout Europe and an international network in different sectors and activities. With relevant contacts with most significant entrepreneurial families, banks and financial groups, academic leaders and political authorities at National and Municipal level.
Former White & Case Partner specialized in financial restructuring, with an extensive experience in conducting companies through transition events reinforcing family leaderships with new partners and international capital. He has been conducting complex multilateral and multicultural negotiations under pressure.
As president of the European chapter of the International Insol Institute he had a paramount role in the development of the legal framework and financial mechanisms aiming to preserve the companies life, jobs and growth. As a consequence of the previous he became an influential player in front of entrepreneurs, institutional investors, union leaders, and community authorities.
Origination, Negotiation, Structuring and Closing are his natural value added in the investment process.
Keynote speaker, books and articles writer. Fluent in Italian, German, English, Spanish.
JEROME HEELEIN
Head of Luxembourg Desk
Jerome is a regulatory, finance, sustainability seasoned professional as well as a crypto regulatory subject matter expert. He has developed the operations of several businesses in the environmental protection, crypto, finance and real estate categories in Europe, LATAM, US and China. Jerome is a co-founder at Winch Capital Partners SA - a regulated Swiss fiduciary and financial intermediary company, at Regenativ - a Brazilian environmental protection company, and at PandaSea - a Web3 platform dedicated to sports.
Jerome holds an Executive MBA from EHL Group, a certified expert in Sustainable Finance by the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, and a self regulated money laundering reporting officer in Switzerland.
MICHAEL O'KEEFFE
Head of Geneva Desk
Based in Geneva, Michael O’Keefe studied in the USA and has broad international experience in Europe and North America.
Michael has a thorough understanding of private equity and venture capital investing ecosystems, and end to end understanding of the private equity process through multi-jurisdictional investment execution. Developed a strong value-added skillset and understanding of trends and how to implement that understanding into an actionable operational strategy for portfolio companies. Strong family office and entrepreneurial experience developed through Providenzia Capital, 21st Luxury Group, ACE & Company, RMJ Holdings and advising for startup portfolio companies.