The following conversation with Ángela Álvarez, the CEO and Founder of Aglaia Capital, highlights what it means to have a vision in a professional journey, teaches how to serve clients and the industry, demonstrates the value of being surrounded by like-minded people, and ultimately, by being an exemplary example, paves the path for women empowerment.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Kindly take us through your journey to becoming a proficient leader.
There are some traits that come to the surface in childhood but that stay latent until something triggers them, and they appear again stronger enriched by all the discoveries learned along the path.
The challenges and situations that I have had to face in my life, having my own vision and opinions, people that have influenced me, and people that I’ve influenced, have shaped my vital growth without losing my essence.
I think that a good dose of authenticity, passion, ambition, honesty, courage, generosity, resilience, curiosity, appetite for knowledge, and vision have been good companions on my personal and professional journey, together with that inner impulse of doing better every day, and of making an impact to make a better world.
How do you diversify your organization’s offerings to entice the target audience?
Aglaia Capital surge as an expression of my vision on the industry where I have been developed my professional career, Corporate Finance, M&A, Investment Banking, and Financial Services, combined with new technologies businesses, anticipating the needs of the clients and the industry itself.
Aglaia Capital lies in two main areas. One, focus on advisory Corporate Finance, M&A and Private Equity, focused on selected niche funds and investors, off-market deals, mainly in Europe, selectively in other geographies, specialized in Financing structures, Hotels, Real Estate, and Fintech, Blockchain, and Digital Assets.
Financing structures for Real Estate and Corporates, as well as off-market portfolio movements on Hotels, or Real Estate and Distressed Assets have been our core, which we are continually adapting according to the situations and the demands of investors and sponsors.
New Technologies and digitalization are shaping the evolution of the financial sector, also transforming our industry, and I have incorporated digital assets into our offerings.
The second, focused on a Venture Capital business for early-stage Fintech Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) projects, empowering the foundations of a new generation of the financial infrastructure that we consider to be the engine for the natural evolvement of the Financial Industry and Capital Markets.
The investment thesis is oriented to digital securities infrastructure, enterprise DLT, and decentralized finance. Besides, we offer Aglaia Capital Club, an Investment Club with services for Investors.
How do you strategize your game plans to tackle the competition in the market?
Regarding our lines of business, on Corporate Finance, we have extensive experience in transactions, applying traditional investment banking discipline and knowledge, going from plain situations to the most complex, from low size to big sizes deals.
We have a dynamic deal flow focus on off-market opportunities and usually work with investors for every type of asset and type of transactions, that we are continuing nourishing as well as the deal flow.
Our main advantage is the agility, based on our knowledge of the industry, the investors, and clients, as well as the independence and confidentiality, acting as the traditional big firms but with the advantages of a personalized approach. Clients find this particularly valuable, and that we do not have usually conflicts of interest, so we focus on the interest of our clients and closing.
On Venture Capital, we have a unique offering, being specialized Fintech Blockchain fund managers with a deal flow of selective opportunities. We also offer other alternative investments in other sectors we consider as a trend, with specialized fund managers, such as Financing and Pharma.
I usually participate in economic, industry, and mastermind forums, which nourish my global vision and creativity in the business world.
What are the vital traits that every businesswoman should possess?
Vital traits such as Resilience, Passion, Vision, Courage, Creativity, knowledge-seeking, curiosity, flexibility, character, and determination seem to be good drivers for any businessperson.
What roadblocks or challenges do you face in a corporate setting? And how did you overcome them?
I have faced many challenges that I have seen as a part of my growth process. Following my instincts, vision and purpose have been the main tools to overcome them. Keep the passion, resilience, patience, flexibility, and being surrounded by allied and partners, with the same mission, values, and objectives than us, have made this entrepreneurship trip easier to travel.
Have you in any way contributed towards the cause of women empowerment?
Diversity and sustainability are at the core of our ethos at Aglaia Capital. Diversity is needed for a better understanding of this complex world and will be a competitive advantage for any business in the short term.
I have grown and succeeded in a professional career that is typically dominated by men, and have done so without thinking about gender, but on the business itself. The achievements and the influence that I may have had in others may be also one contribution to women’s empowerment. I usually focus all the energy not on fighting the old but on building the new. Leading by example can be a powerful way for all of us to contribute to women’s empowerment.
What kind of support was required and gained by you while emerging as a business forerunner?
Aglaia Capital has evolved quite naturally, being feed with former and new clients, and allies and partners sharing our vision.
The old and new are mixing, having a separate part, and a role in the business. I feel fortunate of the interest that I and my company have attracted and grateful for being awarded and featured frequently in my industry since its inception, which also has driven me in further continuing developing my vision.
What are your future endeavours/objectives and where do you see yourself in the near future?
Future objectives are the consolidation of Aglaia Capital and continuing growing our core Corporate Finance business and making new developments for digital assets. We are also on the process of fundraising for our Fintech Blockchain Venture Capital fund which we would like to have it ready as soon as possible.
I see myself in the future thriving, continuing developing Aglaia Capital and our businesses, and continuing contributing to transforming the financial industry.