Oscar Garcia Mendoza is a senior executive with an extensive background in banking, finance, economic and social affairs. He is the former president and CEO of Venezolano de Crédito, Banco Universal (founded in 1925) a position he held from 1983 to 2014, and currently serves on its board of directors. Mr. Garcia Mendoza has served on the board of directors of several successful companies throughout his career, both in Venezuela and abroad. These include joint ventures with global financial firms such as Societe Generale and Swiss Bank Corporation. He previously served as a member of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a division of the World Bank Group and is a co-founder of Suiche 7B, the first system to interconnect ATMs throughout Venezuela.As a forward-thinking entrepreneur, he participates in a broad range of activities relating to financial services. Currently, he is chairman of the board at NovoPayment Group, an award-winning payments technology and services company serving the Latin America and the Caribbean.A former contributor with El Universal, leading Venezuelan newspaper and publisher, and with Veneconomia, respected weekly business periodical covering national news and providing analysis, he holds a degree from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello’s Law School and has authored several books devoted to economic and banking affairs.A thought-leader with a strong sense of social responsibility, Mr. Garcia Mendoza has collaborated on projects that champion individual rights and private enterprise. Examples of these projects include Un Sueño para Venezuela, a citizenship educational program, "Por un Pais de Propietarios" (a property rights defense program) and "Observatorio Venezolano de Prisiones" (a watch group focused on protecting the human rights of Venezuelan prisoners). In 2013, he was honored by with the “Excellence in the Defense of Liberty” award, presented by the Atlas Network Foundation.