Over ten years in which I've come to discover and believe of himself the storyteller. The teller of stories that question our place and angle with the universe, are mirrors in which we see ourselves for what we learn to and believe about others and ourselves, strip us of the identities we build and the roles we assume; stories that challenge our silences, are paths of self-discovery, growth and personal redemption.✎ arenas.felipe@gmail.com

◄ I’ve been part of over sixty client/projects throughout the Americas and Asia and totaling close to USD $650M. ► • From the planning and formulation of pro-forma cash-flow projections and business plan development; from early to multimillion rounds of financing; from term sheets to negotiations, documentation and closings, I’ve participated and led a significant number of financial planning and financing efforts for clients including BHP BILLITON, CITIGROUP, DARBY OVERSEAS, INTER AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK, MERRILL LYNCH amongst other engagements. • Other credits include the restructuring of liabilities and sale of a 50% equity stake in HYSTER distributor UNIMAQ S.A. (Colombia); cash-flow model for SMARTMATIC’s winning bid for the fare collection operations of TRANSCARIBE (Cartagena’s – Colombia – public mass transportation system,) financing of real estate development OXO 94 (Bogotá – Colombia – equity, debt and divestitures worth USD $26 million), the acquisition of a majority stake in NORVENTAS (Colombia – construction materials distributor with revenues of upwards of USD $20 million), the early financing of Clinical Research Organization (CRO) SIPLAS RO (Andean Region -.) and the detailed cash-flow projections and business plan for a fresh-cut flower growing operation in the Chinese province of Yunnan for clients AMAZON FLOWERS CORP and NEW WORLD GROUP among others. In the mean time I remain involved in a few boards of directors, and take part in a very limited number of selected engagements.Always ready to be part of a great story.✎ arenas.felipe@gmail.com

While building my career as an Investment Banker, taking care of clients nd studying hard to earn my Bachelor’s in Business/Management degree (online), for little over two years I found an income baseline by taking a spot as test-prep (TOEFL) Facilitator at local KAPLAN franchise, and by offering private EASL lessons. Little did I know when taking the gig, that besides the financial reprieve that came from showing up four times a week and getting into character to address a wide eyed audience of pre-grad and advanced programs applicants, of students wanting to waive credits and career men and women vying for the next promotion, the good it would bring to my life. For regardless of how overworked and emotionaly drianed I was, for well over two years and from the cusp of dawn and well into the night, when asked to take stage in brightly lit white rooms full of prying eyes and be a gateway for my students towards better scores, I took to it with great pride and brought my absolute very best, every time. Looking back, not only a time full of fond memories, but the two years when I a reached a couple of milestones; earned my degree and got back on my feet without losing a step on what was a sprouting career in finance. Somehow too, a conduit for my musings and later my go-to space when commanding a stage or podium.

Little over two years out of high school, I was called to take over the restructuring of my family’s holdings. With investments in media (PRODUCCIONES CINEVISION LTDA.), advertising (ASER PUBLICIDAD LTDA.) and real estate, I presided over both the holding and TV companies and lead the divestiture and retirement of all the liabilities and debt agreements accrued and outstanding before and during my tenure at the company.

The second of three of my life’s passions (first I wanted to be a painter,) every day for over seven years I breathed and lived everything horses and equestrian sports (showjumping). Over the span of my equestrian carreer, I took part in at least two hundred equestrian shows and showed in no less than six hundred classes (and some multiple of that in rounds and training sessions). After collecting a number of ribbons and trophies, in 1992 I was crowned Colombian Young Rider’s National Champion. When I did a brief stint showing horses at local and international shows throughout Europe (France and the Netherlands mostly,) taking a couple of podiums in different classes and top five placement in international Grand Prix outings.