New technologies and digitalization are shaping the evolution of the financial sector, and being able to incorporate those in its offering is Aglaia Capital. The Founder and Executive Chairman of Aglaia Capital is Angela Alvarez, she has succeeded in providing strategic and financial advice in corporate transactions, alternative finance and investments, Fintech, or corporate governance. Prior to the founding Aglaia Capital, Angela developed her professional career chairing executive international positions and boards in big entities in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, investment banking, and financial services, mainly focus in the Financial, Real Estate and Hotel sectors, Restructuring, and Alternative Financing.
Angela is a big tech enthusiast and believes that combining human sciences with technology can lead to better outcomes for the betterment of the world. She has an ambition, belief and most importantly, the courage to continue despite the roadblocks or others not believing in her vision. In an interview with Mirror Review, she unravels her journey and shares her fanaticism towards success. Following are the excerpts,
An Independent Corporate Finance Advisory Boutique, and Blockchain-DLT Fintech early stage investments
Can you give us an overview of Aglaia Capital and the industries it caters to?
Aglaia Capital was founded with the mission of mixing traditional industries where I have developed my professional career, along with the Corporate finance, M&A, Investment banking, and Financial Services, with the new digital world anticipating the needs of clients, and including my vision of the industry in short term.
Aglaia Capital is an independent Corporate Finance boutique advisory business headquartered in Madrid specialized in Real Estate transactions, Hotels, and alternative financing also for corporates, as well as on Fintech, Blockchain, and Digital assets. We deal off-market investment opportunities mainly in Spain and Europe, and selectively in Latin America, USA, and Asia. Our experience, knowledge, international capabilities, and cooperating business models with partners in other geographies allow us to deal effectively in some other countries also with a selected niche of investors and unique deals. It has also a second line of business of Venture Capital for Blockchain – Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) Fintech at early stage. It aims to support a new generation of financial infrastructure, where the companies invested will be synergic among them and with Aglaia Capital, and also an Investment Club to make easier the process of making investments.
Imprinting the Vision on the Industry
How has Aglaia Capital helped in fulfilling your vision of industry?
I am lucky of doing what I like to do, and in the industry, I like the most. Aglaia Capital was born and developed naturally as a way of imprinting my vision on my industry. Its activity is the same that I have been developing in my whole professional career, but altered a bit to fit the sectors and geographies depending on the trends and demand, including also a technology offering.
I am feeling fortunate for the interest that Aglaia Capital and I have attracted from its inception, which has inspired me more and pushed me in continuing developing my vision.
Challenges Are Opportunities for Growth
What are the factors that have helped you become the leader that you are today?
Life is like a path where you make decisions, sometimes you face challenges, and sometimes you have rewards. Following one’s dreams and instincts, fight for the things one believes, being calm in the success, and start again in the failures, considering those as different perspectives of the personal and professional growth process, I think that is what makes a difference. Challenges are opportunities to grow, and the ones that have faced, as well as people that I have met in my way that have influenced me, and that I have influenced, have shaped also what I am now.
Opportunity to Imprint Vision
What motivation keeps you going in the toughest of situations?
Being an entrepreneur gives me the opportunity to imprint my vision, and adapt my business to a changing environment. Having a purpose, enjoying what you do, and be surrounded by people that help you with that it is a powerful motivation. We aim to contribute in being the change that we wish to see in our industry. Diversity and openness to anyone sharing our values, and that want to cooperate with us.
Discipline, Knowledge, Personalized approach, and Helpful Clients
According to you, what is the most influential factor in your business’ success?
I think the factor is having the discipline and knowledge of traditional investment banks, but with the quickness, confidentiality, proximity, and personalized approach of an independent corporate finance boutique firm, and including the new trends of technology in our offering.
Also, our clients and business partners have helped us throughout the journey. The clients take advantage of our deal flow and if they are corporates or business owners, of our network of investors and financing providers. Our trusted business partners and cooperative business models have also a positive impact on what has been our development, leveraging also on their experience, and competitive advantages allowing us to serve better to our clients, and enrich our capabilities.
Valuable Traits in a Creative Process and in a Leader
According to you, what are the three must-have characteristics in today’s leaders?
I think that more than just three characteristics would be needed. the leaders of today must have a clear vision, determination, passion, resilience, and creativity to survive in the competition. More than ever I think that leaders should have also integrity, intelligence, the ability to inspire, and lead in a volatile and changing environment, perceive patterns with some random data.
As a leader, one must be willing to imagine or anticipate the trends beforehand. In my opinion, having paradoxical thinking makes the world an umbrella of possibilities even if they may be contradictory, one must still be willing to function, and make conclusions. These are the valuable traits in any creative process, and also, in this new world where we are living, in a leader.
