Álvaro Mariategui

Álvaro Mariátegui founded Nazca in 2001. As Managing Director he is in charge of the strategic and operational leadership of the management, relationships with investors, fundraising and generating investment opportunities. Álvaro is a member of the Nazca Management Board and Investment Committee. Álvaro has over 20 years of experience in the private equity sector and has participated in important transactions in Spain such as with Unipost, Dibaq, Grupo Bodegas Vinartis, Guzman Gastronomía, El Derecho, Logifrio, Grupo IMO, El Granero Integral, Agromillora, Phibo and Herbex, among others.

What is your experience?

I have worked with family businesses for more than 30 years, mostly as a capital investor in projects of national and international growth. Before founding Nazca, I worked in 2 multinationals, as a financial advisor at Deutsche Bank and Bankers Trust and as an auditor at KPMG. My training is in economy and finance in Spain and the United States.

What makes you most proud to belong to Nazca?

Having created a successful project with my partner, with long-term sustainable competitive advantages, and as an essential part of this, the creation of an outstanding team and a project for all of them.

What factor is key in the private equity management team relationship?

The initial relationship is based on the reputation with the management teams. It is developed with transparency and mutual need. We believe that good teams of great professionalism and deeply rooted values make alliances with investors who have the same characteristics. Nazca attracts the best teams due to its culture of transparency of well-defined objectives and values and strict requirements.

What challenges must entrepreneurs take into account when considering incorporating a private equity fund?

They must be very clear that they want the private equity and be prepared to dedicate time to choosing the right partner. They must be prepared to accept new ideas and adapt their management systems. Above all, they must decide and act on much shorter time frames. Ultimately, transitioning from being owners to partners requires the will to adapt to change. They must therefore understand that the change they are seeking is critical for the partner profile to incorporate.

What has been your most creative project or solution?

Management with nine regional families to provide their business to a national project and create the private leader of the sector in Spain. Nazca was the first professional investor in the world to invest in this sector. The integration of nine companies in a joint project was very complex. Success was due to envisioning the future of the sector and convincing them of the need for the merger. The creation of value in this project was very great.

How do you spend your free time?

In my free time, mainly at the weekend, I seek the balance that full dedication to Nazca does not allow. Outdoor sports, family life, travelling within and outside of Spain, reading, volunteering and spirituality.