Manuel García Podestá joined Advent in 2010 and is a Managing Director in Bogotá. He advises on investments in the industrial sector. Manuel has advised on 12 investments during his career at Advent.
Prior to joining Advent, Manuel was a vice president in Lazard’s Investment Banking group, where he covered clients in Colombia, Central America, and the Caribbean. Prior to that, he worked as an associate for MBA Lazard in its Buenos Aires office, working in M&A, capital raising, and corporate restructurings across a variety of sectors.
Manuel holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires and an MBA as an Arjay Miller Scholar from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
What are the benefits of having an established office in Colombia?
Advent has successfully positioned ourselves as a local player that’s here for the long haul. Although the Bogotá office opened in 2011, we’ve been in the region since 1996. This has provided Advent with a deep understanding of the different economic and political cycles in Latin America. Advent’s strategy is geared toward finding interesting business opportunities within those cycles. Around 80% of our activity in Colombia has been with a local partner, helping us build a track record of good relationships with families and founders. We’re seen as a strong financial partner committed to the region, and that resonates strongly with our stakeholders.
How have your global colleagues helped you to succeed?
I moved to Colombia very early in my career in Advent, and was given the chance to help develop and grow our team here. Whenever we didn’t have enough resources locally we would bring in people from other offices such as Boston, Brazil, and Mexico. Since then, I’ve always enjoyed the opportunity to work with colleagues globally, learning about other cultures, and how they approach partnering with management teams, founders, and entrepreneurs. Today, whenever Advent looks at a business, we always take the opportunity to discuss it with our global team and Operating Partners. That has been an important part of my journey.
“I’ve always enjoyed the opportunity to work with colleagues globally, learning about other cultures, and how they approach partnering with management teams, founders, and entrepreneurs.”
Manuel Garcia Podestá
Managing Director, Advent
How do you keep on challenging yourself to learn and improve?
I’ve always been attracted to places where there’s a continuous opportunity for learning. I remember my interview to join Advent in Sao Paulo. By the end of that day, I knew I needed to be here, because it would provide those opportunities. That proved correct, from when I first began working in Argentina, and then had the opportunity to learn about the business environment in Colombia, followed by Mexico, Peru, and Brazil. I then learned Portuguese to better interact with Brazilian founders and managers. Today, I’m responsible for providing advice for the Andean region. That’s what keeps me excited and engaged, by continually asking myself, ‘What’s the next thing I can learn?’
What keeps you busy outside the office?
Spending time with my family is very important. I am married and have four children. We love being outdoors and do a lot of traveling. Each December, when it’s summer in Argentina, we go back to Patagonia and get to do trekking, rafting, and fishing. We enjoy sports together – and my kids still support Argentina in soccer, especially after Messi guided them to World Cup victory!
