M&A Advisor · Board Member · Investor

I help founders
exit well and
grow further.

25 years building, scaling, and acquiring businesses across financial services, fintech, and technology. I sit on boards, guide M&A processes, and advise leadership teams on the decisions that define companies.

Book a Conversation How I Can Help
25+
Years Leadership
4
Continents
$1B+
Value Closed
Dario Fuentes Alvarez
Boston, MA  ·  United States
Active investor in Latin America
Active investor in Southeast Asia
What I Do

Three ways I can work
alongside you

Whether you are preparing to sell, looking to grow through acquisition, or need a seasoned operator in your corner, here is how we can build something together.

01

M&A Board Advisory

For founders and shareholders preparing for a sale or recapitalization. I join your board and guide the full process: from exit readiness and deal structuring through to close. I know what buyers look for because I have been one.

For companies $1M to $50M revenue
02

Strategic Advisory

For CEOs and leadership teams navigating growth, partnerships, or market expansion. I bring hands-on experience closing landmark enterprise deals and scaling platforms from zero to millions of users across 38 markets.

Go-to-market & partnerships
03

Board Governance

For companies seeking an experienced board member who is also an active investor. I bring operator credibility, international network depth across the US, Europe, and Latin America, and direct experience in regulated industries.

Fintech, payments, technology
Track Record

Transactions & direct investments

Not theoretical. Every engagement below reflects real capital at risk, real deals closed, and real integration work completed.

01

Bank Acquisition Integration — United States

Full end-to-end integration leadership of a $500M asset bank acquisition
  • Structured as an asset purchase with full wind-down of the acquired bank's license and transfer of all assets to the acquiring institution.
  • Led full integration from day one through stabilization: team alignment, systems migration, regulatory coordination, and operational continuity.
  • Managed a complex regulatory constraint requiring precise sequencing: the acquiring institution could not grow new business during the transition period.
  • Delivered a clean, on-schedule integration with no material disruption to existing depositors or operations.
🇺🇸 United States
02

Fintech Startup — Angel Investor & Early Backer

Embedded cross-border payments infrastructure, headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • One of the first investors, backing the company at inception alongside the founding team.
  • The company has since raised $20M from institutional investors, counts major banks and global remittance operators among its 40+ clients, and quadrupled transaction volume in 2024 while reaching sustained profitability.
  • Now expanding across all Latin American corridors and the US-Europe-LatAm triangle, targeting a tenfold increase in enterprise clients by 2027.
🌎 Latin America
03

Direct Investor Portfolio — Southeast Asia

Active investor across early and growth-stage companies in Southeast Asia
  • Telco Infrastructure (Philippines): Active investor in a high-growth fiber optic company building connectivity across the Philippines.
  • Hospitality & Tourism (Philippines): Investor in a boutique resort and dive operation covering rooms, restaurants, and adventure activities.
🌐 Southeast Asia
Core Capabilities

Where I bring real depth

Across 25 years I have operated at the intersection of commercial strategy, regulated financial services, and high-stakes deal-making. These are areas of direct accountability, not theoretical familiarity.

M&A Deal Structuring Post-Merger Integration Exit Readiness Board Governance Go-to-Market Strategy Strategic Negotiations Enterprise Partnerships Payments Infrastructure Embedded Finance Due Diligence Deal Sourcing Acquisition Strategy Direct Investing Regulatory Fluency (Fed, OCC, GDPR) Digital Banking Revenue Scaling Cross-border Expansion RTP, ACH & Payments Architecture Fintech & Banking
Operator Credentials

What I have built
at scale

Buyers pay premiums for companies with proven commercial engines. This is what I have built directly, and what I bring to every advisory engagement.

  • —Scaled an embedded finance platform from zero to 4M consumer contracts and 65,000 enterprise merchants across 19 European countries in under 2 years.
  • —Closed a landmark distribution partnership with a US telco (100M+ customers), generating over $1B in deposit acquisition in Year 1.
  • —Won a consumer financing mandate in Germany in a competitive multi-stakeholder RFP against major banks; led full national rollout.
  • —Built a digital banking operation from zero to nationwide scale across 48 US states; doubled the deposit acquisition rate.
Career

Selected leadership roles

EVP, Head of Partnerships & Payments
Major US Bank
Chief Commercial Officer
Embedded Finance Venture, Europe
EVP, Head of US Digital Banking
Latin American Bank, US
Head of Business Development, LATAM
Global Payments Platform
CEO, US Entity
European Bank, US (acquisition integration)
Head of Innovation & Strategic Partnerships
European Bank Group
Governance

Board & civic leadership

Board Positions

Real Estate Finance Institution (Mexico)Board Member & Audit Committee
FIBAPresident & Board Member

Civic & Chamber Leadership

Spain-US Chamber of CommerceTreasurer & Board Member
Greater Miami Chamber of CommerceBoard Member
Global Reach

Operator and investor
across four continents

Real experience in regulated markets, not advisory familiarity.

🇺🇸
United States
Senior executive roles at major US and international banks. Based in Boston, MA.
🌎
Latin America
Business development across 38 markets, early-stage investor in Buenos Aires fintech, board member in Mexico.
🇪🇺
Europe
Embedded finance platform across 19 countries, consumer financing mandate, innovation leadership in European banking.
🌐
Southeast Asia
Direct investor in fiber optic infrastructure and hospitality across the Philippines.
Background

Education & development

Academic

Stanford University GSBStanford LEAD
MITBig Data & Blockchain
IESE Business SchoolSenior Executive Program
Univ. Pontificia ComillasMSc Financial Markets

Languages

EnglishFluent
SpanishNative
GermanProfessional
Get in Touch

Let's start a real conversation

Whether you are exploring an exit, building your board, or simply want to connect, I respond personally to every message.

Message sent. I will be in touch shortly.

Direct Contact

Emaildario@thedariofuentes.com
Connect on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/dariofuentes

Prefer to talk directly?

Book a 30-minute introductory call. No agenda required. Just a conversation to see if there is a fit.

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