Economic Briefing & Learning Event

RAFAEL GARCHITORENA

Chief Strategist and co-Head of Research of Regis Partners Inc.

Rafa's experience in the equities industry is extensive. He began his career as a research analyst at BZW in Manila from 1993 to

1998. He then worked for W.I. Carr as an equity sales person based in London from 1998 to 2002. Rafa joined Regis Partners Inc. as a senior analyst in April 2002. He was, then, the industry specialist for Philippine banks and the property sector. While he continues to cover the Philippine Banking sector, Rafa is now principally responsible for the company's overall equities strategy.

Rafael graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Engineering.

Franco Varona

Franco is a Co-Founder and the Managing Partner at Foxmont Capital Partners. Franco is a pioneering venture capitalist in the Philippines, as the fund continues to be the only independent vc firm in the country. Foxmont currently has ~USD $25M assets under management across two fund vintages, with over 30 active portfolio companies in various startuos across the Philippines.

Franco is a seasoned operator and has co-founded, led, and consulted businesses across various industries in the Philippines, including media, retail, logistics, and transportation. Franco is also a Co-Founder and Director in Global Media Post, a boutique agency based in Singapore specializinc in media production and sales, and business intelligence, supply chain sourcing, and M&A advisory services.

He is also a Co-Founder and Partner at Vintage Grail, a leading Southeast Asian watch retailer with shops in Manila and Hong Kong.

Prior to Foxmont, Franco was the Founding General Manager of Grab Philippines, having hired the first 100 employees, established the operations of GrabTaxi, and laid the groundwork for Grab's international expansion bevond the Philippines.

Franco graduated from Syracuse University with a double major in International Relations (Maxwell School) and Literature.

Franco started his career as an analyst at the Wilson Center (Washington, DC) - the number one regional studies think tank in the world. His focus was on cross-border trade and the economic benefits of the North American Free Trade Agreement.