My Goals in Live

I have been involved in tourism since childhood as both of my parents each established and run important tour operator companies in France and Peru. While I have always being interested in developing my family business, I believed that I needed first to learn from other companies. I wanted specifically to learn about fund raising strategies. Therefore, before leaving college, I applied for a job in commercial banking and started working for Banco Sudamericano (local family-run bank) until it was acquired by Scotiabank. At the time of the merge, I was working as an analyst having a wide experience in a variety of industrial sectors. During the merge, I managed to adjust myself to working for a multinational company with new policies, procedures and formats. I was selected to adapt and improve the Scotiabank's reports according to local standards and I assumed a leadership position by becoming a team leader in charge of three analysts (later the group was increased to five). After the merging process, I was promoted to corporate banking as part of the first Credit Solution team (new area created after the merge). As a senior analyst, I was in charge of maintaining and improving the relationship with the clients and the credit area while mentoring new analysts.

While working in corporate banking, I specialized in the mining analysis and took an extensive training from Scotiabank's mining specialists and engineers on mining's matters. After having worked for two years at Corporate Banking, I applied for a job in the credit area since I wanted a job that required more responsibilities. I was named Senior Credit officer being responsible for the Bank's mining portfolio (the most important portfolio estimated at USD 520mm) and became Scotiabank's mining specialist. This expertise has allowed me to travel to distant communities where I realized some of Peru's tourism potential. Indeed, merely in all Peruvian communities there are important traits of ancient cultures, fascinating ways of living and unique persons, all together with stunning landscapes. During my professional career, I have managed to combine my work in the Bank with a position in the board of directors in my local family business: Solmartour (Peruvian tour operator with facilities in Peru and Ecuador). Indeed, I have an active role in Solmartour not only as a director (since mid 2005) but also as a financial and administration advisor. I consider that my experience as a Credit Officer is my last stage as a Banker since I have now an overall understanding of commercial Banking and I am more prepared to reach my goal: becoming a successful entrepreneur specialized in tourism.

The perspective is more than promising for tourism in Peru: the country has one of the richest blends of different cultures (ancient pre-Hispanic, European, African and Asian) and has one of the richest biodiversities of Earth. Paradoxically, Peru is only the fourth most visited country in South America even if holding one of the world's most known tourism icons: Machu Picchu. . First, I want to develop Somartour by venturing the company in new sectors such as hospitality, transport and entertainment. I am also interest in developing other areas of tourism such as ecotourism, medical tourism and mostly sustainable tourism.

I understand that tourism is more than only travelling, it is a major experience for both the traveler and the locals. As part of my travels I have experienced living with other cultures and I have been deeply impacted with the difficult conditions that distant communities endure in order to make a living. Over my banking career I decided to specialize in the