Board Treasurer
Warburg Pincus
Martin has always seen venture capitalists and entrepreneurs as agents of change who want to make the world a better place to live in. As such, he sought out to become a venture capitalist himself, spending four years in Silicon Valley as he learned from, and was mentored by the very best professionals in the field.
He was part of the pioneering teams that introduced US-style cross-border venture capital and private investing in Asia, working for Hambrecht & Quist Asia Pacific (H&QAP) and Walden International. With more than 25 years of experience in the industry, he was involved in several investments that have led to successful local and regional public listings or profitable corporate acquisitions. Martin is currently the Country Manager of Warburg Pincus, one of the oldest private equity firms in the world which was founded in 1966 after working as Managing Director and Head of Philippines of Crescent Point, a Southeast Asia and China-focused private equity firm.
Martin received his BA Economics degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in Manila and his MBA (Honors) from the Arthur D. Little School of Management in Chestnut Hill, MA. He is a graduate of the 5th US National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) Venture Capital Institute Graduate Management Program (2004), and the 29th NVCA Venture Capital Institute Management Program (2003).
Martin is a proud father of two and boasts that his children are his start-up home runs. He loves to play basketball, soccer, lacrosse, backgammon, solitaire, and blackjack and is a big fan of the underdog in all sports.
To Martin, the Special Olympics mission remains as vital today as it was when it was first founded in 1968. Drawing from his experience as a venture capitalist, he knows potential for change when he sees it. Thus, he recognizes that Special Olympics athletes are changemakers in their own right. He notes how in every corner of the world, the Special Olympics movement urges people to embrace differences and build more inclusive societies.
He believes that in life, we are each dealt a set of cards. The deck is shuffled in such a way that we do not know what we are going to get. Inclusion means that no matter what hand we are dealt; no matter what disability, condition, and handicap you may have, you get a fair shot to play your cards right. For Martin, true inclusivity can only be achieved when everyone gets a seat at the table. This is why he accepted the invitation to join the Board of Directors of Special Olympics Pilipinas.
