CMS Shark Talk: Recent Episodes
Carol Morgan School
Shark Talk is a space for our alumni community to share about their careers, experiences, and findings after leaving campus.
In the thrilling season 3 finale of Shark Talk, we are honored to welcome our esteemed alumnus Raul Hoyo, class of ’95. Raul is a serial financial entrepreneur with over two decades of expertise in investment fund management, financial advisory, corporate finance, structuring, and financial derivatives. His impressive career spans notable positions at Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, and Citibank. Currently, Raul serves as the President of the Board of Altio, the premier investment fund manager in the Dominican Republic📈.
Mr. Hoyo holds a BA in Business Administration and Economics with a specialization in Finance and Marketing from Lehigh University, Pennsylvania. He also earned an MBA in Entrepreneurship & Family Business from Babson College.
In this episode, we welcome Jorge Pesquera Gassó ‘93 to learn about investing and the different opportunities in the DR capital markets. Jorge has over 20 years of experience in banking, consulting, and the Dominican stock market. Throughout his career, he has worked with individuals and companies to help them achieve financial goals and a better understanding of the advantages of smart investing. He currently serves as the Business Director for Vertex Valores Puesto de Bolsa S.A.
In this episode, we welcome our dear alumna Cynthia Alvarez ‘94 to learn about financial wisdom for business. Cynthia is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional who specializes in personal financial planning, family governance, and family entrepreneurship. She has an MBA from Babson College, a Master Planner Advanced Studies™ designation, and a Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning.
Cynthia is a lifelong entrepreneur who has dedicated her life to better serve the domestic and international market one family at a time. She has assisted more than 750 individuals and families throughout her 28-year career in reaching their life and financial goals.
We continue on Season 3 of 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤🎙️! This is a Special Edition episode as we are featuring a team of three CMS alumni who participated in the significant milestone of the Cesar Iglesias IPO, which marks the first Dominican company to venture into this offering in the Dominican Stock Market. Let’s hear it from our guests Humberto Sangiovanni ‘86, Alejandro Santoni ‘99, and Carmen Armenteros ‘98.
In this episode, we welcome Yamil Isaías ‘94 to learn about investment funds in the Dominican Republic. Yamil has more than 20 years of experience in corporate finance and has occupied different positions in the national banking sector. Throughout his career, he has achieved significant goals worthy of recognition and distinction. He currently serves as Executive Vice President-Chief Investment Officer and Partner of Pioneer Sociedad Administradora de Fondos de Inversión, S.A.
Today we are going to talk about “Wealth Management/Financial Advisory Business Career- Key Success Factors and Best Practices,” and we have the honor to have as a guest Miguel Viyella’74. He is a Prominent family and corporate financial advisor with a remarkable career in wealth management. Barron’s list of America’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors and Forbes’ Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list in 2021. Active supporter and collaborator of charitable organizations in the USA and the Dominican Republic and also Distinguished Alumnus 2019.
Welcome to the 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐃 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 of Shark Talk!🦈🎙️ In this season, we will dive into the different aspects of Finance. In this first episode, we have the honor of welcoming two CMS alumni: Mariel Aybar ‘02 & Steven Puig ‘78.
Mariel is the founder of a women-focused financial planning firm called Balanza. After graduating from Babson College with a double concentration in Finance and entrepreneurship, she obtained an MBA at Barna Business School. Her passion is to inspire and empower women to lead a balanced life through financial education.
Steven holds a master’s degree in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management of Arizona and an Economics and International Finance and Commerce degree from Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Washington, D.C., and graduated from CMS in 1978. He is currently CEO of Banco BHD León in the Dominican Republic.
In this last episode of season 2, we welcome CMS Alumni Rodrigo Montealegre '05, who shares about film as a mode of expression.
Since a very young age, Rodrigo has been interested in film and making short videos; every summer, he took courses or worked on other people's film projects. He got a bachelor's degree in Electronic and Visual Arts at Bard College. After college, he produced several short films that won awards and became immersed in the booming local film industry. He is particularly interested in how stories shape our lives internally and out.
We bring you the sixth episode of the second season of 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤, about Arts & Design. Our guest is Gia Caro de Haché ’88, who graduated from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts majoring in Art History and Economics. She has worked in the Art field since 1992 and is a founding member of the MAM Foundation, 2005-10. Gia has written essays on the History of Art for the Window Magazine of the Listín Diario in Santo Domingo, DR. She is an Art Seminar teacher. She has been a member of the Museum Volunteer of Modern Art member since 2021. She also works as an independent curator in artist exhibitions and is currently part of the Faculty of Chavón, The School of Design.
In this episode of 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤🦈 we learn about Architectural Hotel Photography with Thiago da Cunha ‘87.
Thiago was born in 1968 in Luanda, Angola, then Lived in Portugal, Peru, and the Dominican Republic in 1979. He has a degree in Hotel Management from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) and specializes in Hotel photography. For years he has merged hotel images with architectural photography, offering a new concept for visual marketing in the hospitality industry.
His clients include the most prestigious hotels in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Italy.
Ani Mederos was born in Florida to Cuban immigrants and has been a resident of the Dominican Republic since 1975. She attended Carol Morgan School in grades K-12, graduating in 1989.
She received a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and Design of the Environment from the University of Pennsylvania and furthered her studies in sculpture, printmaking, and graphic design in Italy.
She has also completed professional studies at Barna Management School in Marketing, Project Management, and Public Relations.
She has work experience in Advertising, Communications, and Interior Design and has been working as a visual artist for the past 20 years.
Bingene has a Bachelor's degree in Marketing and Management from the Wharton School of Business, a Master's focusing on art from 1850 to contemporary, and a graduate from Christie's Education. She has over 20 years of experience working in the art industry. Bingene has done curatorial work in places such as the Residence of the United States Embassy, Arte San Ramon, and Carol Morgan School for the Benefit Gala & Auction. She started by writing articles about exhibitions she visited while studying at the Wharton School of Business.
She is currently the director and curator of Arte Berri and Fundación Amaya Salazar.
Georgia Reid Baquero has more than 22 years of experience working in Design alongside her well-known sister Patricia Reid Baquero. Georgia has a Bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature and Art History from Dartmouth College and a Master’s in Political Science and development from London School of Economics. She also studied Art and Drawing at Ecole de Beaux Arts à Paris.
Manuel Emilio is an author, creative director, and brand strategist. As an editor, he has over 20 years of experience collaborating with some of the world’s most recognized high-end interior style brands such as Elle Decoration, Rubelli, Savoir, and Dedar, retailers like Harrod’s, and large corporate organizations.
We talk about Intergenerational Trauma with Dr. Margarita Paredes ’90, a bilingual psychologist based in Austin, Texas. She received her doctorate from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in clinical psychology with a minor in sexual abuse. She has over 20 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in multiple settings such as hospitals, schools, and mental health centers.
Maria Alejandra is a soulful parenting coach. Her main goal is to spark the parenting path, holding space for parents as they explore the journey towards a more empowered family. Mariale guides parents to lead from their core truth, creating compassionate connections.
Sofia is a certified Conscious Family Coach, Positive Discipline Parent Educator, and a Dignity Agent for the Dignity Model by Dr. Donna Hicks. After sixteen years working in Finance and Auditing, she found her passion in coaching parents and now imparts workshops on parenting with dignity and gives private coaching sessions.
Shirley graduated from Emerson College in Communications; later completed her master’s degree from Framingham College in Massachusetts. She specializes in healthy self-esteem workshops for girls. She is the founder of “Nuestros Hijos,” an educational platform for parents, and launched her podcast, “Todos Tenemos Una Historia.”
In today’s Shark Talk, we’ll talk about Joanna’s approach to gaining the confidence we all need, transforming ourselves to find our true potential and passion, and learning to grow from love and happiness.