Biography of Rene

Investor. High Conviction Trader. Capitalist.

Introduction

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

Rene Benitez is an experienced wholesale investor. He is the founder of the Manila Angel Investors Network.

He is a former investment banker with extensive financial services experience, having served as a CEO of an independent investment bank and a CEO of a Euromoney/Asiamoney-rated stockbroking operation.

His prior experience includes stints at the World Bank in Washington D.C.; Prudential-Bache Securities (USA), Shearson Lehman Brothers (USA), Development Bank of Singapore (DBS) Securities, and the Amalgamated Investment Bancorporation (AIB) Group.

He has started numerous successful organizations, many of which he remains involved as a board member. Rene has considerable experience and knowledge in corporate development, mergers & acquisitions, capital markets, and other methods of company capital raising. He has extensive international contacts and good knowledge of corporate governance best practices.

Roles and Responsibilities

Advocate of Education

Rene firmly believes in the value of a good education. Even beyond academe, one must never give up on the search for knowledge. In line with this, Rene serves as an alumni board member for Yale University Graduate School Alumni Association.

Mentor to Startups

Rene supports local ingenuity through the Manila Angel Investors Network, which he founded. Today, MAIN is the largest committed angel investor group in the Philippines and have thus become a critical component of the the start up ecosystem. MAIN is a venue to hear pitches from a group of curated start ups as well as collaborate and exchange insightful information between investors.

Chairman and Director of Corporations

Given his vast local and international experience, Rene has been tapped as director to numerous organizations, from real estate firms, to financial institutions. A number of these firms he chairs.

The Work and Portfolio of Rene

A diverse range of experiences from every angle.

Notable Affiliations

Rene serves on the board of numerous private, public, listed, and not-for-profit organizations.

These firms engage in multiple industries: such as commercial real estate in the United States, car dealerships in the Philippines, renewable energy generation in Australia, and financial services in Manila, Singapore, and Sydney.

Credentials

	MA Economics, Yale University
	BA Business Economics, Pitzer College
	BA Organizational Studies, Pitzer College
	Fellow, Australian Institute of Company Directors
	Fellow, Financial Services Institute of Australia