Author Bio
Marisela Alvarenga
Marisela Alvarenga is a global financial leader with over two decades of experience spanning private banking, capital markets, and multilateral development institutions. Recognized for her strategic vision and execution, she has built a distinguished career driving sustainable finance, financial innovation, and growth across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
Currently serving as Managing Director and Chief of the Financial Sector Division at IDB Invest—the private sector arm of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group—Marisela shapes the institution’s strategic engagement with banks, fintechs, insurers, cooperatives and other financial actors across LAC. She plays a key role in positioning the financial sector as a catalyst for development, championing innovative financing structures and market-building initiatives that mobilize private capital at scale. Her leadership has helped mainstream green, social, and sustainable finance across the region, with a strong emphasis on deepening financial health, supporting women-led businesses, and advancing climate-resilient investments.
Prior to joining the IDB Group, Marisela held senior leadership roles in corporate and investment banking at Citibank and Banco Cuscatlán, including Regional Director for Corporate Finance in Central America. In these roles, she led cross-border transactions and built regional platforms that strengthened access to finance for corporates and institutional clients.
Marisela holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business Administration from the School of Economics and Business, and an MBA from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, complemented by executive studies at the Otto Beisheim School of Management (WHU) in Germany. She has also completed specialized programs in Impact Investing and Sustainable Finance from leading institutions in the United Kingdom.
Fluent in the language of both markets and mission, Marisela is a sought-after voice on the intersection of finance, sustainability, and innovation. She is passionate about scaling solutions that advance financial health, climate resilience, and inclusive development in emerging markets.
Posts by Marisela Alvarenga
Six Cutting-Edge Technologies to Accelerate Financial Health
Financial services in Latin America and the Caribbean are recognizing the business opportunity to better support clients’ ability to manage day-to-day finances, navigate shocks, and invest in their future. Key technologies could make a big difference.
Financial Health Bridges Access and Impact to Catalyze Prosperity
A new era of services is emerging, characterized by innovation, purpose, and measurable impact. Building on a strong foundation of microfinance and expanded access, IDB Invest is at the forefront of shaping the future of finance in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Expect Big Things: Five Sustainable Business Trends for 2025
Latin America and the Caribbean’s transformation hinges on private sector leadership driving innovation, job creation, and capital mobilization. The next 12 months will be crucial to seize unparalleled opportunities and champion sustainable development.
Let’s Unleash an AI Supercharged Just Transition
The UN Biodiversity Conference in Colombia (COP16) offers a unique moment to leverage the power of technology and transform today's climate constraints into tomorrow's climate opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean.
A Sustainable Opportunity for Paraguay
Paraguay has a unique opportunity to position itself in the global market and seek its first thematic bond. With the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference, COP28, just around the corner, the time has come to make this a reality.*
ESG & Climate Risks in the Financial Sector: Private & Public Sector Opportunities
The financial sector must identify opportunities to contribute to the society where they operate and create business models and strategies that not only consider risks and returns, but also impact in the broader sense.