Paltus Capital

Ramiro Alfaro co-founded Paltus Capital, a firm that evolved from a search fund into a private equity firm, where he is Managing Director. He previously served as Head of Private Equity and Investment Committee member at Invercorp International, founded and led a search fund in Central America in 2018, and worked as a private equity investor at L Catterton and Mesoamerica Investments, as well as a consultant at Boston Consulting Group and IBM Global Business Services. He holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Lehigh University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Diego Acevedo is a Partner at Southern Cross Group, where he leads the firm's North Latam and US initiatives and sits on the Executive and Investment Committees, focusing on lower middle-market companies in the US and overseeing operations, deal execution, and portfolio management across the Andean Region and Mexico. Before joining Southern Cross in 2010, he ran the Colombian office of Palmfund Management, handling control investments and serving as board member and interim CEO at portfolio companies in Colombia, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. Earlier he worked in consulting at Booz in New York and Bogotá. He holds an MBA from Stanford University and a BS in Industrial Engineering from Universidad de los Andes.

Cecilia Alfaro joined Paltus Capital in August 2023 as Head of Operations and Investor Relations. She previously worked as a Management Consulting Senior Associate on PwC's Treasury and Finance team. She holds a BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering with a minor in Economics from Lehigh University.

Giancarlo Sinibaldi joined Paltus Capital as an Investment Analyst in 2023. He previously worked as Sales Manager at Telo, an ed-tech startup, and co-founded a fintech startup building a web-based ERP tool for micro and small businesses; he also spent time in logistics and finance at Solupartes, a distributor of industrial oils and greases. He is an angel investor and holds a B.S. in Business Engineering with minors in Finance and Operations Management from Universidad Francisco Marroquín.

Mario Bonduel joined Paltus Capital in August 2022 as VP of Private Equity, leading the firm's deal team across ETA and direct private equity investing. He was previously Head of Strategy and Business Development at Puertas Globales, a search fund-acquired business in Central America, and earlier held roles at Boston Consulting Group, Partners in Performance, Moelis & Company, and Mesoamerica Investments. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a B.S. in Industrial & Systems Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Melanie Dougherty joined Paltus Capital Search Fund in 2019 as an Analyst, focused on sourcing and evaluating opportunities. She previously worked on a wine industry roll-up strategy in Spain through Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition during her time at IE Business School, and earlier served as Head of Accounts Payable at an insurance brokerage firm. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Business with a minor in Finance from Universidad Francisco Marroquín and an MBA from IE Business School.

Santiago Granados joined Paltus Capital in 2024 as General Counsel, overseeing the firm's legal work across investment structuring, transaction execution, and portfolio management. He was previously a Senior Associate at ALTA, a Central American law firm, where he focused on private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and structured finance, and had served as external counsel to Paltus Capital. He holds a law degree from Universidad Rafael Landívar in Guatemala and an LL.M. in U.S. Law from the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minnesota.