Founded in 1990, Gentera (listed in the Mexican Stock Exchange) and its nine subsidiaries (Banco Compartamos, being one of them) represent the largest microfinance service provider in Latin America, leader in financial inclusion for the bottom of the pyramid economic group, with over 3.7m clients. General counsel of the group, Mariel Cabanas Suarez, is at the forefront of the mitigation of legal risks to the bank’s operations, drawing on a career that is rich in experience in the in-house legal banking industry.

After amassing years of experience in notable financial institutions including Banco Nacional de México and Deutsche Bank, Cabanas first joined Gentera in February 2013 and has been a part of several business-defining transactions since. She explains her part in gaining approval from the National Banking and Securities Commission for Gentera’s acquisition of Intermex, a deal that was ‘particularly challenging due to applicable regulation in the US and Mexico, and implementing a new model of corporate governance’. The result was Gentera boosting its growth strategy and adding a new business in the benefit of its clients and investors in Mexico. In addition to these tangible successes, Cabanas has been adept at identifying and implementing change initiatives in response to external industry factors.

Speaking of the ‘huge negative impact and devastating consequences of corruption in Mexico’, she has responded by collaborating with NGOs dedicated to fighting corruption and impunity, providing assistance in ‘7’. Heavily involved in efforts outside her role, Cabanas co-founded Abogadas MX (of which she is a Board Member) an NGO that promotes women’s development in the legal profession by designing initiatives to strengthen the skills and abilities of female lawyers.