Washington, DC
Richard (Rick) H. Frank, Jr. is the CEO and Founder of Darby International Capital. He is an industry veteran with over 25 years of experience in emerging markets credit and private equity investing.
Mr. Frank began his career at Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking Division. He later worked at International Finance Corporation (IFC, World Bank Group) where he led transactions across Latin America, Asia, and Africa. In 2007, Mr. Frank joined Darby Overseas Investments, the emerging markets private equity subsidiary of Franklin Templeton. At Darby Overseas Investments, he led the firm’s regional private debt strategy in Latin America as a Senior Managing Director over a fourteen-year period. He served as the Chairman of the Investment Committee for Darby Latin American Mezzanine Fund I, Darby Latin America Mezzanine Fund II, and Darby Latin American Private Debt Fund III. Mr. Frank was responsible for the management of a regional team based in Washington DC, Bogotá, Mexico City, and São Paulo. He also headed Darby Overseas Investments’ Colombian infrastructure fund, FINTRA. Mr. Frank led the fundraising and launch of Darby Latin American Mezzanine Fund II (2008) and Darby Latin American Private Debt Fund III (2016) as well as the investment deployment of the private debt strategy. Mr. Frank has served on the board of eight portfolio companies in Latin America.
Mr. Frank has Colombian/US dual citizenship and received both his BS and MBA from Georgetown University.
Richard (Rick) H. Frank, Jr.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & FOUNDER
Ignacio Aicardi is the CIO and Founder of Darby International Capital. He has nearly 25 years of experience managing credit investment strategies in emerging markets.
Mr. Aicardi was a Managing Director at Darby Overseas Investments, the emerging markets private equity subsidiary of Franklin Templeton, where he led investments in the private debt space in Latin America. He served as a member of the Investment Committee of Darby Latin American Mezzanine Fund II and Darby Latin American Private Debt Fund III. Mr. Aicardi was responsible for all investments in Latin America (ex-Brazil) for the Latin American Private Debt strategy, participated in fundraising, launch and deployment. In his role, Mr. Aicardi managed all aspects of the credit investment process and oversaw the team of investment professionals in Colombia and Washington DC. Prior to joining Darby Overseas Investments in 2009, Mr. Aicardi was a Vice President at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation in New York, where he worked on structured credit and project finance investments in Latin America. Mr. Aicardi also worked at Bear Stearns early in his career and in several managerial positions in his native country of Uruguay.
Mr. Aicardi holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and received a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Universidad de la Republica in Uruguay.
Ignacio Aicardi
CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER & FOUNDER
Hanler Perez is the Chief Financial Officer of Darby International Capital. He has more than 15 years of experience in the financial services sector.
Prior to joining Darby International Capital in 2021, Mr. Perez was the Controller of the Latin America and European strategies at ACON Investments. At ACON, Mr. Perez was responsible for managing the accounting and finance functions of private equity funds investing in middle market companies in Latin America and Europe. Prior to joining ACON in 2014, Mr. Perez was a Senior Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers in its asset management audit group. Mr. Perez also worked at ePlus and Merrill Lynch as an internal auditor.
Mr. Perez holds both a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and an MBA from Bentley University. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Connecticut.
Hanler Perez
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER & CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER
Sean Norris is the Head of ESG and Climate for Darby International Capital. He has over 8 years of experience with sustainability in emerging markets.
Prior to joining Darby International Capital in 2023, Mr. Norris served as Senior ESG Associate with Emerging Capital Partners, one of the largest and longest-established private equity fund managers focused on investments in Africa. Mr. Norris was responsible for assisting with ESG due diligence, ESG risk management, and impact reporting.
Previously, Mr. Norris also worked on conservation and economic development projects in rural Panama as a part of the United States Peace Corps. As a student, Mr. Norris completed a fellowship with Hewlett-Packard’s sustainability division.
He holds a BA from the University of Miami and an MA in International Development from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He also holds a Fundamentals in Sustainable Accounting (FSA) Credential from the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation
Sean Norris
HEAD OF ESG & CLIMATE
São Paulo, Brazil
Ricardo Roccia is a Managing Director of Darby International Capital and currently is a director or observer on the boards of one portfolio company in Darby Latin American Mezzanine Fund II and four companies in Darby Latin American Private Debt Fund III. Mr. Roccia brings over 23 years of professional experience in the financial services and C-level management.
Prior to joining Darby International Capital in 2021, Mr. Roccia was a Managing Director of Darby Overseas Investments, the predecessor firm of Darby International and the emerging markets private equity subsidiary of Franklin Templeton, where he was responsible for deal sourcing, execution of investment opportunities and monitoring of portfolio companies. Prior to joining Darby Overseas Investments, Mr. Roccia was the founder and served as the CEO and CFO of a renewable energy and biofuels platform in Brazil with over BRL 1 billion million (~USD 200 million) in annual revenues. Mr. Roccia structured thousands of megawatts in renewable energy projects and worked at Goldman Sachs (London-UK) & Banco Pactual (São Paulo-Brazil) in the corporate finance and fixed income divisions.
Mr. Roccia holds both a Master’s Degree and a Bachelor of Science from Fundação Getúlio Vargas, São Paulo, Brazil.
Ricardo Roccia
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Pedro S. Scomparim is an Associate at Darby International Capital. He brings over 7 years of professional experience in the financial industry.
Prior to joining Darby International Capital in 2024, Mr. Scomparim was an Associate at Patria Investments, a leading Latin American private equity fund with USD 28bn in assets under management. He was responsible for leading the investment process for M&A targets of portfolio companies, developing materials on valuations and returns, as well as qualitative analyses for consideration by the investment committee. Mr. Scomparim developed major regional roll-up theses, analyzing risks and mitigants, market opportunities, industry dynamics, and historical trends, to better invest capital.
Prior to joining Patria Investments, Mr. Scomparim worked as an M&A & Financial Consultant for Setter Investments. He was involved in the allocation of over USD 750mn in Brazil’s health insurance market. He executed take-over and post-merger integration, leading senior teams.
Mr. Scomparim holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Insper Institute of Education and Research.
Pedro S. Scomparim
ASSOCIATE
Bogotá, Colombia
Andres De La Cuesta is a Senior Vice President at Darby International Capital. He brings over 10 years of professional experience in credit investment analysis.
Prior to joining Darby International Capital in 2021, Mr. De La Cuesta was a Senior Associate at Darby Overseas Investments, the predecessor firm of Darby International and the emerging markets private equity subsidiary of Franklin Templeton, where he was responsible for deal sourcing outside of Brazil, execution of investment opportunities, and monitoring of portfolio companies of Darby Latin American Private Debt Fund III, as well as for the day-to-day management of Darby’s Colombian infrastructure fund, FINTRA. Mr. De La Cuesta serves as a director or observer on the boards of three portfolio companies in Darby Latin American Private Debt Fund III and two portfolio companies in FINTRA. Prior to joining Darby Overseas Investments in 2017, Mr. De La Cuesta was a Director at Fitch Ratings in Chicago, where he worked in structured credit and project finance investments globally.
Mr. De La Cuesta holds an MBA from Booth School of Business at The University of Chicago and received a Bachelor of Economics from the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia.
Andres De La Cuesta
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Alexander Vergara is a Senior Associate at Darby International Capital. He brings over 9 years of professional experience in the financial industry.
Prior to joining Darby International Capital in 2022, Mr. Vergara was a Vice President at Corredores Davivienda S.A., Investment Banking Division where he was responsible for the execution of debt advisory, M&A, and capital markets transactions for seven years.
Prior to rejoining Corredores Davivienda S.A., Mr. Vergara worked in the private equity industry in Europe at Nexxus Iberia Private Equity in Madrid and Duke Street Capital in London; in both funds, he was involved as part of the investment team in deal sourcing, execution of investment opportunities, and portfolio management activities.
Mr. Vergara holds a Masters in Finance from London Business School and received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Colegio de Estudios Superiores de Administración - CESA.
Alexander Vergara
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
Ms. Perdigon is an Administrative Assistant in Darby International Colombia’s office.
Ms. Perdigon has been an Administrative Assistant at Darby Colpatria Capital SAS, a subsidiary of Darby International since 2018, and she supports the team with all administrative tasks. Previously, she served as an Assistant to an international company in Colombia.
Karenth Perdigon
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Independent Advisors
Diane Smith is a Senior Advisor at Darby International Capital, bringing over 30 years of experience in both U.S. and Latin American private equity and structured credit portfolio management.
Prior to joining Darby International Capital in 2021, Ms. Smith was a Senior Advisor at Darby Overseas Investments, the predecessor firm of Darby International and the emerging markets private equity subsidiary of Franklin Templeton. She was responsible for closing fundraising for Darby Latin American Mezzanine Fund II (2008) as well as leading portfolio management for Darby Latin American Mezzanine Debt Fund I before later serving as an Investment Committee member of Darby Latin American Mezzanine Fund II and Darby Latin American Private Debt Fund III. Prior to joining Darby Overseas Investments, Ms. Smith served as Managing Director and senior portfolio manager for a combined 14 years with Electra Private Equity PLC (New York) and its Brazilian fund management affiliate, Pactual Electra Capital (Brazil). At Electra Ms. Smith played a key role in building the firm’s new U.S. direct investment portfolio in equity and structured credit deals in a wide range of middle market-sized businesses. In the late 1990's Ms. Smith spearheaded Electra's expansion into South America, forming joint venture fund management companies, raising investment funds and co-managing the portfolios while based in Brazil. Prior to joining Electra, Ms. Smith helped build the new leveraged buyout business for Lincoln Ventures, a New York-based thrift, and prior to Lincoln Ventures she served in international banking and corporate finance roles with Manufacturers Hanover Trust. Prior to MHT, Ms. Smith spent several years in Spain developing export markets for Spanish producers of industrial and consumer products.
Ms. Smith holds a Masters in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management and received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, summa cum laude, from Washington State University.
Diane Smith
IC MEMBER & SENIOR ADVISOR
Richard H. Frank, Sr. is a former managing director of the World Bank Group and CFO of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), both in Washington, D.C. He brings a lifetime of demonstrating the importance of global perspective and the interconnectedness of the world’s nations and people.
The World Bank Group is a leading international development organization that fights poverty by assisting middle-income and low-income countries. It offers loans, grants, advice, and training in both the private and public sectors, with the goal of boosting prosperity and ending extreme poverty.
In his more than two decades with the World Bank, Mr. Frank oversaw South Asia and Latin America operations as managing director and was active in project and investment work throughout Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. He also chaired the Private Sector Group, coordinating the private sector activities of the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). Following his career with the World Bank and the IFC, Mr. Frank was executive chairman, president, and CEO of Darby/Franklin Templeton for another two decades, linking capital with investment opportunities throughout the developing world. He currently chairs Darby -Colpatria Group Joint Venture infrastructure fund investment committee and serves on the investment committees for Darby Latin American Mezzanine Fund II and Darby Latin American Private Debt Fund III.
Mr. Frank earned a Bronze Star for his service at the Pentagon and in Vietnam as a captain in the U.S. Army. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and a master’s degree from Sloan School of Management at MIT. Mr. Frank was selected as a postgraduate MIT Sloan School Fellow, serving two years as a financial and economic adviser for private sector investing in Colombia.
Richard H. Frank, Sr.
IC MEMBER, SENIOR ADVISOR & CHAIRMAN OF FINTRA
Roberta Brzezinski is a partner with Control Risks and Head of the firm’s business intelligence activities in the Americas, managing a 50-person team across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia. Ms. Brzezinski has 25 years of experience as a principal private equity, infrastructure, and private debt investor across the world’s emerging markets.
She has served both as a fund manager and as an institutional investor. Her key roles have included Managing Partner at South Africa’s Capitalworks Emerging Markets; Managing Director in the Growth Markets practice of Canada’s CDPQ; one of the original partners of Poland’s Abris Capital Partners; Managing Director at the AIG Infrastructure Funds; and Investment Officer at the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation.
Ms. Brzezinski has invested across the world’s developed and emerging markets and has a deep familiarity with key issues faced by asset owners, lenders and corporations across the investment cycle. She has also served on a number of private and public corporate boards and investment committees.
Ms. Brzezinski holds an MBA with honors from Georgetown University and an AB magna cum laude from Harvard College. A US citizen, she spent six years living and working in Ukraine, Poland and Russia. She speaks fluent French and Russian and understands Spanish and Ukrainian. Based in New York, she is a volunteer firefighter on Fire Island and serves on the board of New Women New Yorkers, an immigrant-focused NGO.
Roberta Brzezinski
IC MEMBER