Japan-headquartered telecommunications and internet group SoftBank has hired four senior members for its SoftBank Latin America Fund, SoftBank Group International (SBGI) unit and the newly formed SoftBank Tech Hub.
Venture capital firm Sequoia Capital’s former chief financial officer, Chris Cooper, will reprise the role at SBGI, while Patricia Menendez-Cambo, previously vice-chair at law firm Greenberg Traurig, has become deputy general counsel at SBGI, serving concurrently as general counsel for the fund and Tech Hub.
Francisco Sorrentino has joined Latin America Fund and SBGI as chief human resources officer, having come from software provider Microsoft. The fund’s new chief operating officer (COO) is Lee Bocker, who held the same role at hedge fund manager TRG Management.
The company launched the $5bn SoftBank Latin America Fund, known at the time as SoftBank Innovation Fund, in March this year to partner tech developers in the region. SBGI manages SoftBank’s global subsidiaries including semiconductor maker Arm and US telecoms business Sprint.
SoftBank COO Marcelo Claure, who also heads Latin America Fund and is chief executive of SBGI, will manage the four hires, who will be based in Miami, as SBGI sets up SoftBank Tech Hub in the US city to assist the fund’s investments in Latin America. Claure came in second on Global Corporate Venturing’s Powerlist this year,
Claure said: “We are excited to welcome Chris, Patricia, Francisco and Lee to the SBGI team, all of whom bring proven track records in their respective fields. Their many years of experience working with global companies will complement our talented group of investment professionals.
“I am confident that we have assembled a world-class management team uniquely qualified to support our global portfolio of operating companies as well as help SoftBank expand its focus in Latin America as we continue to invest in transformative companies in the region which are driving significant innovation and disruption.”
