Born in Santiago, Chile, in 1959 and emigrated with his family to Canada in 1968, at the age of 9. 

Was raised in Montreal, Quebec  where he finished high-school and University. He graduated from Concordia University with an Undergraduate Degree in Business and Accountancy. After graduating and starting to work with an Accounting firm, he Commissioned as an Officer in 1981 with the Black Watch – Royal Highland Regiment of Canada, where he became a Second Lieutenant.

In 1982 he moved to Ottawa to start his banking career and was seconded to the Cameron Highlanders where he was a Platoon Commander.  In 1984, he again transferred for work reasons and moved to Toronto,  where he was initially seconded to the 48th Highlanders of Canada where he then transferred and became a Highlander serving with the Regiment as a Platoon Commander for four years. He was also the Senior Subaltern his final two years at the Regiment.  

In 1988, work again moved him, this time he was transferred to lead a bank in Singapore. He went on to run Banks in Asia, Latin America and finally moved back to Canada in 2008, some 20 years after leaving Canada and the 48th Highlanders. Shortly after returning to Canada he was invited and accepted to form part of the 48th Highlanders of Canada’s Senate.

He retired from Scotiabank as Group Head, Canadian Banking in 2015 after 31 years, and has since co-founded a Venture Capital firm, The Group Ventures, some seven years ago  with four Partners, that invests in technology companies.    

He was married in Singapore in 1988 to Alison and they have two daughters, Lexie and Katrina, and three grandchildren.