Alta Growth Capital Team

Javier G. Teruel, a Mexican national, joined Alta Growth Capital in 2012. He has 44 years of experience in business management and private equity investing in various countries throughout the world. Mr. Teruel is also a Founding Partner of Spectron Desarrollo, a firm that does impact investing. Up until early 2007, Mr. Teruel was Vice Chairman of Colgate Palmolive with responsibility for reviewing and sharpening the company’s worldwide strategy. He was also responsible for the fast-growing global operations of Hill’s Pet Nutrition and for all the company’s technology organizations, including Research and Development, Supply Chain and Information Technology. He also led Colgate’s Restructuring and Business Building Program. Mr. Teruel joined Colgate Mexico in 1971 and advanced through several marketing positions there becoming Personal Care Products Manager in 1977. In 1981, he was promoted to Marketing Director for Colgate’s Mexican operations. In 1983, Mr. Teruel was promoted to General Manager of Colgate Dominican Republic where he served until 1988 when he moved to New York to head the Body Care category of Colgate’s Global Business Development Group. In 1989, he was promoted to Vice President of Personal Care. Mr. Teruel returned to Mexico in 1991 as Vice President of Colgate’s Caribbean and Central America operations. In 1993, he was promoted to President and General Manager of Colgate Mexico. In 1997, he was promoted to President of Colgate Europe and successfully led that Division’s growth in sales and profitability. In 2000, he returned to New York as Chief Growth Officer responsible for Global Business Development, Research and Development, Manufacturing Technology, Information Technology, Corporate Development and Strategic Planning. In 2002, Mr. Teruel was promoted to Executive Vice President with responsibility for the company’s Asia and South Pacific, Central Europe/Russia and Africa/Middle East Divisions, as well as Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Lastly, he was appointed Vice Chairman of Colgate Palmolive in 2004. Mr. Teruel has been a Board member of several different organizations and currently serves on the Boards of Starbucks, JC Penney and the Nielsen Co. in the U.S. He is also active on several Boards of Mexican private enterprises, among others Banco Finterra and Grupo ATSA, a non-metallic minerals business. Mr. Teruel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Universidad Iberoamericana. He also completed Harvard University’s International Senior Management Program. He speaks English and Spanish.