Our Team
Award winning management assuring best-in-class investment advisory
Michael B. Garcia, CFA
CEO & CIO
Michael B. Garcia is the Founder, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of MBG Capital and the President of MBG Investment Management, Inc. Prior to establishing MBG Capital in 2011, he worked for nine years as the Head and Chief Investment Officer of the Trust & Investment Services Group of Union Bank of the Philippines. At Union Bank, he oversaw US$1 billion of client portfolios and institutional mandates, investing in fixed income instruments, listed equities, private placements and real estate. Michael created nine mutual funds at Union Bank and managed these to top industry performance. His equity fund, the UBP Large Capitalization Equity Portfolio, was hailed by Bloomberg (September 23, 2011) as the best performing equity fund in the Philippines. His bond fund, the UBP Philippine Peso Bond Portfolio, won the 2010 Lipper Award for Best Performing Philippine Peso Medium Term Bond Fund.
Before embarking on a career in asset management, Michael worked at General Motors Europe from 1997 to 2002 in its London and Brussels offices, holding various positions in capital markets and corporate finance. He also worked from 1992 to 1994 as a credit risk manager at Citytrust Banking Corporation, the local affiliate of Citibank NA in Manila.
Michael is a CFA charter holder. He holds an MBA degree from IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain and an undergraduate degree in AB Management Economics from the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines.
Joseph Alvin Tan, CFA
Portfolio Manager
Joseph Alvin Tan is a portfolio manager at MBG Investment Management, Inc. Prior to joining MBG Investment Management, Inc. in 2017, he worked for over three years as a portfolio manager for the Trust & Investment Services Group of Union Bank of the Philippines. At Union Bank, he oversaw the group’s equity strategy, and managed US$200 million of client portfolios and institutional mandates, investing in fixed income, equities and private placements.
An avid entrepreneur, Alvin is the founding partner of Allserve Online System Inc., which consolidates gaming, mobile and other prepaid cards into a single platform. He was also a member of the Mathematics Training Guild, and competed as part of the Philippine team in the prestigious China Mathematics Olympics.
Alvin is CFA charter holder. He holds an undergraduate degree in BS Applied Mathematics Major in Mathematical Finance from the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines.
John Russell Virata, CFA
Portfolio Analyst
John Russell Virata is a Portfolio Manager at MBG Investment Management, Inc. Prior to joining MBG Investment Management, Inc. in 2018, Russell worked for three years as a private equity analyst in Seawood Resources, a Philippines-based private equity fund focused in the consumer, technology, infrastructure and energy industries. At Seawood, Russell oversaw several of its portfolio companies and evaluated potential new investments for the fund.
Russell is a Chartered Financial Analyst charter holder. He holds a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics Major in Mathematical Finance and an undergraduate degree in BS Applied Mathematics Major in Mathematical Finance (Summa Cum Laude) from the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines.
John David Merin, CPA, CFA
Investment Analyst
John David Merin is an Investment Analyst at MBG Investment Management, Inc. Prior to joining MBG Investment Management, Inc. in 2017, he worked for over two years as an associate auditor for SGV & Co., an affiliate of Ernst & Young. At SGV, John was involved in the audit of hedge funds while working as a member of SGV’s Asia-Pacific Talent Hub (ATH) division. His audit experience also includes various foundations and companies in the quick service restaurants industry.
John is a Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Financial Analyst charter holder. He holds an undergraduate degree in BS Accountancy from the De La Salle University Manila in the Philippines.
Sharmaine Ann Egano, CPA
Chief Risk and Compliance Officer
Sharmaine Ann Egano is the Chief Risk and Compliance Officer at MBG Investment Management, Inc. Prior to joining MBG Investment Management, Inc. in 2019, she worked as a Senior Associate Auditor for SGV & Co., an affiliate of Ernst & Young. At SGV, Sharmaine was involved in audit of companies engaged in Oil & Gas, Mining & Metals and various organizations. She has supervised audit of a publicly listed entity and experienced assisting interim financial information reviews of an international company preparing for its initial public offering. She has also performed review engagements and agreed-upon procedures engagements.
Sharmaine is a Certified Public Accountant. She holds an undergraduate degree in BS Accountancy from Cavite State University in the Philippines.
Sabrina W. Darza
Analyst
Sabrina Darza is an Analyst at MBG Investment Management, Inc.
Sabrina is a level 2 candidate in the CFA program. She holds an undergraduate degree in BS Business Management from the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines.