Emilio de la Guardia
Senior Advisor
Emilio is a highly experienced investment banker and board advisor with a passion for the aviation, aerospace, and space industries. He has over 30 years of finance leadership in lending, structuring, venture capital, private equity and Mergers and Acquisitions for public, private and hybrid entities, and clients. He has been a private equity investor and startup-companies entrepreneur, founder, and principal as well. Gaining key insights in companies’ early stages. Furthermore, Emilio has been the Deputy Head of Division at the EIB in the financing operations for large corporates and banks of Spain and Portugal, leading all activities from office in both in Spain and Luxemburg. He also led the European Security Initiative and selected as coordinator for the EU’s aerospace and aviation sectors.
Emilio joined the European Investment Bank (EIB) in 1987. In the Bank, he has led in positions of increasing responsibility, leadership and know-how accomplishing successful corporate and project finance and related transactions and deals. His roles include operations leadership in France, Italy, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.
In France, he led project finance for Airbus and Arianespace airframes (Arianespace 5, 6) and engines programs (CFM 56 and Vulcan) and airline fleet finance (Air France, Air Inter), and other industrial projects like the Euro Disney program. In Spain, he led aircraft fleet projects, ranging from special mission (Firefighting-Thrush) utility aircraft to complex large transport aircraft for Iberia Airlines (Airbus 320/321/340), Air Nostrum (Bombardier CRJ 1000) and Binter Canarias (ATR).
In Spain, he was a General Manager and Commissioner for the Spanish Company for Economic development (COFIDES) for North Africa and Morocco. In Italy, he led the development of lines of credit with local financial entities. In the United Kingdom, he led the programs Olympia and York (Canary Wharf) and Euro Tunnel projects. In Morocco he was the EIB’s Country Manager responsible for public and private financial transactions. He directed the operations joint initiative with the European Union (JASPERS) in Bulgary, Romania, Cyprus, and Malta, extending to Hungary, Poland, Check Republic, Slovakia, and the Baltic Countries (Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia).
Emilio has a dual Law and History Degree from the University of Navarra, an MBA from McGill University in Canada, and a master’s degree in EU Law from the European College in Bruges, Belgium. Emilio is an aviation enthusiast, private pilot, snow skier and motor cyclist. He lives with his wife in Luxemburg.