Interview with Alejandro Gutierrez, Co-Founder & COO of Defactor 

We are very excited to take an in-depth look at the experience, life, passions, and motivators of Alejandro Gutierrez, Co-Founder and COO of Defactor -the decentralised finance (DeFi) platform that bridges the gap between traditional and open finance. 

Please share a quick introduction to yourself and your focus within Defactor.

My name is Alejandro Gutierrez, COO of Defactor. I have a background in Supply Chain Management and Finance and I am an early adopter of Real-World Assets in the Defi space. In 2019, I started working with companies like Centrifuge and Maker to provide liquidity to the Logistics industry and International Trade. We have achieved this through financial tools (factoring and Trade Finance) using Defi liquidity pools. My role in Defactor is to shape the operational strategy of the company in order to allow Asset Originators to access liquidity provided by defi in an efficient manner.

What are your past experiences that shaped your journey to this point?

Traveling and living abroad have had a great impact on me. It has allowed me to expand my horizons and learn that problems have multiple approaches. I believe that multicultural and multidisciplinary teams create robust solutions as more angles are covered. Problems and solutions are not unidimensional. Even my family is a multicultural one!

What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning?

My family and developing solutions for mass adoption of defi. They are even similar as there is not a single truth on how to succeed, especially with kids.

How did you get into Crypto and Blockchain?

My first contact with blockchain was when I was living in Sydney, with a good friend of mine we were trying to buy bitcoin as the concept was extremely interesting. Unfortunately, it was really difficult to purchase bitcoin in Australia at that time, so I ended up spending all the money traveling. A couple of years later, due to my Supply Chain background, I started to explore the possibilities for blockchain to provide visibility in supply chains. Visibility is the main issue for most Supply chains professionals, and pretty quickly I realised that blockchain can dramatically improve a lot of the issues experienced now. From that point, I was completely sold. Later when I moved to Ireland, I was working with a company that has a strong focus on sustainability, and it was the first time that I worked directly with blockchain. I was looking for a solution that would allow us to track how sustainable the supply chain and purchased goods were. That was a game-changer for me. From that point, I knew I was going to be doing this for a long time.

What makes you most excited about Defactor?

The concept we are trying to develop is so unique and we are in such an early stage in the defi space that every day is a challenge; which keeps us really engaged. Also, I would have to say the team in Defactor is pretty well-rounded and full of experience so we keep challenging ourselves to extract the best outcome.

What is your end vision for Defactor?

For me, the end vision is to be the vehicle or enabler that allows defi to position as a true competitor in the financial services market and that will decrease the barriers of entry for SMEs and developing countries to have alternative sources of liquidity. In short words, I want Defactor to be the gate to Defi.

Please tell us about a hobby or two that you really enjoy doing in your free time.

Even though I am close to retirement, I still play 11 a side football in a league. As a South American, football is a passion, and I will try to play for as long as I can. There is something really powerful about being part of a team and sharing battles with your mates (not much different from start-ups). The other one is music. I play bass and love singing. I have put it on hold for the last couple of years, but really looking forward to going back to it.

You can follow Alejandro on Twitter @a_gutierro or connect with him on LinkedIn here to stay updated on his journey.

Continue reading throughout the Defactor Medium Blog to learn more about the team, the Defactor protocol, and the massive problem they are working to solve. You can also follow Defactor on Twitter, Telegram, and LinkedIn for updates on future interviews and information about Defactor.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.