Dr. Álvaro Saieh Bendeck was Founder of CorpGroup and Vice President of SMU SA. He has chaired the Boards of Directors of other important companies such as COPESA, CorpBanca, Provida, CorpVida, CorpSeguros, AFP Protección, and is a former member of the Boards of Directors of SOFOFA and Santiago Stock Exchange.
After earning his M.A. and Ph.D. in economics at the University of Chicago, Dr. Saieh held various positions in the public sector, including advisor to the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and Chief Economist of the Central Bank of Chile. In addition to his work in the public sector, Dr. Saieh served at the University of Chile as Professor of Economics, President of the Department of Economics, Dean of Economics and Business, and Pro Chancellor. In honor of his academic achievements and 35 years of commitment, he was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus in 2005.
To further his support of education and building on his history with the University of Chicago, Dr. Saieh has been a dedicated member of the Board of Trustees since 2012. He is a devoted supporter of the arts and culture and has led numerous initiatives to promote and increase cultural capital at home and abroad. Currently, he is the President of CorpArtes Foundation, a non-profit family foundation, whose primary goal is to inspire and support the different cultural and artistic activities in Chile. Under his and his family’s stewardship, they have built the CA 660 Cultural Center, which is one of the most highly regarded and finest art centers in Chile. He is a member of the Board of Trustees at the Shed in New York and is actively involved in other cultural institutions such as Museo del Prado, Museo Reina Sofia, and Teatro Real (Royal Theater’s Foundation).
In recognition of his contribution to the growth and development of Chile as well as the region, Dr. Saieh has been named an economic leader by several international financial periodicals such as Business Week, American Economy, and Global Finance, and has been the recipient of numerous awards. Among them is the Chilean Engineering School’s 2011 Business Development Award, the Association of Manufacturing Chilean Exporters 2011 Business Development Award, and the North American-Chilean Chamber of Commerce Corporate Leader Award in 2011.