Manuel P. Alvarez

Mr. Alvarez served as California’s chief banking and financial regulator, first as Commissioner of the Department of Business Oversight (DBO) and then as the first senate-confirmed Commissioner of the Department of Financial Protection & Innovation (DFPI), from 2019 to 2021. During his tenure, he led efforts to better regulate emerging technologies in financial services while fostering consumer protections and responsible innovation in California. Mr. Alvarez’s public sector experience also includes the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the California Office of the Attorney General, Public Rights Division.

From 2014 to 2019, Mr. Alvarez was the General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary at Affirm, Inc. (NASDAQ: AFRM).

Mr. Alvarez received a bachelor's degree, cum laude from Cornell University, and a J.D. from University of California, Hastings College of Law. Mr. Alvarez is also the director of the Center for Business Law Roundtable on Financial Policy & Regulation at the UC Hastings College of Law.