Varsovia Fernandez is a high impact business executive who is known for advancing organizations and leading by example. She has a depth of experience in financial services, not-for-profit, software technology, and e-commerce industries. Ms. Fernandez inspires others as an active leader in the region’s business and philanthropic communities.
Most recently, Ms. Fernandez was the Philadelphia market leader for fast-growing Customers Bank where she managed commercial lending with a focus on increasing access to capital for small and minority businesses. Ms. Fernandez is a recognized authority on Hispanic cultural, governmental, and educational affairs and how those affairs impact business. She has worked to maximize government and corporate relations as an advocate of the Latino community.
In her former role as CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Ms. Fernandez created a voice for Hispanic business in the Philadelphia region by focusing on growing Latino markets, advocacy and leadership.
Ms. Fernandez is able to bridge many diverse networks to deliver impactful results for the organizations directly associated including: Fortune 500, small businesses, multi nationals, governments, and institutions of higher learning. As vice president of external affairs for Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Ms. Fernandez helped increase the organization’s budget by establishing external affairs development that diversified funding. Ms. Fernandez is a co-founder of Congreso’s Corporate Advisory Council.
Passionate about education, volunteerism, and equity, Ms. Fernandez is a trustee of Rosemont College and Montgomery County Community College, a director of Philadelphia Health Management Corporation and a member of Comcast’s National Joint Diversity Council.
Ms. Fernandez has received numerous awards, including Pennsylvania GACLA 2018 Latino 100 Award, Philadelphia Business Journal’s Minority Leaders, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) Hispanic Executive of the Year, HIAS & Council Heroes of Our Community, and the Pennsylvania Hispanic Bar Association’s Outstanding Community Service honor. In 2016, Pope Francis bestowed honors upon Ms. Fernandez with the Benemerenti Medal for her service to the 2015 World Meeting of Families.
Ms. Fernandez holds a BS in Business Management from Rosemont College and a graduate diploma from the American Banking Association’s Stonier Graduate School of Banking at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. She resides in Ardmore.