Santo Domingo, DN. – Banco Popular Dominicano welcomed the triple Olympic medalist and ambassador of the Popular brand at its corporate headquarters, the Torre Popular Marileidy Paulino, the first Dominican woman to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games.
This is the first meeting of the sprinter with executives of the financial institution, after winning gold at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she set a world record in the women’s 400-meter dash with a time of 48.17 seconds.
The event was led by top executives of Banco Popular, Mr. René Grullón Finet, Senior Executive Vice President of National and International Business; Mr. Antonia Antón de Hernández, Senior Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Cultural Transformation, Credit Administration and Compliance of Banco Popular Dominicano; Mr. Juan Lehoux, Senior Executive Vice President of Technology and Operations; Mr. Rafael A. Del Toro, Senior Executive Vice President of Corporate Governance, Shareholder Relations and Economics of Grupo Popular; Mr. Richard Lueje, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Development; and Mr. José Mármol, Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications, Reputation and Responsible Banking of Grupo Popular.
Present were Mr. Manuel Luna, executive director of Creating Olympic Dreams (CRESO), as well as Mr. Yaseen Pérez and Mr. Olga Torres Perera, coach and representative of Marileidy Paulino, respectively.
With this meeting, the financial organization strengthens the ties with the elite athlete, established two years ago, and reinforces its commitment to sports development and support for Dominican sports talents, from its role as a founding member of CRESO.
Popular Brand Ambassador
In their remarks to the Olympic medalist, the executives highlighted the affinity of Marileidy Paulino’s values with those of Banco Popular, as well as the significance of her example of commitment, excellence and humility for Dominican youth.
“We are absolutely certain that our country has the potential to increasingly distinguish itself on the international scene for the talent of its people and for its economic, social and environmental development,” said Mr. José Mármol, Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications, Reputation and Responsible Banking.
Mr. Mármol stressed that Marileidy’s career and her values align perfectly with the bank’s corporate philosophy, which seeks to foster personal and professional development, work ethics and healthy competition: “Today we celebrate not only your triumph in Paris, but also the positive influence you have had on our nation,” he said.
Olympic medallist Marileidy Paulino congratulated Popular for its support of sport and said she felt “grateful and proud to be an ambassador for the Popular brand”, thanking the financial organisation for counting on her from 2022.
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Popular and CRESO for having made the Dominican House available in Paris, where many people were able to watch my career and many other sports, such as gymnastics and weightlifting. I am truly very grateful,” the Olympic athlete stressed.
Marileidy Paulino’s coach, Yaseen Pérez, thanked Popular and CRESO for the support they have given to the Olympic medalist’s team to make the gold in Paris a reality.
“I think we have laid a solid foundation, a fertile ground that has yielded extraordinary results. I thank the entire team for their constant support, and Marileidy, in particular, for the trust she has always placed in me,” said coach Pérez.
Meanwhile, Manuel Luna, executive director of CRESO, reaffirmed CRESO’s support for Dominican sport and its athletes.
Promoting the development of Dominicans
El Popular has been a member of the non-profit organization Creando Sueños Olímpicos (CRESO) since its foundation. This is a platform that supports the development of high-performance athletes such as Mariledy Paulino, seeking to create reference figures in values for society.
As part of CRESO, various Olympic athletes belonging to the Dominican delegation at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games were training at the Popular Wellness Center, especially in the disciplines of boxing and athletics, a space for physical training and improving the quality of life for Popular employees, which the financial organization made available to athletes from various federations.
