Alberto Vallarino Clement

Alberto Vallarino Clement (born 1951) is a Panamanian, engineer, businessman and politician.

He is the former Chief Executive Officer of Primer Banco del Istmo (now part of the HSBC Group), which under his tenure has grown into the largest bank in Panama and Central AmericaFact|date=February 2007. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of several Panamanian companies and has held important positions in various business guilds.

A member of the Arnulfista Party (now the Panameñista Party), Vallarino ran against then-party President Mireya Moscoso in the 1998 presidential primary. However, Moscoso defeated Vallarino to earn her party's nomination. Vallarino exited the party and, assembling a coalition comprised of the Christian Democratic Party, the Civic Renewal Party, the Popular Nationalist Party and the Liberal Party, as well as fellow Arnulfista dissidents anhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alberto_Vallarino_Clement&action=editd independents, became the third candidate in the general presidential elections of 1999. Although he finished far behind winner Moscoso and PRD candidate (and current President) Martín Torrijos, it was widely believed that he would make a second bid for the presidency in the 2004 elections. However, in January 2003, Vallarino announced that he would not run in 2004.

There is widespread speculation that Vallarino will attempt to form a coalition of parties currently in the Panamanian opposition and once again run for President in 2009.Fact|date=February 2007 He received a BS in industrial engineering and an MBA, both from the prestigiousCornell University.