It was a hot mid-summer morning in 2000 as Angel Font confidently entered the headquarters of Caixa Catalunya, a savings bank based in Barcelona, Spain. Minutes later, he took his seat in the office of Josep Maria Loza, the bank's CEO and anxiously waited through the small-talk before the job-interview started.

Caixa Catalunya was looking for a managing director for a new area they were going to set up. It would be the fourth foundation within Obra Social (Social Work), the bank's social project department, and would start January 2001. Until now, the range of Obra Social did not reach beyond Spain's borders. But Caixa Catalunya wanted to show more commitment within the developing world. The new foundation would promote the social and economic inclusion of low-income population-groups by alleviating poverty in developing countries. It was to be called Un Sol Món (Only One World).

Previously, Font had worked for the international NGO Intermon Oxfam as project coordinator in various Latin American countries and as executive assistant to the general director. Due to his leadership capacities, his knowledge of the developing world and experience with social development projects, he was hired. He had the ambition to start an entirely new foundation and fill it with life.

When entering his new office in January 2001, he remember what Loza had told him with regard to Un Sol Món's largest challenge: It would be important to promote the social and economic inclusion of low income populations groups by alleviating poverty and also to strategically benefit Caixa Catalunya as a company.

How was Font going to meet these expectations?

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