Business Architect · Venture Builder · Board Advisor

Most operators know one side of the table.

I have worked all of them. Sixteen years as a corporate executive inside a $1B multinational, a Vice Presidency at Ernst & Young advising founders and boards, and five ventures I built from a blank page across the United States, Latin America and Europe.

I work with principals, families and funds who have capital and conviction and need an architect: someone who can turn a thesis into an operating company, a portfolio position into growth, and a complicated organization into one that moves.

Selected value created

$100M+

in transactions sourced, negotiated and closed across the United States, Latin America and Europe

$5M+

in recurring annual EBITDA from a global operating model approved by the Chairman and Board, opening Uruguay, Puerto Rico and Spain

5

ventures founded and taken from concept to market, incorporated across three jurisdictions

2 to 195

people, and 12% market share, in 18 months, building a new country operation in Colombia from a standing start

$25M+

acquisition driven from sourcing through close, out of a pipeline of 10 opportunities above $25M enterprise value

11

countries of operation managed inside a $1B group

Charlie Sarmiento exiting the water at Fodaxman Extreme Triathlon, Brazil

Fodaxman · Brazil

Where the method came from

Mile 80, not mile 5

11

Years pro athlete

35

International races

5,000+

Kilometres raced

150,000+

Metres climbed

Eleven years as a professional endurance and extreme-sports athlete. Thirty-five international races. More than 5,000 kilometres covered and 150,000 metres of climbing. Ranked 138th at the 2018 Trail World Championship, captaining Guatemala's first national team in the country's history.

People treat that as a hobby. It is where the method came from.

Ultra racing decides its result long after the excitement wears off. Mile 80, not mile 5. The quarter where nothing works, not the quarter you launch. Most business failure is not a strategy problem, it is an execution horizon problem: people build for the launch and never for mile 80.

That is what I bring to a board seat or a build. The discipline to design for mile 80, and the patience to still be there when it arrives.

I also work with a small number of executives on physical performance directly, as an EXOS certified coach. If that is what you are looking for, mention it when you book.

Pillars of Operation

Three Identities
01 / PERFORMANCE

The Ultra Man

In 2015 he took up ultra trail running to fight his way out of depression. Within three years he ranked #138 at the 2018 Trail World Championship and Top 5 among Latin Americans on the Ultra Trail World Tour. In 2023 he moved into extreme triathlon and placed top 20 globally after only two races.

02 / ARCHITECT

The Biz Man

Global Executive in strategy, M&A and international expansion. M.B.A. from INCAE Business School, B.A. in Business Administration and Finance from Universidad Francisco Marroquín, and eighteen years of executive leadership across multinationals, corporate finance, business models, go-to-market and high-performance teams.

03 / COACH

The Peak Man

EXOS-certified performance coach and personal trainer. Applies the same load, recovery and progression principles from ultra-endurance to executive performance, plus the Life Test, Life Vision and Life Design reinvention system, motivational speaking, TV work and philanthropy.

How I engage

Three ways to work together. Every one of them starts the same way, with a diagnostic conversation before anything is proposed.

Selective: a handful of clients per year
S/01CEOs, boards and investment committees

Strategic Advisory

Growth strategy, M&A and capital readiness, international expansion, and operating-model redesign. I have sat on both sides of that table, as the advisor selling the recommendation and as the executive accountable for delivering it.

Monthly retainer or fixed-scope engagementMeet Charlie
S/02Family offices, funds and operating groups

Venture Building

Thesis to market. Entity and cross-border structure, brand and positioning, go-to-market, the first commercial partnerships, the first paying customers, and the operating cadence that makes the second launch faster than the first. I have done this five times with my own capital and my own name on the door.

Six to twelve month build, equity plus retainerMeet Charlie
S/03Conferences, leadership offsites and executive programmes

Keynote Speaking

Resilience, reinvention and executive performance, drawn from eleven years of professional ultra-endurance racing and eighteen years of building businesses. Delivered in English and Spanish.

Single keynote or programmeMeet Charlie

Every engagement begins with a 30-minute diagnostic call. No proposal until we both agree there is a fit.

What people say

"Charlie served as a corporate executive for the businesses I lead for over five years, performing at his best capacity in the complex business projects he was assigned, executing with professionalism, discipline and integrity. He has also represented our sports brands as an athlete. We chose him for our athlete portfolio because of the impact he has on other people to dream big."

Juan Pablo Mata

Executive President, cbc · beliv · bia; CEO, APEX

Board, advisory and governance

  • INCAE Business SchoolBoard Member, Guatemala National Committee
    2017 to 2026
  • PentaguaBoard Member
    2018 to 2024
  • Universidad Francisco MarroquínEntrepreneur in Residence
    2014 to 2017
  • Virtual Advisory BoardMember, invitation-only executive network
    2023 to 2026
  • Executive Council NetworkFounding Member
    2022 to 2024

Nine years on a business school governing committee, six on an operating company board, and three years holding the Entrepreneur in Residence seat formally.

How it works

Every engagement follows the same four stages, from first conversation to a result you can measure.

Step 01

Diagnose the mandate

You share the business or performance challenge: growth, launch, stage or stamina, and the timeline you are working against.

Step 02

Confirm fit + define scope

A short call to clarify outcomes, available energy and budget. If it is a match, we agree a scope, cadence and first milestone.

Step 03

Build / deliver

Advisory sessions, venture sprints, keynote rehearsals or coaching blocks, executed with the same discipline as an ultra training plan.

Step 04

Measure + next peak

We review the result against the agreed milestone, decide what to lock in and define the next elevation, whether that is another stage or a handoff.

Speaking

Keynotes and workshops delivered in English and Spanish, on stage or virtual. Built from ultra-endurance racing, executive leadership and certified performance coaching.

Audiences

  • Boards & C-suite
  • Founders & venture studios
  • Sports & endurance brands
  • Private equity & family offices
  • Corporate offsites & sales kickoffs
  • Universities & accelerators
Check availability →
T/01

Resilience Is Trainable

From depression to the Trail World Championship: how EXOS training principles build executive stamina and teams that hold under load.

T/02

Reinvention by Design

The Life Test / Life Vision / Life Design system for leaders and organizations facing forced change.

T/03

Building at Altitude

Lessons from founding Vertikal X: sport, capital and technology, and what emerging-market operators do differently.

T/04

Strategy, M&A and Expansion

How multinationals actually enter, buy and scale in Latin America, and where the value leaks.

The Book

THE REAL ULTRAMAN

From Dreamer to Achiever. Co-written with Cindy Barascout

The 1% Mindset: From Baseball Star to Ultra Athlete. A heroic journey through sport that redefines the impossible.

Based on a true story: how José Carlos 'Charlie' Sarmiento rewired an ordinary mind into an extraordinary one through 35 years as a high performer, corporate executive, serial entrepreneur and extreme endurance athlete. The book teaches the proprietary UltraM1ndset system so readers can break free from conditioning and build a courageous heart, a strong body and a free spirit.

  • Book-anchored keynote (45–60 min)
  • UltraM1ndset workshop for leadership teams
  • Webinar / virtual session, EN or ES
  • Bulk copies + author session for events

The UltraM1ndset System

A proprietary three-stage method: purpose, potential, power. Used in the book, the keynote and the coaching work.

LIFE TESTThe Wolf

Understand your past, without being a victim.

Face the shadows, choose courage over victimhood, take responsibility and begin to heal, then take the first step without worrying about the next.

LIFE VISIONThe Eagle

Visualize your future, connecting the dots.

When your mind sees it, your heart feels it and your soul lives it, your hands will create it. The body obeys what the mind believes.

LIFE DESIGNThe Bengal Tiger

Plan and make things happen with courage.

Embrace obstacles with passion, intensity, discipline and courage. Success = (Fail)ⁿ × Forward. Be unique, be rare, and synchronize mind, body and soul.

What I have built

Vertikal X Founder and CEO

Through the VTXAthlete platform, matches endurance athletes with brands and awards sponsorship on verified performance data, scored by a proprietary algorithm, the VTX Index. Incorporated across Switzerland, Spain and the United States, with a US headquarters in Indianapolis.

Monte Sarmiento Founder

Two consumer brands built from concept: Fuego Maya Coffee, Guatemalan single-origin for the US market, and Monte Sarmiento Wines, produced at the Montesanco winery in Valencia, Spain.

Vertikal Sports Capital Founder and General Partner

A venture platform that has designed, incubated and launched five sports and fitness companies from zero to market, including Vertikal Sports Performance, Pilates ProWorks Guatemala and Zero Sixty.

From the Field

Xtri World Tour: Swissman, Norseman, Fodaxman, Icon Livigno. More on Instagram @ultrasarmiento.

2024–2025
Swissman Xtreme Triathlon swim start beneath the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau
Swissman: Swim Start, Lake Uri
Charlie Sarmiento before the Swissman swim start on the ferry
Swissman: Before the Gun
Charlie Sarmiento — Norseman Xtreme Triathlon athlete portrait, start number 77, Xtri World Championship.
Norseman: Athlete 77, Xtri World Championship
Charlie Sarmiento exiting the water at Fodaxman Extreme Triathlon
Fodaxman: Swim Exit
Charlie Sarmiento on the bike course at Swissman Xtreme Triathlon
Swissman: 181.8 KM Bike
Charlie Sarmiento climbing on the bike course at Fodaxman Xtreme Triathlon, Brazil
Fodaxman Brazil: Bike Climb
Charlie Sarmiento finishing Icon Livigno Xtreme Triathlon at night
Icon Livigno: Night Finish
Charlie Sarmiento holding the Guatemalan flag with a fellow athlete after Norseman Xtreme Triathlon.
Norseman: Guatemala in the Fjords
Charlie Sarmiento celebrating the Swissman Xtreme Triathlon finish
Swissman: Finisher, 22:14

Race Archive

Verified Competition Results, 2015 to 2025

30 entries

Elevation gain (M) vs distance (KM): per race

Race data per race: distance in kilometers and elevation gain in meters
RaceDistance (KM)Elevation gain (M)
2015: Transgrancanaria1257,000
2015: ECS843,050
2015: ECS841,300
2016: Lavaredo Ultra Trail1206,500
2016: CCC - UTMB1026,500
2016: ECS843,700
2016: ECS844,260
2016: Fuego y Agua1026,500
2016: UTG 21K211,100
2017: UTG775,800
2018: UTMF1406,500
2018: UTG1006,500
2018: Western States Endurance Run1646,000
2018: Trail World Championship866,000
2019: UTMB16510,000
2019: La Ruta de los Dioses502,000
2019: UTX503,500
2020: Bandera1005,000
2020: Vertikality191.45,258
2021: The Coastal Challenge24010,000
2022: Brazos Bend861,000
2022: Spartan Ultra50Not recorded
2023: Fodaxman218.65,394
2023: Starvation210.55,736
2024: Icon Livigno240.86,038
2024: Skyrunning World Championship553,565
2024: Ultraman Arizona517.712,475
2024: Austin Marathon42760
2025: Norseman2264,172
2025: Swissman228.55,671

Best single-race D+

12,475 M

2024: Ultraman Arizona

Biggest year by distance

855.5 KM

2024

Total distance raced

4,045 KM

2015-2025 · 30 races

Total elevation gain

151,279 M

17× Mount Everest

YearEventDistanceD+ GainTimeResult
2025Norseman Xtreme Triathlon, NOR3.8 / 180 / 42.19 KM4,172 M14:48[ POS. 45 ]
2025Swissman Xtreme Triathlon, CHE3.4 / 181.8 / 43.25 KM5,671 M22:14[ FINISHER ]
2024Icon Livigno Xtreme Triathlon, ITA4.1 / 201.3 / 35.4 KM6,038 M19:06[ POS. 27 ]
2024Skyrunning World Championship, POR55 KM3,565 M10:21[ POS. 81 ]
2024Ultraman Arizona, USA10 / 423.7 / 84 KM12,475 M26:55[ DNF ]
2024Austin Marathon, TX, USA42 KM760 M3:21[ POS. 56 ]
2023Fodaxman Xtreme Triathlon, BRA4 / 172.5 / 42.1 KM5,394 M15:22[ POS. 15 ]
2023Starvation Xtreme Triathlon, UT, USA4 / 162.7 / 43.8 KM5,736 M18:36[ POS. 10 ]
2022Brazos Bend, TX, USA86 KM1,000 M7:46[ POS. 2 ]
2022Spartan Ultra, NC, USA50 KM + 60 OBS.N/A8:43[ POS. 66 ]
2021The Coastal Challenge, CRI240 KM10,000 M35:19[ POS. 5 ]
2020Bandera, TX, USA100 KM5,000 M12:33[ POS. 41 ]
2020Vertikality, GUA (indoor solo)191.39 KM5,258 M14:00[ RUN + BIKE + ROW ]
2019UTMB, FRA / ITA / CHE165 KM10,000 M27:00[ DNF KM 140 ]
2019La Ruta de los Dioses, GUA50 KM2,000 M4:45[ POS. 3 ]
2019UTX, GUA50 KM3,500 M3:00[ DNF KM 25 ]
2018UTMF, Japan140 KM6,500 M27:15[ POS. 41 ]
2018UTG, Guatemala100 KM6,500 M19:27[ POS. 9 ]
2018Western States Endurance Run, USA164 KM6,000 M26:58[ POS. 175 ]
2018Trail World Championship, ESP86 KM6,000 M13:22[ POS. 218 ]
2017UTG, Guatemala77 KM5,800 M14:35[ 13 / 225 ]TOP 10%
2016Lavaredo Ultra Trail, ITA120 KM6,500 M18:13[ 105 / 1515 ]TOP 10%
2016CCC - UTMB, FRA102 KM6,500 M17:58[ 161 / 2123 ]TOP 10%
2016ECS, California, USA84 KM3,700 M8:57[ 132 / 655 ]TOP 25%
2016ECS, New York, USA84 KM4,260 M9:17[ 44 / 389 ]TOP 15%
2016Fuego y Agua, NIC102 KM6,500 M24:09[ 6 / 32 ]TOP 20%
2016UTG 21K, Guatemala21 KM1,100 M1:57[ 4 / 135 ]TOP 5%
2015Transgrancanaria, ESP125 KM7,000 M22:35[ 211 / 736 ]TOP 33%
2015ECS, Park City, UT, USA84 KM3,050 M10:24[ 22 / 121 ]TOP 20%
2015ECS, Washington DC, USA84 KM1,300 M9:17[ 44 / 389 ]TOP 15%

Start with a conversation

Every engagement begins with a 30-minute diagnostic call. We use it to work out whether there is a real fit. No proposal, no deck, no obligation on either side until we both think there is.

Based in Austin, Texas · Available globally

English, Spanish & Italian

c@charliesarmiento.com

Optional: pick an approximate date for the engagement.

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