Ulrico Izaguirre

Ulrico Izaguirre (Rico) serves as Senior Vice President of Government Relations, Public Policy & Social Impact at Affirm, Inc, a San Francisco-based financial technology start-up providing honest and transparent point-of-sale consumer financing solutions where he joined in September of 2018, after spending over 16 years in the hospitality gaming and private consulting industry.

At Affirm, Rico’s team overseas US Federal and State Government Relations and Policy functions, while also overseeing global government relations for Affirm’s international expansion projects. In 2019, Rico launched the Affirm Cares Employee Foundation, a 501©(3) Affirm employee-led Public Good Foundation dedicated to making investments in nonprofits focused on Financial Literacy and Inclusion, Technology Education and Training and building Vibrant Communities. Rico serves as the Executive Sponsor of Amigxs, the Latina / Latino ERG at Affirm, as well as on the corporate Executive Leadership team. Rico’s team also oversees Merchant Diversity program efforts helping recruit, onboard and integrate diverse-owned merchants into the Affirm merchant network. Rico is also a Founding member Board member of the American Fintech Council, a DC-based trade association advocating for sub 36% APR responsible consumer-focused financial technology platforms.

Rico’s previous roles and areas of expertise while at Wynn Resorts, LTD and Caesars Entertainment, Inc. included roles overseeing federal, state and local government relations, corporate community relations, employee development and engagement, crisis communications management, corporate environmental sustainability, PAC management and domestic and international resort development.
With his extensive background in corporate government relations, PAC management, labor relations, new jurisdiction development and corporate social responsibility, he skillfully built the largest political action committee (PAC) in the gaming industry while at Caesars (CEPAC) and launched the award-winning grassroots federal and state Caesars team member engagement political program, Winning Together.
Rico is also active in local non-profit and civic engagement boards, launching and serving as an inaugural board member on the newly created Wynn Employee Foundation in 2015, during his tenure at Wynn Resorts, LTD in Las Vegas, NV and on the national board of Mi Familia Vota since 2006. His expertise and interest in contributing to the scholarly future of public administration positioned him to serve as the lead developer and helped launch Grand Canyon University’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) program in 2010.

Cumulatively, he has over 20 years of experience in federal and state campaigns and government functions in Arizona, New Mexico, Maryland, Nevada, California, Illinois and Iowa along with corporate development and referendum management in Missouri, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York and Iowa. The genesis of his political career started as an aide to Vice President Al Gore in 2000 in the Vice President’s west wing office, followed by a stint in Maryland working for Lt. Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend in her run for Governor (2002) and then Gov. Janet Napolitano’s Arizona Department of Environmental Quality in Arizona in 2003.
Rico graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University with a Master of Public Administration ('09) and a BA in Political Science ('99) from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, Rico grew up in Mexico City where he attended The Greengates School.