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2012 India Trade Conference - Speaker Bios
Our compelling speaker line-up.
N. Parthasarathi
Consul General of India
Govt. of India
Shri N Parthasarathi graduated as a Mechanical Engineer in 1974 from Mysore University and served as an Executive Engineer with a major PSU in India till 1980. During this period, he also earned the degrees of MBA (International Marketing)
and Post Graduate Diploma (Industrial Management) from Bangalore University in India.
Started serving as the Consul General of India in San Francisco from October 13, 2011.
Earlier, from September 2005 to September 2008, he was Ambassador of India to the Republic of South Korea.
From October 2008 to September 2011, he served as Ambassador of India to Senegal. He was also concurrently accredited as Ambassador of India to Mali, Mauritania, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde islands, as well as High Commissioner of India to the Republic of The Gambia.
Shri Parthasarathi joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1981 and has served as a diplomat in countries throughout the world, including in Belgium, Senegal, Pakistan, United Kingdom and Syria. He has also served in different capacities in the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Finance (Department of Economic Affairs) in New Delhi.
Shri Parthasarathy’s hobbies include writing, spirituality, mentoring youth, golf and bridge. He has published two books: (i) ‘The Reluctant Assassin’, a fictional thriller, published in Delhi, in January 2005; and (ii) ‘Bi Dan Hwang Hoo’ (Silk Empress), a fictional novel linking the ancient history of India and Korea. The latter was translated in the Korean language and published in Seoul in June 2007.
He is married to Smt. Geeta Parthasarathi. They have two daughters.
Started serving as the Consul General of India in San Francisco from October 13, 2011.
Earlier, from September 2005 to September 2008, he was Ambassador of India to the Republic of South Korea.
From October 2008 to September 2011, he served as Ambassador of India to Senegal. He was also concurrently accredited as Ambassador of India to Mali, Mauritania, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde islands, as well as High Commissioner of India to the Republic of The Gambia.
Shri Parthasarathi joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1981 and has served as a diplomat in countries throughout the world, including in Belgium, Senegal, Pakistan, United Kingdom and Syria. He has also served in different capacities in the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Finance (Department of Economic Affairs) in New Delhi.
Shri Parthasarathy’s hobbies include writing, spirituality, mentoring youth, golf and bridge. He has published two books: (i) ‘The Reluctant Assassin’, a fictional thriller, published in Delhi, in January 2005; and (ii) ‘Bi Dan Hwang Hoo’ (Silk Empress), a fictional novel linking the ancient history of India and Korea. The latter was translated in the Korean language and published in Seoul in June 2007.
He is married to Smt. Geeta Parthasarathi. They have two daughters.
Holly Vineyard
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Africa, the Middle East,
and South Asia
U.S. Department of Commerce
Holly Vineyard serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Africa, the Middle East and South Asia in the International Trade Administration's Market Access and Compliance unit. In this position, she directs the Department's
regional activities on market access, trade, commerce and compliance with international trade agreements. She is responsible for developing programs, policies and strategies to strengthen the U.S. commercial position in nearly 80 countries.
She serves as a co-chair for the U.S. - India High Technology Cooperation Group’s working group on Biotechnology and Life Sciences (which includes biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and health IT).
Ms. Vineyard joined the Commerce Department in 1994. Prior to her current position, Ms. Vineyard served as the Director of the Office of Africa, as Senior Policy Advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, and as a desk officer in the Office of South Asia and Oceania. She has been detailed twice to the Senate Finance Committee, where she worked with the Trade Subcommittee on a wide range of issues, including its consideration of the African Growth and Opportunity Act. Prior to joining the Commerce Department, Ms. Vineyard worked in the private sector.
She holds a master's degree from George Mason University and a bachelor's degree from the College of William and Mary.
She serves as a co-chair for the U.S. - India High Technology Cooperation Group’s working group on Biotechnology and Life Sciences (which includes biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and health IT).
Ms. Vineyard joined the Commerce Department in 1994. Prior to her current position, Ms. Vineyard served as the Director of the Office of Africa, as Senior Policy Advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, and as a desk officer in the Office of South Asia and Oceania. She has been detailed twice to the Senate Finance Committee, where she worked with the Trade Subcommittee on a wide range of issues, including its consideration of the African Growth and Opportunity Act. Prior to joining the Commerce Department, Ms. Vineyard worked in the private sector.
She holds a master's degree from George Mason University and a bachelor's degree from the College of William and Mary.
Carol K. Chen
Councilmember
City of Cerritos
Councilmember Carol K. Chen was elected to the Cerritos City Council in June 2008 and re-elected in March 2009. She served as Mayor from 2011 to 2012. She is a member of the Business and Industry, Library and Performing Arts
Committees. Councilmember Chen is the alternate to the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority and the first alternate to Sanitation Districts 2, 3, 18 & 19/Waste Management. As Chairperson of District 19, she also serves on the Sanitation Districts Los Angeles County Personnel Committee that provides direction for personnel management and employer-employee relations. She is the Council's delegate to the Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Investment Board – Policy Board.
Councilmember Carol K. Chen is a Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Community, Economic and Human Develop¬ment Committee Mem¬ber and the Gateway Council of Government Representative to SCAG. She serves as an alternate on the Board of Directors for the Orangeline Development Authority (OLDA).
In 2011, Councilmember Chen was named a finalist for the National League of Cities’ Women in Municipal Government Leadership Award.
Councilmember Chen is a member of the Cerritos Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Asian Pacific Congressional Advisory Council of the 40th Congressional District.
Councilmember Carol K. Chen is a Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Community, Economic and Human Develop¬ment Committee Mem¬ber and the Gateway Council of Government Representative to SCAG. She serves as an alternate on the Board of Directors for the Orangeline Development Authority (OLDA).
In 2011, Councilmember Chen was named a finalist for the National League of Cities’ Women in Municipal Government Leadership Award.
Councilmember Chen is a member of the Cerritos Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Asian Pacific Congressional Advisory Council of the 40th Congressional District.
Steve Arnold
Regional International Sales Manager
Fedex
Steve Arnold has been with FedEx for 17 years, and is the Regional International Sales Manager in Los Angeles. He is responsible for over 10,000 businesses in Southern California up through Central California, with international revenue in
excess of
$158 million dollars. Steve grew up in the city of South Pasadena and graduated from USC
with a Business degree in finance and communication. He has 25 years
experience in the transportation industry. He has held both
operational and sales management positions in the Air Freight
Forwarding industry, shipping equipment industry as well FedEx
Ground & FedEx Services. As a Senior Manager of operations, for
FedEx Ground, he opened two new facilities in Northern California.
He then moved back to Southern California to handle various sales
management responsibilities. He has won numerous awards, among them
Senior Manager of the Year, Best International Station of the year,
District Sales Manager of the Year and FedEx Presidents Club.
He is currently Chairman of the executive committee, for the 83rd World Trade Week breakfast, with Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. He is a Director with the Foreign Trade Association, he is on the Southern California District Export Council.
He is currently Chairman of the executive committee, for the 83rd World Trade Week breakfast, with Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. He is a Director with the Foreign Trade Association, he is on the Southern California District Export Council.
Doreen Bonnici
International Agency Development Director
Western Overseas Corp
Ms. Bonnici joined WOC in 2005 and is responsible for WOC branch-wide ocean freight development, maintaining Carrier contracts and the development of international agency relationships. She travels extensively throughout the world,
and maintains daily contact with the WOC network of worldwide agents. Doreen began her career as an air export clerk and has worked in the industry for over 30 years. She has served as a sales coordinator, operations manager and agency development director. Her primary responsibility at WOC is to work and partner with our customers in providing personalized service, understanding their business needs and tailoring a program to deliver effective and efficient results for their supply chain management, to include C-TPAT and security.
Shekhar Chitnis
CEO and President
Chisk Inc
Shekhar Chitnis is the Founder, CEO and President of Chisk Inc. and Chitnis Consulting Inc, CEO of NexGen Power Group, Inc. and Managing Director of Commercial Electric Vehicles U.K. He also sits on Boards of various companies
in US and India.
British born, naturalized citizen of the USA, Shekhar is of Indian origin. Besides the USA, he has worked extensively in Europe and Asia, particularly in UK, Germany, India, China, S. Korea and Japan.He has been in USA for about 30 years, India for about 15 years, UK for 5 years and Japan for 4 years. His business experience ranges from Fortune 5 to start-up companies; domestic to global markets; consumer to industrial products; goods and services; as well as imports and exports.
Prior to his current roles as Board Member, Chairman, CEO, Entrepreneur and a Consultant for various companies, where he is bringing new ideas and new markets together, Shekhar was the COO at Liquidmetal Technologies, a high tech materials company that went public in 2002. During his stint at Liquidmetal Technologies, he also managed Liquidmetal Golf as it’s CEO. Prior to the entrepreneurial bug biting him, he spent 12 years at Ford, the last four in Japan, as the Director of Ford of Japan’s Marketing and Product Development. During that time, he was responsible for development and marketing of 27 different carlines.
His present business focus is three areas — Management Consulting, Emerging Energy Technologies and the Indian Market.
In the emerging energy field, as the CEO of NexGen Power Group/MD of CEV, U.K, he is bringing Zero Emission Fully Electric Vehicles to the global market, he is working on the first US full-size 40 foot bus, capable of a full day’s run on a single charge, for the City of Anaheim. He is also the CEO of NexGen Power Group Inc, a company that has developed high powered, energy efficient LED lights for Street and Parking light applications. For the Indian market, he is working on developing these and other products as well as services, both for import and export. In addition to his own companies, he also consults for companies interested in distributing or sourcing to and from India as well as several other markets.
Shekhar Chitnis is a sought after speaker at business conferences and on TV and has spoken at Caltech- MIT Forum, University of Chicago, Harvard Business School, USC, Japan Business Council, UCI, UCLA, Tech BIZ, TIE, LARTA and on Japanese TV as well Doordarshan (TV) in India.
Shekhar Chitnis has an MBA from University of Chicago and an BS in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering from Maulana Azad College of Technology, Bhopal. He is member of Mensa since 1985, and active on the Board of TiE South Coast and Board of Talega Business Park. He lives and works in San Clemente, California.
British born, naturalized citizen of the USA, Shekhar is of Indian origin. Besides the USA, he has worked extensively in Europe and Asia, particularly in UK, Germany, India, China, S. Korea and Japan.He has been in USA for about 30 years, India for about 15 years, UK for 5 years and Japan for 4 years. His business experience ranges from Fortune 5 to start-up companies; domestic to global markets; consumer to industrial products; goods and services; as well as imports and exports.
Prior to his current roles as Board Member, Chairman, CEO, Entrepreneur and a Consultant for various companies, where he is bringing new ideas and new markets together, Shekhar was the COO at Liquidmetal Technologies, a high tech materials company that went public in 2002. During his stint at Liquidmetal Technologies, he also managed Liquidmetal Golf as it’s CEO. Prior to the entrepreneurial bug biting him, he spent 12 years at Ford, the last four in Japan, as the Director of Ford of Japan’s Marketing and Product Development. During that time, he was responsible for development and marketing of 27 different carlines.
His present business focus is three areas — Management Consulting, Emerging Energy Technologies and the Indian Market.
In the emerging energy field, as the CEO of NexGen Power Group/MD of CEV, U.K, he is bringing Zero Emission Fully Electric Vehicles to the global market, he is working on the first US full-size 40 foot bus, capable of a full day’s run on a single charge, for the City of Anaheim. He is also the CEO of NexGen Power Group Inc, a company that has developed high powered, energy efficient LED lights for Street and Parking light applications. For the Indian market, he is working on developing these and other products as well as services, both for import and export. In addition to his own companies, he also consults for companies interested in distributing or sourcing to and from India as well as several other markets.
Shekhar Chitnis is a sought after speaker at business conferences and on TV and has spoken at Caltech- MIT Forum, University of Chicago, Harvard Business School, USC, Japan Business Council, UCI, UCLA, Tech BIZ, TIE, LARTA and on Japanese TV as well Doordarshan (TV) in India.
Shekhar Chitnis has an MBA from University of Chicago and an BS in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering from Maulana Azad College of Technology, Bhopal. He is member of Mensa since 1985, and active on the Board of TiE South Coast and Board of Talega Business Park. He lives and works in San Clemente, California.
Paula Golden
Executive Director, Broadcom Foundation
Director, Community Affairs, Broadcom Corporation
As Executive Director of the Broadcom Foundation and Director of Broadcom Corporation Community Affairs Paula Golden directs funding and implementation of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education and
research and volunteer activities for the charitable arm of Broadcom, a Fortune 500 company with over 10,000 employees worldwide.
Paula earned her undergraduate degree from Wellesley College and was an Instructor of Law and Assistant Dean at New England School of Law from which she obtained her Juris Doctor, cum laude. She served as Chief Counsel and Deputy Registrar of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (DMV) where she was a member of the Governor's High Technology Council. She has also served as Executive Director of the Engineering Center and Engineering Center Education Trust, Director of Development for Neuroscience at University of California, Los Angeles. She has had a long career of creating funding streams and developing message platforms for NGOs to create sustainability and encourage social entrepreneurship. At Broadcom Foundation, Paula developed the Broadcom MASTERS®, a Program of Society for Science and the Public, a middle school science and engineering competition that inspires young people to stay engaged in math and science throughout high school and college to become scientists, engineers and innovators of the future. This year three young girls from the states of Andra Pradesh and Karnataka joined 15 other young people from 11 countries in Pittsburgh for the first Broadcom MASTERS International, where they observed the science competition of high school students from around the world and made friendships that may result in future collaborations that tackle the world's Grand Challenges in communications, health, transportation, education, energy and sustainability. The foundation also supports LOTUS, an all-volunteer program in Bangalore where employees dedicate time and resources at ten elementary schools located near the Broadcom facilities. The foundation is also developing relationships with engineering schools at universities in India and throughout the globe.
Jeffrey Greenstein
Vice President
Nu Image / Millennium Films
Nu Image, Inc. /Millennium Films is a full-service production company and distributor supplying the domestic and international markets. Nu Image, Inc. / Millennium Films develops, finances, produces, and distributes between 15 -18
films a year.
Nu Image / Millennium Films participated in this March's American Pavilion at Hong Kong FILMART, one of the world's top four most important film industry trade shows. Mr. Jeffrey Greenstein represented Nu Image / Millennium Films, at Hong Kong Filmart and there confirmed that as a direct result of participating in the CSHK-organized U.S. Pavilion at FILMART, their company successfully closed a film distribution deal with a buyer from India. The buyer is an India film distribution company that attended FILMART to source content.
Nu Image was founded in 1992, and was originally dedicated to the action and thriller genres, Nu Image created Millennium Films in 1996 to address the market's growing need for theatrical quality films and higher budget action features. The two divisions have together produced more than 230 films, including Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant, staring Nicholas Cage and Eva Mendes, Stallone's 2008 Rambo, Mad Money with Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah in The Black Dahlia, and Righteous Kill starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. Nu Image Inc./Millennium Films attended this year's Berlin International Film Festival with such company films as The Iceman with Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta and Chris Evans, Killing Season starring Robert De Niro and John Travolta, and The Expendables 2.
Nu Image / Millennium Films participated in this March's American Pavilion at Hong Kong FILMART, one of the world's top four most important film industry trade shows. Mr. Jeffrey Greenstein represented Nu Image / Millennium Films, at Hong Kong Filmart and there confirmed that as a direct result of participating in the CSHK-organized U.S. Pavilion at FILMART, their company successfully closed a film distribution deal with a buyer from India. The buyer is an India film distribution company that attended FILMART to source content.
Nu Image was founded in 1992, and was originally dedicated to the action and thriller genres, Nu Image created Millennium Films in 1996 to address the market's growing need for theatrical quality films and higher budget action features. The two divisions have together produced more than 230 films, including Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant, staring Nicholas Cage and Eva Mendes, Stallone's 2008 Rambo, Mad Money with Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah in The Black Dahlia, and Righteous Kill starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. Nu Image Inc./Millennium Films attended this year's Berlin International Film Festival with such company films as The Iceman with Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta and Chris Evans, Killing Season starring Robert De Niro and John Travolta, and The Expendables 2.
Sangeeta R. Gupta
Partner
Gupta Consulting Group, Inc.
Dr. Sangeeta Gupta is one of the nation's leading experts on workplace diversity, cross-cultural business and creating an environment of inclusion. She is a specialist in culturally-nuanced executive coaching. Dr. Gupta has more than 20
years of experience in a variety of industries including: information technology; manufacturing, entertainment; government; financial services; academia; transportation; health care; and nonprofit. Dr. Gupta has served senior management in a variety of roles including change management, organizational design, strategy, leadership development, and as an executive coach.
Dr. Gupta has extensive experience working with executives who are new to the U.S. business environment and require some assistance adapting their interaction styles to increase their effectiveness. She also works directly with senior leadership (Vice Presidents to CEOs) to develop collaborative leadership skills utilizing 360 evaluations as well as executive coaching. Dr. Gupta utilizes performance coaching methodology to improve managerial and leadership abilities.
Dr. Gupta is of Asian Indian origin and works extensively with clients who have a presence in India or are outsourcing/offshoring to India. She assists them in working through their cultural differences in order to increase productivity and decrease costs.
Dr. Gupta received her Ph.D. from UCLA and graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa . She is also the author of A Quick Guide to Cultural Competency from the Quick Guide Business Series for busy professionals, featured on Forbes.com. Dr. Gupta is currently working on her third book "Cultural Intelligence: Managing in Today's Global Business Environment". In addition to her business writing, Dr. Gupta and her business partner are currently working on a series of multi-cultural children’s books designed to introduce young children to the world of diversity and inclusion and help them navigate the global village in which they live. Each book in the series is designed to introduce a topic that young children will encounter and includes a discussion guide for both teachers and parents to help them continue the dialogue.
Dr. Gupta has extensive experience working with executives who are new to the U.S. business environment and require some assistance adapting their interaction styles to increase their effectiveness. She also works directly with senior leadership (Vice Presidents to CEOs) to develop collaborative leadership skills utilizing 360 evaluations as well as executive coaching. Dr. Gupta utilizes performance coaching methodology to improve managerial and leadership abilities.
Dr. Gupta is of Asian Indian origin and works extensively with clients who have a presence in India or are outsourcing/offshoring to India. She assists them in working through their cultural differences in order to increase productivity and decrease costs.
Dr. Gupta received her Ph.D. from UCLA and graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa . She is also the author of A Quick Guide to Cultural Competency from the Quick Guide Business Series for busy professionals, featured on Forbes.com. Dr. Gupta is currently working on her third book "Cultural Intelligence: Managing in Today's Global Business Environment". In addition to her business writing, Dr. Gupta and her business partner are currently working on a series of multi-cultural children’s books designed to introduce young children to the world of diversity and inclusion and help them navigate the global village in which they live. Each book in the series is designed to introduce a topic that young children will encounter and includes a discussion guide for both teachers and parents to help them continue the dialogue.
Chris Harrington
Vice President
Toshiba America
Chris Harrington is Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, and Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, for Toshiba America Information Systems, the company responsible for Toshiba’s PC, TV, telecommunications,
and imaging businesses in the United States and Latin America. Chris is also Environmental Promotion Officer for the company.
Prior to joining Toshiba in 1997, Chris spent almost twenty years with AT&T, starting in Bell Laboratories as an engineer and holding various positions as department head and director. He is a patent holder, and was Intellectual Property Adjutant for Bell Lab’s patent portfolio. Chris also held positions within AT&T in strategic planning, new business development and public relations.
Chris holds graduate degrees in mathematics (City University of NY) and physics (New York University), and completed a masters level program in computer science (NYU/Bell Labs), as well as programs in International Business (INSEAD, France) and Government (Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.)
He is currently on the Board of Directors of the Orange County Business Council, co-chairing the Economic Development Committee; Board of Governors, Saddleback College Foundation, chairing the Sustainability and Environmental Committee; and is on the Board of Directors of Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management Company, a joint company of , Panasonic, Sharp and Toshiba. He is also on the Board of Directors of a start-up medical device company in Orange County, and a member of the GreenBiz Executive Network. Most recently, Chris has joined the Business Advisory Council of UCI Law School.
Chris has been recognized for his community activities by the Orange County Board of Education, and received the Power – Packed Philanthropist Award in 2009 from the Orange County Community Foundation. In his early career Chris taught at the high school, community college and college level, co-authored a book on differential equations, and was a tournament chess player.
Prior to joining Toshiba in 1997, Chris spent almost twenty years with AT&T, starting in Bell Laboratories as an engineer and holding various positions as department head and director. He is a patent holder, and was Intellectual Property Adjutant for Bell Lab’s patent portfolio. Chris also held positions within AT&T in strategic planning, new business development and public relations.
Chris holds graduate degrees in mathematics (City University of NY) and physics (New York University), and completed a masters level program in computer science (NYU/Bell Labs), as well as programs in International Business (INSEAD, France) and Government (Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.)
He is currently on the Board of Directors of the Orange County Business Council, co-chairing the Economic Development Committee; Board of Governors, Saddleback College Foundation, chairing the Sustainability and Environmental Committee; and is on the Board of Directors of Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management Company, a joint company of , Panasonic, Sharp and Toshiba. He is also on the Board of Directors of a start-up medical device company in Orange County, and a member of the GreenBiz Executive Network. Most recently, Chris has joined the Business Advisory Council of UCI Law School.
Chris has been recognized for his community activities by the Orange County Board of Education, and received the Power – Packed Philanthropist Award in 2009 from the Orange County Community Foundation. In his early career Chris taught at the high school, community college and college level, co-authored a book on differential equations, and was a tournament chess player.
Julie Anne Hennessy
Director
U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce
Julie Anne Hennessy joined the U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce in May 1995 and became the director of the West Los Angeles office in 1999. In addition to her role as director, Ms. Hennessy assists small-to-medium
sized companies with
their international marketing efforts.
Ms. Hennessy began her career in international trade at the Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. where she worked for six years investigating whether foreign governments or companies were engaging in unfair trade practices. As a U.S. government official, Ms. Hennessy has traveled to Asia, Canada, Europe and South Africa.
She holds a Master's Degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California.
Ms. Hennessy began her career in international trade at the Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. where she worked for six years investigating whether foreign governments or companies were engaging in unfair trade practices. As a U.S. government official, Ms. Hennessy has traveled to Asia, Canada, Europe and South Africa.
She holds a Master's Degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California.
Rajat Khurana
CEO
West Coast Consulting, LLC
West Coast Consulting, LLC, a fast paced technology company with an international presence has built a reputation of excellence and integrity with all the key Stakeholders i.e., clients, consultants, and employees.
In the ever-changing marketplace of Consulting, companies must continually adapt to survive in today’s competitive Global economy. Managers are under constant pressure to deliver new solutions – both organizational as well as technological to meet the company’s needs. West Coast Consulting has the resources to help Clients better align business and technology with their overall Organizational goals.
Mr. Rajat Khurana, the founder and the dynamic force behind West Coast Consulting, is an internationally recognized Technocrat. He serves on the board of TiE and various other organizations. Passionate about technology and a strong believer of globalization, he mentors entrepreneurs and future leaders create organizations that are able to reap the benefits of comprehensive solutions.
A frequent speaker at various congregations, he is often encouraging and energizing young minds recognize and realize their visions. He is deeply involved with the local community in helping them achieve their career goals. A visionary and an achiever with a global perspective he is always passionate to give back to society.
Dr. K Ravi Kumar
Professor
Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
Dr. Kumar is a Professor in the Department of Information and Operations Management at the Marshall School of Business in the University of Southern California. He served as Chairman of the Department from 1989-1994, Vice Dean
for International Programs from 2003-2006 and Vice Dean for Graduate Programs from 2004-2006. From 2009-2011, on a leave of absence from USC, he served as Distinguished Professor and Dean of the College of Business at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).
He has served as the Executive Director in charge of all of Marshall’s distinctive experiential learning courses, such as PRIME, PM.GLOBE, ExPORT, GLP and LINC. He was the Founder of the PRIME Program, a required course for all MBA students; the Marshall School holds the unique position in the US (and the world) of having executed this major internationalization effort since 1996. Currently, Marshall’s experiential learning courses involve over 1000 MBA and undergrad students, 40 faculty members across all disciplines, over 150 companies in15 cities in 10 Asia Pacific and Latin American countries every year. He championed the next stage of Marshall’s globalization—to launch a Global EMBA degree program in Shanghai in collaboration with the Shanghai Jiao Tong University in May 2004.
Before joining USC in 1986, Dr. Kumar taught at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Kumar has received several awards for teaching excellence at both the University of Illinois [Outstanding Educator Award] and USC [Golden Apple Award].
Dr. Kumar's got his B.Tech degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, India, his Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Texas and his Ph.D from the Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences Department at Northwestern University.
Dr. Kumar's research interests include management issues in continuous quality improvement (including environmental aspects), flexible and cellular manufacturing systems as well as the development of sustainable information technology industries in developing countries (such as IT hardware in Taiwan and software in India). Companies that have funded his research include Nike, TRW, Fidelity Investments, Caterpillar, Bourns Instrument, Southern California Edison as well as the National Science Foundation. He has extensive international consulting experience, including projects with companies such as Nike, Rolls Royce, BMW, Daimler Benz Aerospace, ABB, Ericsson, BAX Global, Motorola, Reuters, Du Pont, Korean Air, Infosys, Acer, and Shell Hong Kong. He is the author or co-author of more than 60 articles including publications in Management Science, Marketing Science, Journal of Economic Theory, Production and Operations Management and Journal of Operations Management.
Dr, Kumar serves on the Board of several companies, including Korea Exchange Bank in S. Korea and Goodwill Industries of Southern California. In 2000-2001, he served as a member of a Special Interest Group advising the Indian Ministry for Information Technology on IT hardware and software policies.
He has served as the Executive Director in charge of all of Marshall’s distinctive experiential learning courses, such as PRIME, PM.GLOBE, ExPORT, GLP and LINC. He was the Founder of the PRIME Program, a required course for all MBA students; the Marshall School holds the unique position in the US (and the world) of having executed this major internationalization effort since 1996. Currently, Marshall’s experiential learning courses involve over 1000 MBA and undergrad students, 40 faculty members across all disciplines, over 150 companies in15 cities in 10 Asia Pacific and Latin American countries every year. He championed the next stage of Marshall’s globalization—to launch a Global EMBA degree program in Shanghai in collaboration with the Shanghai Jiao Tong University in May 2004.
Before joining USC in 1986, Dr. Kumar taught at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Kumar has received several awards for teaching excellence at both the University of Illinois [Outstanding Educator Award] and USC [Golden Apple Award].
Dr. Kumar's got his B.Tech degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, India, his Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Texas and his Ph.D from the Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences Department at Northwestern University.
Dr. Kumar's research interests include management issues in continuous quality improvement (including environmental aspects), flexible and cellular manufacturing systems as well as the development of sustainable information technology industries in developing countries (such as IT hardware in Taiwan and software in India). Companies that have funded his research include Nike, TRW, Fidelity Investments, Caterpillar, Bourns Instrument, Southern California Edison as well as the National Science Foundation. He has extensive international consulting experience, including projects with companies such as Nike, Rolls Royce, BMW, Daimler Benz Aerospace, ABB, Ericsson, BAX Global, Motorola, Reuters, Du Pont, Korean Air, Infosys, Acer, and Shell Hong Kong. He is the author or co-author of more than 60 articles including publications in Management Science, Marketing Science, Journal of Economic Theory, Production and Operations Management and Journal of Operations Management.
Dr, Kumar serves on the Board of several companies, including Korea Exchange Bank in S. Korea and Goodwill Industries of Southern California. In 2000-2001, he served as a member of a Special Interest Group advising the Indian Ministry for Information Technology on IT hardware and software policies.
Kathy Lin
Manager – Insurance Customer Service
Meridian Finance Group
Kathy Lin is Customer Service Manager for insurance at Meridian Finance Group, a company providing credit, insurance, and trade finance tools that help exporters expand their international sales. A graduate of the University of California San
Diego, Kathy has many years of experience in trade finance and insurance. Prior to Meridian Finance Group, she worked for three years as a commercial underwriter at Golden Eagle Insurance. She has also studied and worked in Shanghai, China. Kathy and her colleagues at Meridian have been recognized with awards from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. (Ex-Im Bank), and the Foreign Credit Insurance Association in recognition of Meridian’s contributions to U.S. exports.
Jim MacLellan
Director of Trade Development
Port of Los Angeles
Jim MacLellan is responsible for trade promotion programs to encourage increased trade through the Port of Los Angeles and the Southern California Gateway. He manages the Port’s Trade Connect Programs which educates small
to medium size businesses on how to participate in export markets. He is also responsible for outreach to beneficial cargo owners and their professional associations. He has held this position since January 2007, and previously was Director of Marketing, at which time he directed marketing programs, coordinated the activities of the Port’s ten international offices and worked with both customers and service providers to help build the Port’s long-term clientele.
Prior to joining the Port of Los Angeles in 1992, he spent more than 20 years working internationally in the maritime and intermodal shipping business. As Adjunct Professor, he teaches an annual course on international shipping at the Monterey Institute Graduate School of International Studies. A member of several local and international organizations, he currently serves as a director of the Pacific Chapter of the United States – Mexico Chamber of Commerce, the Foreign Trade Association, and is Vice – Chairman of the Southern California Regional District Export Council (U.S. Department of Commerce). He is a member of the World Trade Week Committee of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.
Prior to joining the Port of Los Angeles in 1992, he spent more than 20 years working internationally in the maritime and intermodal shipping business. As Adjunct Professor, he teaches an annual course on international shipping at the Monterey Institute Graduate School of International Studies. A member of several local and international organizations, he currently serves as a director of the Pacific Chapter of the United States – Mexico Chamber of Commerce, the Foreign Trade Association, and is Vice – Chairman of the Southern California Regional District Export Council (U.S. Department of Commerce). He is a member of the World Trade Week Committee of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.
Doug Malousis
Edison SmartConnect
Southern California Edison
Doug is currently serving as the Project Manager for District Readiness within the Field Deployment group for Edison SmartConnect. His main role is to communicate to and ensure that communities and internal stakeholders such as
district management and supervision are prepared for all deployment activities relating to Edison SmartConnect.
Doug served in Corporate Communications as the Supervisor of Video Services for over 10 years. During this time he assisted in Board of Directors Meetings, Annual Meetings of Shareholders, advertising production and a variety of internal and external communication projects. After leaving the company in 1997 Doug owned or partnered in three television production companies, Executive Produced and hosted programs for Fox Sports Regional Networks and most recently came from Sportsman Channel television network where he served as Production Manager. He returned to his current position at Southern California Edison in October of 2009.
He has a BA in Television, Radio and Film from California State University Northridge.
Doug served in Corporate Communications as the Supervisor of Video Services for over 10 years. During this time he assisted in Board of Directors Meetings, Annual Meetings of Shareholders, advertising production and a variety of internal and external communication projects. After leaving the company in 1997 Doug owned or partnered in three television production companies, Executive Produced and hosted programs for Fox Sports Regional Networks and most recently came from Sportsman Channel television network where he served as Production Manager. He returned to his current position at Southern California Edison in October of 2009.
He has a BA in Television, Radio and Film from California State University Northridge.
Aileen Crowe Nandi
Commercial Officer
U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce
Ms. Aileen Crowe Nandi arrived in California in August 2011 for a domestic stint at the San Jose (Silicon Valley) Export Assistance Center. Following her five years in India, she assists U.S. companies to enter the Indian market and focuses on
the cloud computing, IT security and consumer electronics industries worldwide. Her most recent assignment was Chennai, India, where she served from 2008-2011. There Ms. Nandi advocated for U.S. commercial interests and organized trade promotion activities in South India, including path-breaking trade missions for energy efficiency, franchising and cosmetics companies. She was also responsible for the education, biotech, machine tools, and automotive sectors. As Principal Commercial Officer for four states in South India, Ms. Nandi managed three U.S. Commercial Service offices (Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad) and coordinated with Colombo, Sri Lanka, a partnership post. Diego, Kathy has many years of experience in trade finance and insurance. Prior to Meridian Finance Group, she worked for three years as a commercial underwriter at Golden Eagle Insurance. She has also studied and worked in Shanghai, China. Kathy and her colleagues at Meridian have been recognized with awards from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. (Ex-Im Bank), and the Foreign Credit Insurance Association in recognition of Meridian’s contributions to U.S. exports.
Among her career highlights were two years in Calcutta, India (2006-2008), where she served as the first-ever Principal Commercial Officer at post. There she led the CS India mining and food processing teams and established a vibrant partnership program with Dhaka, Bangladesh. Prior to her India experience, Ms. Nandi was a Commercial Officer in Mexico City, Mexico from 2003-2006 and received awards from the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Department of State for her trade promotion work. Her industries and expertise in Mexico ranged from oil and gas, environment, travel and tourism, services and U.S. Government trade finance programs. Before joining the U.S. Commercial Service in 2002, Ms. Nandi worked as a Country Manager for Central/Eastern Europe with the U.S. Trade and Development Agency from 1998-2002.
Ms. Nandi has an MA from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She was a Fulbright Scholar to Dresden, Germany, where she researched the unemployment effects among women after German unification. Ms. Nandi also holds a BA in economics and international studies from the University of Richmond in Virginia. She speaks German and Spanish. She is married to Rahul Nandi, an education technology entrepreneur, and has a globetrotting daughter.
Among her career highlights were two years in Calcutta, India (2006-2008), where she served as the first-ever Principal Commercial Officer at post. There she led the CS India mining and food processing teams and established a vibrant partnership program with Dhaka, Bangladesh. Prior to her India experience, Ms. Nandi was a Commercial Officer in Mexico City, Mexico from 2003-2006 and received awards from the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Department of State for her trade promotion work. Her industries and expertise in Mexico ranged from oil and gas, environment, travel and tourism, services and U.S. Government trade finance programs. Before joining the U.S. Commercial Service in 2002, Ms. Nandi worked as a Country Manager for Central/Eastern Europe with the U.S. Trade and Development Agency from 1998-2002.
Ms. Nandi has an MA from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She was a Fulbright Scholar to Dresden, Germany, where she researched the unemployment effects among women after German unification. Ms. Nandi also holds a BA in economics and international studies from the University of Richmond in Virginia. She speaks German and Spanish. She is married to Rahul Nandi, an education technology entrepreneur, and has a globetrotting daughter.
Eddie Northen
Vice President of Finance
UPS West Region
Effective April, 2010, Eddie Northen accepted the position of Vice President of Finance for the UPS West Region located in Laguna Hills, CA. Eddie manages the Finance, Risk Management, Tax and Real Estate for the Western U.S. Starting
with the company in 1985, Eddie has over 25 years of UPS experience and began his career as a part-time employee and then a Service Provider in Raleigh, NC.
In 1992, Eddie moved to Dallas, TX and became an Internal Audit Manager and conducted audits in many areas including the UPS Airline, District offices, I.T. and outside vendors that administer the Workers' Compensation plan for UPS.
In 1994-2001, Eddie held positions of Georgia District Finance Manager, Rocky Mountain District Controller in Denver, CO and Metro Philadelphia Controller District Controller in Philadelphia, PA.
While in Philadelphia, Eddie worked with the Board of Directors of the Urban League with financial matters. He also coordinated the rollout of financial training for Wakisha Charter Middle school in downtown Philadelphia, PA.
In 2002, Eddie moved to California and worked with both Small Package and the UPS Subsidiary of Supply Chain Solutions (SCS), handling the financial responsibilities of the Distribution, Transportation and Logistics. In 2004, Eddie was named SCS West District Controller located in Ontario, CA.
In 2005, Eddie moved to Hong Kong to become the Asia Pacific SCS Vice President of Finance. While in Hong Kong, Eddie was a member of the Transportation committee of the American Chamber of Commerce. In 2006, UPS combined the SCS and Small Package business units together and Eddie took responsibility for the combined units.
Since returning to California in 2008, Eddie has been appointed to the Board of Governors for Cal State University Long Beach (CSULB), Board of Directors of Student Center for Professional Development (CSULB), Board of Advisors to the Dean for The Paul Merage School of Business at University of California, Irvine and is an Executive Board Member and 2011 Chairman for the Orange County Business Council.
Serving in the Community, Eddie is the Co-Committee Chair of Cub Scout Pack 717 in Orange County, CA, Treasurer of Boy Scout Troop 918 in Lake Forest, CA and is part of the Business School Mentorship program at Cal State University Long Beach. Eddie's family organized the first event fundraiser in Orange County, CA for St. Baldrick's Foundation; a non-profit that raises money for Pediatric Cancer Research.
Eddie has been married to his wife Mayra for 15 years and they have two boys, Nicky (12) and Mitchell (10).
In 1992, Eddie moved to Dallas, TX and became an Internal Audit Manager and conducted audits in many areas including the UPS Airline, District offices, I.T. and outside vendors that administer the Workers' Compensation plan for UPS.
In 1994-2001, Eddie held positions of Georgia District Finance Manager, Rocky Mountain District Controller in Denver, CO and Metro Philadelphia Controller District Controller in Philadelphia, PA.
While in Philadelphia, Eddie worked with the Board of Directors of the Urban League with financial matters. He also coordinated the rollout of financial training for Wakisha Charter Middle school in downtown Philadelphia, PA.
In 2002, Eddie moved to California and worked with both Small Package and the UPS Subsidiary of Supply Chain Solutions (SCS), handling the financial responsibilities of the Distribution, Transportation and Logistics. In 2004, Eddie was named SCS West District Controller located in Ontario, CA.
In 2005, Eddie moved to Hong Kong to become the Asia Pacific SCS Vice President of Finance. While in Hong Kong, Eddie was a member of the Transportation committee of the American Chamber of Commerce. In 2006, UPS combined the SCS and Small Package business units together and Eddie took responsibility for the combined units.
Since returning to California in 2008, Eddie has been appointed to the Board of Governors for Cal State University Long Beach (CSULB), Board of Directors of Student Center for Professional Development (CSULB), Board of Advisors to the Dean for The Paul Merage School of Business at University of California, Irvine and is an Executive Board Member and 2011 Chairman for the Orange County Business Council.
Serving in the Community, Eddie is the Co-Committee Chair of Cub Scout Pack 717 in Orange County, CA, Treasurer of Boy Scout Troop 918 in Lake Forest, CA and is part of the Business School Mentorship program at Cal State University Long Beach. Eddie's family organized the first event fundraiser in Orange County, CA for St. Baldrick's Foundation; a non-profit that raises money for Pediatric Cancer Research.
Eddie has been married to his wife Mayra for 15 years and they have two boys, Nicky (12) and Mitchell (10).
Sharad Pawar
Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer
BeWo Technologies Pvt Ltd.
Sharad is the co-founder and COO of BeWo technologies, a social entrepreneurial company with a mission to drive change in bottom of pyramid markets using innovative technology and business. His responsibilities include developing new
products and services, raising capital, building partnerships, building the team, and executing BeWo's pilot projects that are currently underway in India.
He has over 10 years of experience, leading and executing in diverse technology domains. Previously, he worked at Qualcomm for over 8 years, where he led a mobile services business unit (incubated at Qualcomm) that focused on emerging markets and held technology and leadership positions. Prior to Qualcomm he helped manage his family-owned medium scale enterprise in India.
Author of pending patents, Sharad has a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from University of California at Los Angeles, Anderson School of Management.
He has over 10 years of experience, leading and executing in diverse technology domains. Previously, he worked at Qualcomm for over 8 years, where he led a mobile services business unit (incubated at Qualcomm) that focused on emerging markets and held technology and leadership positions. Prior to Qualcomm he helped manage his family-owned medium scale enterprise in India.
Author of pending patents, Sharad has a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from University of California at Los Angeles, Anderson School of Management.
Deepa Prahalad
Author
Strategy Consultant
Deepa Prahalad is an author, business strategist and consultant specializing in opportunities at the intersection of consumer experience, technology and strategy. Passionate about emerging markets and innovation, she began her career
researching how to improve efficiency in UN procurement and later moved to Singapore to become a commodities trader with Cargill. Deepa has worked as a management consultant with firms from start-ups to large multinationals. In 2008, she collaborated with RKS to research and co-author the book, Predictable Magic: Unleash The Power of Design Strategy To Transform Your Business (Wharton School Publishing) and served as the firm’s global insights leader.
Deepa speaks at business schools such as USC and Harvard on design strategy using the EMPOWER framework she developed and conducts workshops for executives. A frequent blogger on the Huffington Post and Harvard Business Review, she has also written about the business case for design in Bloomberg Businessweek and other magazines. She currently serves on the Advisory Boards of Lappeeranta University of Technology (Finland) and the Challenge:Future global youth think tank and student competition.
Deepa has a BA in Economics and Political Science from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. She is on twitter at @deepaprahalad.
Deepa speaks at business schools such as USC and Harvard on design strategy using the EMPOWER framework she developed and conducts workshops for executives. A frequent blogger on the Huffington Post and Harvard Business Review, she has also written about the business case for design in Bloomberg Businessweek and other magazines. She currently serves on the Advisory Boards of Lappeeranta University of Technology (Finland) and the Challenge:Future global youth think tank and student competition.
Deepa has a BA in Economics and Political Science from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. She is on twitter at @deepaprahalad.
Richard E. Rutledge
Senior Vice President of Marketing
Western Digital
As senior vice president of marketing, Richard E. Rutledge analyzes market and technology trends and sets the company on course to capitalize on emerging business opportunities. He is a well-known industry veteran and long-time
member of the WD senior executive team, working closely with the company’s technology leaders to focus development on storage solutions the market will embrace.
Previously, he served WD as vice president and general manager of the company’s consumer electronics (CE) and enterprise hard business units.
Mr. Rutledge joined WD as an applications engineer in 1984. During his tenure he has led each of WD’s business units including: Desktop, Notebook, Consumer Electronics, Enterprise and Branded Products. He successfully led the company’s Enhanced IDE initiative, which expanded IDE into the desktop interface.
His extensive experience in product leadership and work in global markets includes successful product initiatives such as single-chip SCSI controllers and high capacity and high performance IDE hard drives.
Prior to WD, Mr. Rutledge worked with the Computer Stop, one of the largest PC retailers and peripheral manufacturers from 1979-1984.
Mr. Rutledge received a BSEE and MBA from UCLA.
Previously, he served WD as vice president and general manager of the company’s consumer electronics (CE) and enterprise hard business units.
Mr. Rutledge joined WD as an applications engineer in 1984. During his tenure he has led each of WD’s business units including: Desktop, Notebook, Consumer Electronics, Enterprise and Branded Products. He successfully led the company’s Enhanced IDE initiative, which expanded IDE into the desktop interface.
His extensive experience in product leadership and work in global markets includes successful product initiatives such as single-chip SCSI controllers and high capacity and high performance IDE hard drives.
Prior to WD, Mr. Rutledge worked with the Computer Stop, one of the largest PC retailers and peripheral manufacturers from 1979-1984.
Mr. Rutledge received a BSEE and MBA from UCLA.
R Sampath
Managing Director, Quanta Consulting, Inc.
CEO, BeWo Technologies
Sampath is Managing Director at Quanta Consulting, Inc. www.QuantaCo.com, a Los Angeles based advisory firm helping US companies with strategy & execution across India markets, sourcing, and investment. Practice areas include green
technology opportunities, social
entrepreneurship, and trade. He is also Co-founder and CEO of BeWo Technologies, a social entrepreneurial company with a mission to drive change in
bottom of pyramid markets using innovative technology and business.
Grounded in over 20 years of experience, Sampath delivers global insight and successful India market penetration for businesses, non-profits, & ventures. Sampath has taught Global Business in the UC-Irvine Merage MBA program.
Sampath holds an MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business, and a Bachelors in Electronics & Communications Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Trichy, India.
Grounded in over 20 years of experience, Sampath delivers global insight and successful India market penetration for businesses, non-profits, & ventures. Sampath has taught Global Business in the UC-Irvine Merage MBA program.
Sampath holds an MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business, and a Bachelors in Electronics & Communications Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Trichy, India.
Joyce Sloss
Director
Los Angeles World Airports
Joyce Sloss is the director of the Business & Job Resources Center (BJRC), Los Angeles World Airport’s (LAWA) central, one-stop resource and clearinghouse for LAWA contracts, employment, training and work experience. She is primarily
focused on developing and implementing policies and innovative new programs that connect emerging businesses with opportunities and community residents with jobs, while also helping LAWA divisions, tenants and prime contractors meet their strategic objectives in regards to the modernization of LAX.
Before heading the BJRC, Ms. Sloss oversaw a number of important projects for LAWA, including LAX master plan research that required the benchmarking of public operations for customer service, efficiency and cost effectiveness; serving as project manager for the reengineering of LAWA’s contracting processes; and serving as program director for the residential acquisition division, where she supervised a full-time staff of 18 and more than 100 consultants as she managed the relocation of more than 5,000 residents.
She also held the position of manager for the Small Business & Job Opportunities Division (SBJOD) – the precursor to the BJRC – six months before and right after the 9/11 attacks. In crafting LAWA’s response to the resulting economic downturn, she and her staff conducted informational workshops for airport employers, job fairs for airport employees, and assistance for local small businesses. During this time, she also served on LAWA’s Economic Impact Analysis Task Force where she coordinated closely with airlines, labor and airport businesses. For their outstanding performance after September 11, the SBJOD received the City of Los Angeles’ 2002 Career Service Award, an honor given by the City Council in May 2003.
Before heading the BJRC, Ms. Sloss oversaw a number of important projects for LAWA, including LAX master plan research that required the benchmarking of public operations for customer service, efficiency and cost effectiveness; serving as project manager for the reengineering of LAWA’s contracting processes; and serving as program director for the residential acquisition division, where she supervised a full-time staff of 18 and more than 100 consultants as she managed the relocation of more than 5,000 residents.
She also held the position of manager for the Small Business & Job Opportunities Division (SBJOD) – the precursor to the BJRC – six months before and right after the 9/11 attacks. In crafting LAWA’s response to the resulting economic downturn, she and her staff conducted informational workshops for airport employers, job fairs for airport employees, and assistance for local small businesses. During this time, she also served on LAWA’s Economic Impact Analysis Task Force where she coordinated closely with airlines, labor and airport businesses. For their outstanding performance after September 11, the SBJOD received the City of Los Angeles’ 2002 Career Service Award, an honor given by the City Council in May 2003.
Rita Sukiasian
Senior Underwriter
Chartis Trade Credit Insurance
Rita Sukiasian is a Senior Underwriter with Chartis Trade Credit Insurance in Los Angeles, CA and has been with the company for over eight years. Prior to Chartis, Rita has served as a consultant for the Economist Group and Eurasia Group in
New York. She has also been commissioned to work on projects for the United Nations Development Programme for Women in Kenya and New York, the United Nations Development Programme in Armenia and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in New York. Rita holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University with a specialization in international economic development and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Whittier College.
Ricardo Tejada
OPIC/Vnesto
Vnesto Capital was selected by OPIC in to 2007 to be the 20th Loan Originator in the globe and is the sole Originator to service the Los Angeles Business Community. Vnesto Capital is an independent investment banking firm whose
focus is to provide the highest quality financial advisory services to domestic and international SME’s.
Mr. Tejada’s 10 years of business experience has spanned advisory responsibilities within the Fortune 100, his own ventures and extensive involvement with Southern California's entrepreneurial community. As Managing Director, Mr. Tejada is responsible for overseeing operations of US Los Angeles offices, South Korea’s Seoul office, and Cuenca Ecuador office. Throughout, he brings a disciplined and analytic real-world perspective to all of his deals and projects
Mr. Tejada as an active Board Member of the Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and California Governors Business Advisory Group. Mr. Tejada is Treasurer for Artshare Los Angeles, a founding member of the New America Alliance Emerging Leaders Los Angeles, and recently recognized by Latino Leaders Magazine as an upcoming Young Latino Leader in the United States.
Just recently in 2011 Mr. Tejada has been awarded Telemundo’s Hispanic Business Salute, Hispanic Business Man of the Year. Also under Mr. Tejada’s leadership Vnesto Capital was an honored nominee for Los Angeles Business Journal, Business of the Year. Mr. Tejada was also the recipient of the United States Postal Service Executive Advisory Council Leadership Award in 2008.
Mr. Tejada holds a B.S. Degree in Business Administration from the University Of Southern California and is a graduate of the Marshall School of Business where he attended the Lloyd Grief School of Entrepreneurial Studies, USC’s prestigious and highly ranked program.
Mr. Tejada’s 10 years of business experience has spanned advisory responsibilities within the Fortune 100, his own ventures and extensive involvement with Southern California's entrepreneurial community. As Managing Director, Mr. Tejada is responsible for overseeing operations of US Los Angeles offices, South Korea’s Seoul office, and Cuenca Ecuador office. Throughout, he brings a disciplined and analytic real-world perspective to all of his deals and projects
Mr. Tejada as an active Board Member of the Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and California Governors Business Advisory Group. Mr. Tejada is Treasurer for Artshare Los Angeles, a founding member of the New America Alliance Emerging Leaders Los Angeles, and recently recognized by Latino Leaders Magazine as an upcoming Young Latino Leader in the United States.
Just recently in 2011 Mr. Tejada has been awarded Telemundo’s Hispanic Business Salute, Hispanic Business Man of the Year. Also under Mr. Tejada’s leadership Vnesto Capital was an honored nominee for Los Angeles Business Journal, Business of the Year. Mr. Tejada was also the recipient of the United States Postal Service Executive Advisory Council Leadership Award in 2008.
Mr. Tejada holds a B.S. Degree in Business Administration from the University Of Southern California and is a graduate of the Marshall School of Business where he attended the Lloyd Grief School of Entrepreneurial Studies, USC’s prestigious and highly ranked program.