DIALOGUE IN NASSAU • Wednesday 18th – Friday 20th May
Adeline Fong
NEW YORK | Private Investor
Adeline Fong aka Ady is currently the Principal of a freeze-dried food snack company, Know-Your-Fruit. LLC, in Portland, Oregon. While living in New York, she is a User Experience freelancer, and she consulted for Ford, Marriot, Honeywell, Chase, and the fashion and beauty industries.
Adeline started with a BS in Electrical Engineering and MS in Telecommunication. She worked as a Network Security Engineer for eBay and consulted for various banks and telecommunication companies. She designed their security policies, addressed the cyber vulnerability, configured router switches, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, VPN, and unpleasantly, stressfully, and successfully prevented and stopped hackers
Alexandre de Beauharnais Romanovsky
MIAMI | Co-Founder | Spectrum Vision Media Labs | Impact Investor
Anish Malhotra
NEW YORK | Founder | Ahimsa Partners | Private Equity
Anish is an entrepreneur and investor. He has led cutting-edge innovation over 20 years across real estate, hospitality, technology and capital markets. In this period, he has contributed to converting new concepts into $1bn+ revenue, including as an early teamer at Bloomberg Tradebook and developing a disruptive product that helped raise more than $7bn for US REITs. Anish is an experienced Board Member across multiple jurisdictions, and has been an ‘Approved Person’ with multiple regulators around the world (US, UK, Singapore, Hong Kong). Today, Ahimsa Capital’s portfolio of seven venture-build companies generate more than $50m in ARR; this has been achieved in less than three years from conception. Anish is passionate about solving environmental issues, including broader access to better food for all, and access to better education for all.
Antoinette Russell
NASSAU | Founder/CEO | Maran Global Solutions | Corporate Services / Family Office Support
Antoinette Russell is the Founder and CEO of Maran Global Solutions. She is a highly acclaimed career trust administration and corporate management specialist with more than 30 years in the financial services industry of The Bahamas, most of it in senior management roles. She most recently served as the Managing Director of Credit Suisse Trust Limited.
She has served on the board of directors of the Association of International Banks & Trust Companies (“AIBT”), the Bahamas Financial Services Board (“BFSB”) and the Bahamas Association of Compliance Officers (“BACO”). She has collaborated closely with successive governments of The Bahamas in the development and promotion of new legislative products for the sector. In her role as a director and former Chairperson of AIBT, Antoinette played a major role in developing The Nassau Conference into a world-renowned event and she was instrumental in helping to launch the Financial Services Bootcamp, offering an invaluable practical workshop for entry to mid-management professionals in the industry.
Arnaud van Dijk
CAYMAN ISLANDS | Principal | Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Finance | KPMG
Arnaud specializes in corporate sustainability and sustainable finance. He has a focus on sustainable strategy and risk, climate change, sustainable finance, and reporting and disclosures.
He has over 15 years’ experience in delivering a broad range of sustainability advisory and assurance services to leading companies, governments and financial institutions (banks, insurance companies, asset owners and asset managers) addressing emerging Environmental, Social and Governance (‘ESG’) risks and opportunities.
He is a member of KPMG’s IMPACT team and participates in various working groups globally. He has a master in sustainability (Rotterdam School of Management), is a certified responsible investment professional (RIPC) with the Responsible Investment Association (RIA) in Canada.
His areas of expertise are Alternative Investments, Audit, Climate change, Corporate responsibility reporting, Environment Financial Services, Investment Management, Sustainability, Sustainability assurance and reporting, Sustainability strategy development.
Avantika Daing
NEW YORK | Managing Partner & General Partner, Plum Alley Investments | Venture Capital
Avantika spearheads Plum Alley’s Fund and Syndicate Investments. She leads the firm’s Investment’s strategy and venture investments with a focus on investing in innovation across deep tech and frontier healthcare companies with gender diverse founding teams. Plum Alley Investments has raised $70 Million, invested in 30 companies and offers LPs and direct investors the opportunity to invest in early to late stage impact, ESG, and female founded private companies that are transforming the world. The Portfolio claims two Unicorns and two exits, and includes companies that are “future proofing” industries such as Mammoth Biosciences, Einride, Air Protein, AiFi, and Diligent Robotics. Avantika has scaled teams and businesses to $2 Billion+ dollar valuations and a successful IPO at a $735 Million market capitalization. She has founded and scaled startups that were backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Omidyar Network, Temasek, Sequoia, ANT Financial, J.P. Morgan Partners, Alta Partners, Schroder Ventures, and others. Avantika’s experience in private, public and impact companies spans nearly 30 years. She has worked in the U.S., U.K., India, and Canada and sits on the Board of Directors at TiE, New York.
Barbara Ann Bernard
NASSAU | CEO | Wincrest Capital | Asset Management
Barbara Ann Bernard, founder & CIO of Wincrest Capital, has a passion for investing that goes back to her days of growing up in The Bahamas. It was there that a 15-year-old Barbara Ann persuaded legendary value investor Sir John Templeton, a fellow Bahamian resident, to take her on board for the first of what would become a series of summer jobs at Templeton Global Advisors, instilling a fundamental value-oriented investment approach to the public markets. Later, working in investment banking at Goldman Sachs, followed by alternative asset management at Deutsche Bank, and as an investment analyst at Holowesko Partners, she acquired a robust grasp of fundamental company valuation and the hedge fund industry. Today, she is the portfolio manager of the Wincrest Contraria Fund, which is a global long/short equity fund of niche investment ideas based on bottoms-up “Go-See” research.
Brandace B. Duncanson
NASSAU | Deputy Director | Ministry of Financial Services, Trade & Industry and Immigration | Government
Brandace B. Duncanson recently joined the Ministry of Financial Services, Trade & Industry and Immigration as the Ministry’s Deputy Director of Financial Services. Brandace has experience in a broad range of matters including sound knowledge of the practice, procedures and laws governing the financial and corporate structure in The Bahamas. Additionally, Brandace is a trained legislative draftsman and facilitated the preparation and drafting of a wide range of legislation on behalf of the Government of The Bahamas including, but not limited to, land reform and financial services. Brandace also served on the New Providence Road Improvement Committee where her duties included reviewing and advising on title to land. Additionally, when the suite of land reform legislation was introduced in 2011, Brandace was an integral member of the team that traveled throughout the length and breadth of The Bahamas educating Bahamians on the implications of the proposed legislation.
Bruno Roberts
NASSAU | Chairman | AIBT | Private Trust Corporation
Bruno A. Roberts qualified as a Certified Public Accountant in 1989 and completed his tenure with Ernst & Young in 1996, including two years with the New York Firm. His principal areas of expertise are financial services, management consultancy and the provision of corporate advice.
Mr. Roberts acted as a consultant to The Private Trust Corporation Limited in 2000, appointed a Director in August 2001 and currently services as Chief Operating Officer.
Cassius Kiani
LOS ANGELES | Co-Founder | Blueberry | Healthcare App
Cassius has built and led multi-disciplinary design teams behind billion-dollar digital products. His previous clients include unicorns such as Bumble and Riot Games, alongside household names such as Facebook, Google, and Opera.
With a history of entrepreneurial experience, Cassius has joined noteworthy accelerators such as Entrepreneur First, built grassroots business without capital, and raised seed rounds for formidable ventures in emerging technologies.
Chester Cooper (The Hon) The Deputy Prime Minister of the Bahamas
NASSAU | The Deputy Prime Minister of the Bahamas | Government
Deputy Prime Minster The Honourable I. Chester Cooper was appointed Bahamas Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation on September 17th, 2021. He acknowledges that all of our core business in The Bahamas is driven by the international community and that understanding of the international context of business is absolutely critical to the socioeconomic growth of The Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation.
Minister Cooper is the youngest of 12 and is married to Cecelia Cooper. They are the proud parents of three children. His early struggles pushed him to be courageous, resilient and humble; qualities which served him well as he climbed the corporate ladder to become Chairman & CEO of BAF Global Group and President & CEO of BAF Financial & Insurance (Bahamas) Ltd.
Christa Gyori
LOS ANGELES | CEO & Co-Founder | Leaders on Purpose | Cross sector Partnerships/ Sustainable Development
Christa Gyori is CEO and co-founder of Leaders on Purpose, an organization originated as a research collaboration with intellectual pioneers from Harvard University, the World Bank and the London School of Economics. Leaders on Purpose brings together experts from business, politics, academia and non-profit organizations to unlock growth potential in organizations through innovative approaches and sustainable leadership. Christa Gyori has 20 years of experience as a top manager of international companies, including Unilever, where she held various management positions. She is a lecturer for manager training at Harvard University and has been awarded numerous prizes.
Claudia Segger
NASSAU | Director | Global Embedded Experts Consulting Services | Embedded System Consulting
Claudia Segger was born in Leverkusen, Germany in 1967 and is married to Rolf Segger. She is the mother of two kids and moved to the Bahamas with her family in 2011. Claudia achieved her masters degree in adult education at the University of Cologne, Germany.She joined SEGGER Micrcontroller GmbH, an IT company specialized in embedded software, in 1997. She is the director of Global Embedded Experts Consulting Services Ltd.
Craig Symonette
NASSAU | Chairman & Founder | Symonette Group | Investment Group
Craig is Chairman of the Symonette Group, a Diversified Holding Company which owns and operates businesses in the transportation, real estate, corporate advisory, and publishing sector. Currently, SMG’s primary operating business is Bahamas Experience Tours & Transfers Ltd, the largest ground transportation operator in the Bahamas with an over 30 year track record of servicing the hospitality industry.
Denley Delaney
GRAND BAHAMA | Blue Action Lab | Coastal Resilient Solutions
Denley is a Bahamian national and a Senior Advisor in Communications for Ocean Exploration & Community Engagement. Denley went to Stanford University where she studied for her MA in Environmental Communications & BS, Oceans, Atmosphere & Climate. She was recognised in 2021 as being in the ‘Top 30 Under 30 Change-makers’ by the Institute of Caribbean Studies.
Elizabeth Covington
NASSAU | Founder & CEO | Lebco Limited and Fab Finds Limited | Merchant
Elizabeth Covington founded the Tommy Hilfiger franchise in the Bahamas in 1992. This year marks 30 years as a leader in fashion retail in the Bahamas. In that time, she expanded the business. Today, Elizabeth operates two successful retail operations: ‘his fashion’, a leading men’s boutique representing designers such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Nautica and Kenneth Cole, and ‘Fab Finds Gift Shop’, one of the most beloved gift and specialty stores on the island.
Elizabeth began her career in Switzerland with a pharmaceutical company in Basel but her entrepreneurial spirit and her love of fashion brought her back to her native Bahamas. She has contributed to various charities in the Bahamas over the years. Elizabeth’s interests include walking, boating, traveling and fine cuisine.
Emily Byerly
NEW YORK | Head of Marketing | Burgess Yachts | Yacht Brokerage
As a North Carolina native, Emily spent most of her summers on the coast so her love for the sea and adventure developed at an early age. After graduating with a degree in economics she went on to obtain a dual Master’s degree from North Carolina State University and SKEMA Business School in Global Luxury Management. It was during her studies in Antibes that she was first introduced to the yachting industry. Before joining Burgess, Emily worked for Condé Nast supporting the advertising campaigns for multiple titles including Condé Nast Traveler, Architectural Digest and Bon Appétit.
When Emily’s not exploring New York City, she enjoys traveling and is always planning her trip back to the coast.
Franklyn Butler
NASSAU | CEO |Cable Bahamas | TV/Internet Service Provider
Franklyn Butler is an experienced executive and board leader in the Telecoms and Food Distribution Industry, having leveraged experience in running one the largest family offices in The Bahamas and Caribbean region.
Franklyn is a life long learner and thought leader in investment management and multi-generational family business best practices. He has a strong arsenal of complimentary skills and a large network across the Caribbean and the USA.
Geoff de Mowbray
LONDON | CEO | Dints International | International Trade
Geoffrey started his business career 22 year ago, aged 18. He is passionate about using technology and finance to democratise international trade and enabling sustainable development. Geoffrey is the founder of Dints International, which for the last 15 years has been supplying mining and infrastructure companies in emerging markets, particularly Africa, South America and Asia – choosing to focus on some of the most challenging of industries. Until recently Geoffrey was the co-Chairman of the British Exporters Association (BExA), who are a trade association representing the needs of the UK exporting community to UK Government and now holds the position of VP. Geoffrey has 22 years’ experience in international trade, with the fundamentals of ESG at his core. By his own admission, there is still a long way to go! Geoffrey’s belief is not to avoid challenging industries or situations but immerse oneself and change from within
Geoffrey Hooper
NASSAU | Chairman | The Winterbotham Trust Company | Merchant Bank
More than 30 years ago, Geoffrey Hooper set up a financial services business in Uruguay focusing on Latin American markets. In 1994 he established the head office of The Winterbotham Trust Company Limited in The Bahamas, having obtained banking and trust licences. From humble beginnings, the business today employs some 140 worldwide and is headquartered in Nassau, with subsidiaries in Uruguay, Cayman and Hong Kong as well as a subsidiary bank in San Juan, Puerto Rico and a centre for outsourcing in Chennai. Winterbotham is a merchant bank working with entrepreneurs, their companies and families to support their cross-border ambitions around the world.
Gerhard Beukes
Managing Director, Caribbean | Colliers | Commercial Property
Gerhard is a private equity executive with substantial experience in various industries and countries, usually in capacity as a senior member of the executive team (C suite), or as advisor. He has managed companies and assets worth over $800m and originated and executed successful transactions valued over $2billion.
He has worked in the Bahamas (including projects and transactions in various Caribbean locations), the UK, US, Europe and South Africa. Industry experience include real estate, hospitality, retail, financial services and renewable energy. Counterparties have included private and public sectors.
He is a Chartered Accountant (South Africa) and CFA charterholder.
Ivan Hooper
NASSAU | CEO | The Winterbotham Trust Company | Merchant Bank
Ivan is currently Chief Executive Officer of The Winterbotham Trust Company Limited, and executive director for 25 Group entities such as: The Winterbotham Trust Company Limited, WTC International Bank Corporation, The Winterbotham Trust Company (Hong Kong) Limited, Winterbotham Corporate and Funds Services (Cayman) Limited, The Winterbotham Insurance Company Limited, Winterbotham Insurance Management Limited, Exmer Partners Limited, Winterbotham Properties Limited and WTC Asia Pacific Holdings Limited. He sits on the board of various regulated financial institutions and family owned businesses. Participating as an Independent Director, Corporate Governance committee member and Audit committee member.
A member of STEP, a former STEP Council member, a founding member and past Chair of STEP – South America Branch and past Chair and current representative of STEP Caribbean and Latin America Region. He currently serves as a member of the STEP Governance Committee. A Fellow of the International Compliance Association and Licensed as a Principal by the Securities Commission of The Bahamas. Former Co-Chair of the Association of International Bank and Trust companies in The Bahamas.
Jack Calaman
NEW YORK | Senior VP / Investments | Stifel Private Client Group | Investment Advisor
Jack is a 40 year veteran of Wall Street, who with his business partners, serve the investment and balance sheet requirements of high net worth families, family offices and institutional clients. Our growing business is reflected in the increasing asset base we advise. Having grown up through the enlisted and officer ranks in the Army, Jack has learned that teamwork is an essential element in providing quality service that our clients come to expect. Through Stifel, we are able to create solutions that help our clients satisfy their goals. Jack graduated from Belmont Abbey College with a BA in Economics and Business and was a post graduate student at The Pennsylvania State University prior to moving to Wall Street. He is active in education philanthropy serving on several boards.
James Tansey
VANCOUVER | CEO | Klimat X | Impact Advisory
Jerusa Ali
NASSAU | Political Attaché | British High Commission | British Government
Jerusa is a political officer with an extensive background in human rights, development, and international law. She has worked in close collaboration with Bahamian NGOs and research organisations on UK-Bahamas COVID19 Response and Climate Diplomacy projects. Prior to joining the High Commission in January 2020, Jerusa was a researcher and lecturer in international law and international relations in Canada, the United States and Nigeria. Earlier in her career, Jerusa worked for the Bahamian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Legal Affairs and International Relations Divisions. She has a BSc in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, an MA in International Relations from Keele University, and an LLM in International Law from the University of Nottingham. Jerusa is passionate about environmental causes and spends most weekends exploring Bahamas National Parks by foot or by kayak.
Jessica Cheam
SINGAPORE | General Partner | Sustainable Future Fund
Jessica is the Founder and Managing Director of Eco-Business, Asia Pacific’s leading independent media and business intelligence organisation dedicated to sustainable development. She is recognised as a sustainability pioneer with two decades of experience in media, sustainable development and ESG issues globally.
She is a regular columnist for national newspapers and is on the Board of Directors for Singapore-listed ComfortDelGro, one of the world’s largest land transport companies, as an independent non-executive director. She chairs the Group’s Board Sustainability Committee, and is a member of the Audit & Risk; and Digitalisation Committees.
She holds the CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing and is the General Partner of the Sustainable Future Fund which invests in growth stage sustainability-focused ventures. Jessica is also a member of the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID), and serves as its ESG committee member. She is also a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia.
John Lawrence
NASSAU | President | Windermere Group | Multi Family Office
John Lawrence is CEO and Director of Windermere Corporate Management Limited located Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas. The Windermere Group provides a full suite of Family Office Services including Private Trust Company Services, Family Governance, Estate Management, Corporate Services, Digital Asset Registration (DARE), Funds Services, Yacht Registration, Accounting, Structuring & Administering Variable Life Insurance Products, Consulting and other Financial Services.
John was a recipient of the STEP Founders Award in December 2018 and in 2010 was presented with the “Executive of The Year” Award by the Bahamas Financial Services Industry – recognizing “Outstanding Contribution to the Bahamas Financial Services Industry”. John started his career with Price Waterhouse where he practiced as a Certified Public Accountant for 5 years working in the Tax Department and Special Practice Unit for Investment Companies. John then went on to Private Banking, working for Coutts & Co. for 7 years and subsequently as the Managing Director for MeesPierson (Bahamas) Limited where he worked for 9 years. MeesPierson was part of the Fortis Group which was a Forbes World Super 50 company.
Jonathan Mi
SAN FRANCISCO | Investment Director | CREO Syndicate | Family Office Consortium
Jonathan is an experienced venture capital and private equity investor. He currently works with large family offices to catalyze investment in climate and sustainability solutions and manages all Americas investment activity for CREO. CREO members have invested $5b+ in climate and sustainability since 2019. He previously helped manage Brightpath Capital, an impact focused venture capital/growth equity firm focused on cleantech and food/ag opportunities. Prior to Brightpath, Jonathan helped Gryphon Investors launch its healthcare strategy and also completed buyouts across the business services and education industries. Jonathan started his career at Merrill Lynch where he executed global technology M&A transactions. Jonathan serves on the Board of the Agricultural Institute of Marin, a non-profit that connects communities and local and regional food systems. He previously helped manage investments for Inner City Advisors, a non-profit supporting women and minority entrepreneurs.
Kendra Frorup
NASSAU | Exhibitor at National Gallery | Artist
“Collecting is part of the making,” states sculptor Kendra Frorup about her artwork. Frorup was born and brought up in Nassau, Bahamas and uses her memories of this time in her art. After a childhood in the Bahamas, she welcomed the opportunity to study in the United States and began to create representational images that showed a commonality with her culture.
Gil DeMeza, one of her former professors at the University of Tampa, describes Frorup as “the collector.” He said that her “unique ability to take the old, the used and discarded and turn them into other worldly, incalculably exquisite moments in time is a magical talent. Her creations are works, which exhibit both poignancy and invigorating humor. Her outgoing, friendly demeanor is as infectious as is her art while giving us pieces that are at once funny, elegant, scary and crude. She is a dreamer of the first magnitude. With respect to her work, the viewer is never left disappointed or hungry.”
Kevin Moree
NASSAU | Chairman | Bahamas Financial Services Board | Financial Services
Kevin A. C. Moree is a Partner at McKinney, Bancroft & Hughes and specializes in civil and commercial litigation, tax & trade and financial services and regulations. He co-chairs the firm’s practice groups for tax & trade and financial services and regulations. Before pursuing a career in the law, he worked in the corporate finance sector. He regularly appears before the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal in connection with various civil and commercial litigation matters including multi-jurisdictional disputes involving counsel located around the world and dealing with complex legal issues. Kevin also extensively advises on all tax matters and frequently opines on Bahamian financial services legislation.
Lauren Albert
TORONTO | Principle & Executive Optimist | Impact Giving | Investor Engagement, SVX
Throughout my life, I have leveraged my genuine passion for giving as a catalyst to inspire philanthropy and social investment across borders, sectors and causes. With expertise in strategic philanthropy, social investment and corporate giving, I have helped charitable organizations and purpose driven companies enhance their impact on a global scale. I am a proud Mom, compassionate connector, intrapreneur and visionary and I believe in the impossible.
As the Principal & Executive Optimist of Impact Giving, I have had the privilege of cultivating meaningful relationships with special souls, corporate executives, foundations and family offices – working to inspire all who I engage with toward a life driven by purpose. I have been an advisor, partner, board member and volunteer for dozens of impact focused organizations and have built a beautiful network of impactful players from around the world.
Liz Klein
NEW YORK | Founding Principal | Reiss Klein Partners LLC | Art Advisory Services
As Principal of Reiss Klein Partners, Liz provides comprehensive, objective and discreet advisory services to new and established art collectors. As a private advisor, Liz serves her clients as an advocate on behalf of the collector, providing experience, insight and access within an international arts arena.
Liz has nearly three decades of professional experience in the arts, as curator and market adviser to both private and corporate clients and in collaboration with the world’s foremost auction houses. She has broad knowledge of European and American art with a focus on modern, postwar and contemporary art.
Maggie Dunphy
MONTREAL | CFO | Holdun | Family Office
Maggie Dunphy is CFO of Holdun Family Office Canada and Director of Holt Accelerator, both a division of Holdun. She brings over 25 years of experience in wealth management and securities legislation.
Prior to joining Holdun Family Office Canada, Ms. Dunphy began her career with Integra Capital Management in Toronto. In 1993, she joined Gryphon Investment Counsel as a trader.
In 1995, together with Stuart Dunn, great-grandson of Canada’s Sir Herbert Holt, Maggie Dunphy left Gryphon Investment Counsel to join Holdun Family Office as CFO of the Canadian division. In 2017, Holt Accelerator was born and is one of the newest additions to the Holdun family of companies.
Marceau Schlumberger
NEW YORK | Managing Director | Coral Reef Partners | Energy Council
Marceau Schlumberger co-founded Coral Reef Capital in 2008 and is responsible for the firm’s management. He serves on the Investment Committees of CRC Resources Fund II LP and CRC Energy Fund LP.
Prior to Coral Reef Capital, he was a Principal at Columbus Nova from 2003-2008 focusing on sourcing and managing private equity and credit investment opportunities. From 1998-2003, Marceau was an Associate at Triumph Capital, an institutional minority growth equity firm with over $950 million of funds under management. Prior to that, he was an investment banking analyst at Smith Barney and an investment professional at the Zilkha & Co. family office.
Marco di Girolamo
TORONTO | Head, Family Office, Canada | Brookfield | Global Asset Management
Marco Di Girolamo is a Senior Vice President at Brookfield Asset Management and manages select institutional, foundation, and family office (LP) relationships across Canada for Brookfield. During the past decade, Marco built Brookfield’s Canadian family office practice. Marco has over 25 years of financial services and business consulting experience. Prior to Brookfield, he advised family offices as a Director/Portfolio Manager for a European global bank, managing discretionary portfolios on an absolute return basis while leading relationship-building activities across Canada. Post-master degree, Marco consulted tech executives in Silicon Valley with Gartner. In 2006, Marco co-founded Terra Firma, a registered Canadian charity, focused on delivering critical water & power infrastructure to the world’s most disadvantaged communities. Marco completed his MBA with distinction at Western.
Marjorie Nesbitt
NEW YORK | President/Founder | Eight Points Asset Management | Real Estate Asset Management
Marjorie Nesbitt has actively managed, negotiated, acquired and divested businesses, real estate, oil and gas, and insurance assets for most of her professional career. Ms. Nesbitt also has extensive experience in trusts and estate administration utilizing strong fiduciary risk management skills. Since 2008, Ms. Nesbitt has been President and Founder of Eight Points Asset Management, LLC, which provides oversight of real estate and closely held businesses for professional fiduciaries and high net worth families with responsibility for over $2 Billion in New York City property. She is also a Managing Director of Tuteur Haus GmbH & Co. KG, a family-owned real estate company in Berlin, Germany. From 2006 through 2007, Ms. Nesbitt was Chief Executive Officer of Cafritz Company, a privately held real estate services firm, where she managed all aspects of the company’s asset/property management, leasing, project management and administration.
Marlen Kruzhkov
NEW YORK | Attorney | Ellenoff Grossman and Schole | Commercial Litigation
Marlen Kruzhkov, is a New York based attorney who acts in the interests of public and privately held entities, not-for-profits, investment banks, hedge funds, private equity firms, officers, directors, wealthy investors and family offices. Marlen provides sophisticated advice in a broad spectrum of commercial litigation matters. Such matters include disputes related to mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, financing transactions, venture capital and private equity investments, restructurings, real estate, fraud and employee relations.
With a strong client base both domestic and foreign, Marlen has extensive experience counseling corporate and high net-worth clients with respect to complex litigation throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. Fluent in Russian, he is one of the foremost attorneys in the United States advising Russian-speaking clients regarding their international legal needs and often represents clients from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other countries from the former Soviet Union.
Michael Fitton
GRAND BAHAMA | CEO | Clean Marine Group | Collection/Recycling of Marine Waste
Michael Fitton is the Founder and CEO of Clean Marine Group Limited, a MARPOL Port Reception Facility based in Freeport, Grand Bahama. Winner of the IDB’s Blue Tech Challenge in 2019, CMG aim to protect the Blue Economy and the Ocean’s Capital by collecting and recycling marine waste, generated by the high volume of ships that visit the Region. The reprocessed waste benefits the Circular Economy in the Bahamas. The ultimate aim is to create Green Hydrogen through Hydrogen Reduction technology, to facilitate energy production throughout the Islands and the resupply of Ships.
Michael Halkitis (The Hon)
NASSAU | The Finance Minister of the Bahamas | Government
Senator, The Hon. Michael B. Halkitis was born on February 1st, 1969, in Nassau, Bahamas to Inez Brown. He attended Old Bight All Age School in Cat Island, Yellow Elder School in Nassau and graduated from St Augustine’s College. Mr. Halkitis began his higher education at the College of the Bahamas and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of Western Ontario in 1991.
A Chief Financial Officer by profession, Mr. Halkitis started his political journey in 2007 when he was elected to parliament for the first time as Member of Parliament for the Adelaide Constituency and served as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Finance. He is credited for digitizing the Ministry of Finance and introducing major taxation reforms which have been applauded for their seamless integration and functional operability.
Michael Meehan
LONDON | Chairman | UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association
Michael is the co-founder of the Forum for Impact, and is a board member, investor, and advisor in ESG finance. He is currently chairman of the UK Sustainable Investment Association, a consortium of sustainable investors based in London with over £11 trillion in assets under management. Michael is a also trustee for Global Canopy focused on moving the world towards a deforestation-free economy, and serves on the boards of ESG funds in Canada, US, Asia, and Africa with a particular focus on indigenous issues, inclusion, and energy transition. As the former CEO of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Michael has over 20 years experience in ESG finance and sustainability and has worked with the White House, the United Nations, the World Economic Forum and serves as a special advisor to financial institutions, investors, and companies around the globe with a mission of building a better world by leading with impact.
Nicholas Parker
TORONTO | Chairman | Parker Venture Management | Exponential Impact Entrepreneur, Investor and Advisor
Nick has pioneered sustainability ventures, funds and initiatives around the world for over three decades, working with leading public and private sector organizations. As Chairman of Parker Venture Management he currently makes catalytic investments – presently in solar, fin-tech and analytics while advising asset managers, governments and businesses on “exponential impact opportunities globally.
Nino Zaridze
NEW YORK | Founder and Creative Director | NZR Jewelry | Custom Jewelry Design
Born and raised in Tbilisi, the capital city of the Republic of Georgia, I immigrated to the US, just before civil war broke out in Georgia. I was afforded the opportunity to study in the US and then after graduating, getting married and having my first child, in 1995, I founded and ran a Montessori School for eighteen years. In 2013, my passion for jewelry design and precious gems pivoted me from education to jewelry design. Today, I design and manufacture bespoke one-of-a-kind jewelry using diamonds and other precious stones.
Ocean Costelloe
LONDON | Founder | Spark Flow Grow | Outsourcing Service Provider
Ocean is a freelance operations manager with a passion for making people less busy. The founder of Spark Flow Grow, Ocean uses her experience in business and project operations across multiple fast-paced industries to support small business owners and agencies with the operations and finance processes that keep businesses ticking.
Spark Flow Grow’s mission is to provide a collaborative and conscientious service, and in turn give innovative and creative leaders space to grow. Uninhibited by the nitty-gritty of running their business, leaders can focus on delivering their mission and creating impact.
Pierre Rolin
NASSAU | Founder | ANKH Impact Ventures | Investment Platform
Pierre is Chairman & CEO of Ankh Real Estate Inc, a global real estate advisory firm established in 2015. Pierre focuses on advising clients on confidential off market properties, structures co-investments and customised joint ventures for existing properties, thematic portfolio assets and iconic real estate development projects. He also advises real estate owners and operators on strategic projects including M&A, capital allocation and recycling strategies, take privates, JV’s, recaps, roll-up’s, platform investments.
After advising and investing in over 20 venture backed early stage, growth and late stage technology companies between 2015 and 2020 Pierre founded Ankh Impact Ventures (“AIV”). AIV is an impact-driven venture investment company established in 2020, that invests its capital in the next frontier by providing initial funding to agents of change that are daring to reimagine how we learn, live, and consume.
Randi Mitz
TORONTO | Managing Partner | RM-TO | Venture Capital and Management Services
Randi started her career in the apparel industry, where she founded and ultimately sold her first business. She earned the prestigious Leading Young Entrepreneur Award and a feature on the cover of the Canadian Business Magazine.
Randi subsequently became president of The John Forsyth Company (TSX: JFC), the country’s leading sourcing and manufacturing apparel company. During her tenure at JFC, Randi leveraged the company’s leading-edge technology solution to bring Walmart to Canada. After ultimately completing an MBO, Randi successfully divested the six operating companies.
Today Randi is an active investor and advisor to management teams in the consumer-focused digital technology space.
Raphael Roettgen
ZURICH | Managing Director | E2MC | Venture Capital
Raphael Roettgen is the managing partner of E2MC Ventures, a space-focused early-stage venture capital firm.
He lectures on space entrepreneurship and finance at several universities including the International Space University (ISU) and the Swiss Institute of Technology at Lausanne (EPFL), hosts the popular Space Business Podcast, and is the author of “Hoch Hinaus”, an introductory book on the space economy, currently available in German and forthcoming in English and Portuguese. He is a frequent speaker at conferences.
Robert van der Zalm
LONDON | Co-Founder | Global Frontier Group | Ethical Mining
Robert is co-founder of Global Frontier Group. He has 28 years’ finance management experience in Energy, Mining, and Metals, working for Shell, BHP Billiton and Noble Group.
Global Frontier Group is a private project development firm that takes initiatives with a strong sustainability impact from concept to market. With over 270 years of combined experience, the GFG team provides a diverse set of enterprise-level services including finance and investment, product development, and corporate services.
Rolf Segger
NASSAU | Founder |Segger Microcontroller | Embedded Systems
Rolf Segger was born in 1966 in Hilden, near Düsseldorf, in Germany, where he also went to school. Rolf studied physics and worked as a consultant for companies in Germany and the USA, developing software for low resource embedded computing systems.
In 1997, he founded SEGGER Microcontroller (www.segger.com), an IT company specializing in products for developing software for Embedded Computing Systems.
In 2010, Rolf moved to Old Fort Bay, Nassau, Bahamas, taking over the role of more strategic planning in his company.
Rupert Hayward
GRAND BAHAMA | Principal | Blue Action Lab | Coastal Resilient Solutions
Rupert Hayward, a Bahamian and British national, is co-founder and President at the Blue Action Lab and an executive director of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, Port Group, Ltd. and the Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Foundation. He is also an advisor to Global Harvester Holdings, a UK green merchant bank. Previously Rupert was a partner at Salamanca Group Holdings, a UK merchant bank. He completed his MA (Hons) in Geography at Edinburgh University, UK, in 2003 and has an MBA in Sustainable Business Management from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco.
Sheldon Cartwright
NASSAU | COO | Caystone Solutions | Governance/Financial Solutions
Sheldon Cartwright is a senior financial services leader with a broad hands-on financial management background accumulated over a two-decade career. He is skilled in directing financial operations and managing multi-billion dollar investment portfolios with deep knowledge of hedge funds, private equity, banking and real estate. Mr. Cartwright currently serves as the General Manager of Onyx Partners Limited and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Caystone Solutions Limited, an operational family office focused on full corporate and fund administration services.
Simon Jacot de Boinod
LONDON | Founder | Forum | Global Private Members Network
Simon Jacot de Boinod is the founder of Forum, a global network of principals and experts, all personally invited to join by members of the Advisory Board. The membership chapters are in : London; New York; West Coast; Singapore; Zurich and Vienna, with additional members residing in 20 further cities worldwide. The membership is deliberately eclectic in its mix – a peer group [male & female] drawn from the senior échelons of the business community and family offices with journalists, economists, politicians, public speakers, academics, designers, writers and those working in the arts also included within the number.
Simon Townsend
NASSAU | Partner, Head of Advisory & Tax | KPMG | Audit, Tax, Advisory
Simon has 31 years of professional experience gained with KPMG in the UK and the Caribbean. He is on the Advisory Executive Committee for the advisory business encompassing Bermuda, Bahamas, BVI, Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man, and is also Head of Advisory for the KPMG Islands Group. He has experience across a range of sectors, including Banking, Insurance, Asset Management, Infrastructure (Energy, Airports, Ports, Communications, Water, Waste, Healthcare), Government, Tourism, Travel and Leisure.
![Steven Hirth [2]](https://www.forum.club/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Steven-Hirth_2.jpg "Steven Hirth_2")
Steven Hirth
NEW YORK | Founder & Principal, S. H. Hirth & Associates | Merchant Banking
Steven is the Founder and Principal of S.H. Hirth and Associates, an international merchant banking boutique modeled after pre-World War II European merchant banks His family office concentrates on North and Central American real estate and global private equities. SHH&A co-invests with HNWI and family offices in domestic and international small-to-medium size companies and funds seeking capital (human and financial), strategic services and ‘matchmaking’. It is modeled after pre-WWII European merchant bankers. The firm is agnostic in the sectors in which it co-invests, except it does not invest directly in weapons, alcohol nor in certain countries.
Stuart Dunn
MONTREAL | Chairman | Holdun Family Office | Family Office
Stuart Dunn is the Chairman and Co-Founder of Holdun and a Director at Holt Accelerator. With over 40 years of experience in the Canadian Money Management Industry, Mr. Dunn is licensed as a portfolio manager in Canada.
In 1980, Mr. Dunn founded Bladon Securities, a corporate finance firm located in Calgary, Alberta, which focused on the oil and gas industry.
Mr. Dunn comes from a family legacy that is rooted in tradition and entrepreneurship. Sir Herbert Holt, Stuart’s great grandfather, was known as a pioneer in the development of the energy business in Quebec, now known as Hydro-Quebec. He was the longest standing President and Chairman of the Royal Bank of Canada, among other successes that led to an empire worth over $3 billion by the 1940s.
Tamara Loehr
MELBOURNE | Entrepreneur, Founder | Beusail | YPO Impact | Membership
Tamara is an online strategist and impact investor, with over 25 years experience building and exiting 7 and 8 figure online wellness brands. Tamara believes in profit and purpose, with all her companies having giving embedded to the United Nations SDGs. Her mandate of ‘Buy 1, Support 1, Give 1’ is driven by a community of conscious consumers who leverage their collective purchasing power to support female founders that give back.
Tamara’s current focus, Beusail, is disrupting the way large organizations engage, reward and retain employees. Beusail’s program helps companies drive impact and purpose from within, by empowering their team to transform their lives, and transform the world.
Tanya McCartney
NASSAU | CEO & Executive Director | Bahamas Financial Services Board | Financial Services
Tanya McCartney is a UK trained barrister and chartered banker who since 2016 has served as the CEO and Executive Director at the Bahamas Financial Services Board. Over the past two decades Tanya has distinguished herself as a hardworking professional with expertise in the law, regulatory and gaming compliance, risk management, banking, and international financial services. She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree (Upper Second Class) from the University of Reading (United Kingdom), A Master of Laws degree with Merit from the London School of Economics and Political Science (London, U.K.), an MBA in Leadership from The College of the Bahamas as well as a Chartered Banker MBA from the University of Bangor in Wales (United Kingdom). Tanya is a doctoral candidate at Edinburgh Napier University, U.K. with a focus on Organisational Change Management.
Tatiana Kazakova (Dr)
LOS ANGELES | Chief Strategy Officer / Co-Founder | Leaders on Purpose and FO | Cross sector Partnerships/ Sustainable Development
Tatiana is Chief Strategy Officer, co-founder and one of the two Managing Directors of Leaders on Purpose. As a strategist, her focus is developing the pathway for a systemic transition towards a business logic in service of our planet and society.
Embracing stakeholder complexity, synchronizing actionable (corporate) strategy agendas globally and catalyzing effective as well as authentic co-creation of systems value and architecture at scale is at the heart of her work. Tatiana is convening, advising and mobilizing world leaders, their teams and partners, around systems issues, diverse eco-system engagement, visionary business transformation strategies and policy as well as multi-lateral implications. She also mentors leaders of tomorrow such as youth and young rising leaders.
Tomás Machado
NASSAU | Head of International Tax | KPMG | Audit, Tax, Advisory
Tomás joined KPMG in the Bahamas from KPMG in the Crown Dependancies, with extensive experience in international tax matters, such as cross-border transactions, Tax Policy, Economic Substance, Automatic Exchange of Information, EU Tax and OECD BEPS, amongst other areas. He is the global business sponsor of KPMG’s Economic Substance Tool and he has an advance Diploma in International Tax from the Chartered Institute of Taxation.
Tulio Berdu
NASSAU | Trust Executive | Caystone Solutions | Governance/Financial Solutions
Tulio Berdu joined Caystone after working as a fiduciary supervisor at a major Brazilian private bank’s Bahamas-based subsidiary. He is responsible for managing the daily operations and working closely with the leadership team to ensure the efficient operation of the company in service of clients. Mr. Berdu is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo and has completed postgraduate studies in Corporate Finance and Investment Banking at FIA Business School, São Paulo. He is qualified as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) and an Anti-Money Laundering Certified Associate (AMLCA).
Vijay Mehta
NEW YORK | Co-Founder| Arkview Capital | Investment
Vijay Mehta, together with his two partners, founded Arkview Capital in August 2019. Arkview is a private equity fund based in New York that pursues contrarian, long-term investments across out-of-favor industries. The fund is anchored by capital from Ziff Brothers Investments (“ZBI”).
Prior to founding Arkview, Vijay was a Managing Director at ZBI. Most recently, he was a member of the Investment Committee at ZBI with broad responsibilities over the investment portfolio, as well as portfolio construction and risk management functions. Since 2010, Vijay had various roles across several groups at ZBI, including Investment Strategy, Private Markets, Risk, and most recently the overall Investment Group.
Prior to Cavendish, Tom held executive positions for more than 30 years in a variety of organizations, ranging from Global 500 companies, such as FedEx, to startups. His broad experience includes growing and managing successful business development and client management teams, as well as private equity management and talent management consulting.
Wendy Warren
NASSAU | Managing Director | Caystone Solutions | Governance/Financial Solutions
Wendy Warren is the Founder and Managing Director of Caystone Group. Prior to establishing Caystone, Ms. Warren spent 11 years as CEO and Executive Director of the Bahamas Financial Services Board (BFSB), a financial sector body that works closely with government, regulators and private industry to ensure The Bahamas provides global clients with best-in-class financial services. Following her time with BFSB, in 2012 Ms. Warren established Caystone, an operational family office focused on full corporate and fund administration services. She is also a director and founder of Onyx Partners Ltd., an independent, international fiduciary company.
Ms. Warren has worked in a variety of roles in the fund administration, wealth management and audit fields including 8 years co-leading the establishment and operation of a leading investment funds administrator. She has worked with families and family businesses for over 30 years and her knowledge of the financial services business and community is broad, augmented by a deep understanding of The Bahamas and its legislative framework. Ms. Warren has served as a director on various boards and committees including Bahamasair Holdings, Bahamas Electricity Corporation, Bahamas Trade Commission, the Financial Services Consultative Forum and the Bahamas Association of Mutual Fund Administrators.
Yvonne Lemus-Bosu
LOS ANGELES | CEO & Founder| Six Dragonflies | Angel Investment
Yvonne works with socially-conscious, high net worth investors who seek a high return on investment and who desire to leave a legacy of positive social change. As the founder and CEO of Six Dragonflies, she has focused on creating a more equality-based entrepreneurial ecosystem, leading a force of successful entrepreneurs, who in turn will leave a positive impact on the socio-economic conditions within their communities. Her objective is to bridge talent with opportunity by way of championing and mentoring under-represented, global entrepreneurs to positions of success.