BACKGROUND:
• Experienced writer, publisher, and Webmaster.
• Diversified knowledge in international markets, with emphasis on company strategies, contract negotiations and international marketing; comprehensive world-wide business and cultural experience.
• Repeated negotiations of profitable complex commercial agreements.
• Broad computer hardware/software and system integration experience.
EDUCATION:
• Graduate of the "Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris", France, 1976. Diploma in Business Administration.
• Ph.D. Program, Economics, University of Paris II, France, 1974-1976.
• M.S., Economics, University of Paris II, France, 1974.
LANGUAGES:
• Bilingual: French/EnglishEXPERIENCE:
• Fluent: Spanish
• Knowledge: Portuguese (Brazilian), Italian
| Swans Commentary | Founder, Publisher, Co-editor | May 1996 to current |
A bi-weekly Web magazine of multinational views on politics, economics, society, arts & culture, and poetry, with a contrarian bend. Please, see swans.com.
| GMA Associates | Principal | Oct. 1992 to Jan. 2001 |
Consultant to small and medium size businesses with emphasis on design, installation and support of information systems in the PC compatible Windows and Apple Macintosh environments. Please, see GMA's Home Page (no longer maintained).
| Consultant in International Trade and Management | Oct. 1987 to Oct. 1992 |
• Created a full-scale proposal for the European Commission of the EEC to finance the growth of an existing Chamber of Commerce in Jerusalem. Evaluated and entirely reorganized the operating activities of the Chamber (finance, marketing, personnel) and promoted the export of local products to European markets.
• Formulated and developed a policy to enhance exports and finance imports using countertrade at the request of the French Polynesian Ministry of Tourism.
• Managed administrative, financial and organizational issues of a University of Toronto project in Tunisia.
• Analyzed and proposed a structural reorganization of Design Express, a retail furniture company importing from foreign markets.
| Hunting Petroleum Services, p.l.c. | Nov. 1982 to April 1987 |
Hunting Petroleum Services, p.l.c. is one of three public companies that comprise the Hunting Group of Companies, a multinational British group encompassing such activities as aviation support, defense systems, boat-building, oil and gas production, oil and ship broking, electronic and precision engineering and chemicals. Recruited by the Group for their New York subsidiary (Fretoil), I created another subsidiary (Hunting Futures).
Hunting Futures, Inc. President Nov. 1985 to April 1987 An Introducing Broker company (Broker/Trader) on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
• Devised and implemented the creation of the company.
• Purchased membership on NYMEX. Recruited personnel. Dealt with F.B.I., C.F.T.C. and N.F.A.
• Shouldered full responsibility for marketing, administrative, legal and financial operations.
• Generated a positive return on investment for the parent company.
Fretoil (U.S.) Inc. Vice-President/General Manager Nov. 1982 to April 1987 A New York City Brokerage company in the petroleum and petroleum products markets.
• Created the LPG Department which became profitable within the first year of inception and turned this non-profitable subsidiary into a viable entity.
• Promoted to V.P./G.M. in November 1983 with full operating responsibilities including P/L, administration (personnel, legal) and marketing. Computerized the company and reorganized the staff.
• Formulated, initiated and concluded a major joint venture combining resources and marketing between ELF France and Northern Liquid Fuels International (Enron) worth $60 million per year for three to five years.
• Negotiated with U.S., Japanese, South American, European, Middle Eastern and African companies.
• Developed LPG Departments in the Group's European broking subsidiaries (London and Paris).
• Created a countertrading activity in South America, the Middle East and Canada.
| Mundogas S.A. | Product Manager | Jan. 1981 to July 1982 |
A world-wide Trading and Shipping company located in Bermuda, specialized in LPG, ammonia and petrochemicals, with annual sales of US $400 million and an average rate of return on investment of over 30%.
• Concluded highly profitable sales and purchases, particularly in Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela.
• Brought to fruition a major shipping contract with Petrobras (Brazil) generating between $2 and 3 million profit.
• Coordinated world-wide field offices (London, Houston and Tokyo).
• Took direct responsibility for the Middle East, Australia and Latin America.
• Negotiated with major governmental and private parties around the world (Petromin, KPC, BHP, Venezuelan Oil and Chemical companies, Petrobras, GDE, major U.S. firms, etc.).
| Total France | Assistant Manager | Jan. 1979 to Dec. 1980 |
Total was the second largest French Oil company. I was employed in the LPG Import/Export Department in charge of trading on the International Market.
PERSONAL:
French Nationality, U.S. permanent residency.