COHEN - Key Persons
Alison McGuigan joined The Cohen Group in early 2013 after 15 years with Austrade (The Australian Trade Commission). Her experience ranges from working with entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies to develop new business in Europe, Africa, South East Asia, and Australia. Her industry focus has been in technology (telecoms, media and software), retail, clean energy, and water management. She also has an in-depth understanding of trade, innovation and economic development policies in various jurisdictions and their implementation.
Prior to joining The Cohen Group, Ms. McGuigan was Australia's Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner based in the Embassy of Australia in Washington DC. There she held responsibility for Australia's commercial relationship with the US, managing five offices across the continental US. During her tenure she assisted Australian firms during the 2008 financial crisis, established the clean energy and environment portfolio, as well as ensuring growth of contracts under the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement. Her previous roles in Austrade included postings in the United Kingdom, Hungary, and head office in Australia. In Head Office, she ran the global technology practice.
Early in her career she worked as an executive with two startup firms: a think-tank on innovation and technology policy (CIRCIT) and an information services firm taking their business to Asia and Africa (AIC, bought by Euromoney).
A native of Australia, Ms. McGuigan graduated from The University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in psychology) and a Bachelor of Laws. She was awarded her Masters from MIT in 2012 as a member of the prestigious Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation and Global Leadership.
Alison McGuigan was responsible for Sub-Saharan Africa at the Australia Trade Commission, and earlier served in South Africa with a focus on the media and telecom sector.
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant
- Executive Officer for Sir Angus Houston
Annie Sutton joined The Cohen Group in January 2020. Ms. Sutton has worked as the Executive Officer for Sir Angus Houston since he was Chief of the Australian Defence Force. Since then, she has also supported Sir Angus in his roles as Head of the Joint Agency Coordination Centre and the Prime Minister's Special Envoy to lead Australia's efforts to help recover, identify and repatriate Australians killed in the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 disaster in 2014. In these capacities, Ms. Sutton coordinated Sir Angus' work with the Australian Government's search and response into the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in both Perth, Australia and in Kiev, Ukraine.
Ms. Sutton previously worked in the United States at the Australian Consulate in Hawaii to support the Consul General and the Defense Attaché, while her husband was posted at US Pacific Command. During this time, Ms. Sutton worked closely with senior US military leadership and was responsible for organizing and coordinating the annual Anzac Day service in Honolulu, HI.
Ms. Sutton supports Sir Angus Houston and Alison McGuigan with The Cohen Group's work throughout Southeast Asia and Australia. She has two adult children and a grandson.
Prior to joining The Cohen Group, Artur Kalandarov interned at the Center on National Security at Fordham Law School and the Urban Justice Center. He was also the recipient of the Bowdoin Public Service and Marcellus Policy Fellowships.
Mr. Kalandarov graduated magna cum laude in Government and Legal Studies from Bowdoin College. As an undergraduate, he wrote an honors thesis on Carl von Clausewitz and the Soviet and American interventions in Afghanistan. Additionally, his research on Congress' war powers won the National Interest's national student foreign policy essay contest.
He is fluent in Russian.
Ambassador Arun Singh has extensive experience across the globe, including as India's Ambassador to the United States, Israel, and France. Throughout his distinguished 37-year career in the Indian Foreign Service, Ambassador Singh has served during pivotal periods in key global capitals, and was instrumental in shaping India's policies, notably the continued progress in the US-India relationship; India's closer ties to Israel; and the formulation and implementation of India's policies related to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, including in the period following 9/11.
In addition to his ambassadorial postings, Ambassador Singh's previous assignments include: Embassy of India, Moscow from 1981 to 1982; the Indian Mission in Addis Ababa as Second Secretary from 1982 to 1985; Tokyo as First Secretary from 1985 to 1988; Deputy Secretary/Director dealing with East Asia and Pakistan Divisions from 1988 to 1991; Offices of the Foreign Secretary and the External Affairs Minister of India from 1991 to 1993; Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations Office, New York from 1993 to 1997; Counsellor/Minister at the Indian Mission at Moscow from 1997 to 2000; and as Joint Secretary dealing first with the United Nations Policy, and then Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran Divisions at the Ministry of External Affairs from 2000 to 2005.
Along with his position as a Senior Counselor at The Cohen Group, Ambassador Singh is a Halle Institute Distinguished Fellow at Emory University, and a Distinguished Non-Resident Senior Fellow in the Asia Program at The German Marshall Fund. In the spring of 2017, Ambassador Singh taught courses on US Foreign Policy in South Asia and Current Global Trends and Challenges at both American University and the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. He was also a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Emory University and Center for Advanced Study of India at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ambassador Singh holds a Masters Degree in Economics from Delhi University, where he specialized in econometrics, development policy, macroeconomics, and Indian economic history. Ambassador Singh is based in New Delhi.
Job Titles:
- Special Assistant for Operations
Caroline Megerian joined The Cohen Group after graduating from Northwestern University with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science, Global Health, and Legal Studies. Throughout her time at Northwestern, Ms. Megerian focused her coursework on Middle East & North African studies and conflict studies.
Previously, Ms. Megerian has contributed to Rerooted Archive, the paramount documentation project for the Armenian community of Syria. She worked in the Emergency Department of a national refugee resettlement organization after completing two legal office internships in immigration and employment law. Additionally, Ms. Megerian served in various capacities with The Daily Northwestern, the Northwestern Chicago Field Studies Office, and the Middle East & North African Studies Program.
Ms. Yuhui (Cece) Wang joined The Cohen Group after nearly a decade of services in multinational enterprise, consulting firms, and international organizations. Her expertise covers government relations, public affairs, and investor relations.
Prior to joining The Cohen Group, she was a Financial Services Consultant with a strategic communications consulting firm, where she provided public affairs and communications consultancy services to clients including the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), Munich Reinsurance, Kroll, and Linklaters. Prior to the consulting industry, Ms. Wang spent six years at a multinational clean energy corporation headquartered in Beijing where she served as the Deputy Director of Foreign Government Affairs and Investor Relations. In this role, she collaborated closely with stakeholders including government authorities, international organizations, industry associations, and financial institutions to advocate various policy agendas and business priorities. Before returning to Beijing, she worked as an Editorial Assistant at the Asia Program of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She started her career as a fellow at the United Nations' Communications office (UNIC) in Washington, DC.
Ms. Wang is an AMAC Mutual Fund qualification certificate holder in mainland China. She holds a dual master's degree in International Affairs and International Relations from American University in Washington, DC and Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan respectively. She received her bachelor degree in Economics from University of Alberta in Canada.
Lieutenant General Charles Hooper (Ret.) joined The Cohen Group as a Senior Counselor in October 2020 following a distinguished 41-year military career.
He most recently served as the Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). In this role, he led the agency responsible for the sale of all US weapons, military equipment, support services, and training packages to foreign governments, which included oversight of 20,000 people globally and over $50 billion in annual sales. As DSCA's leader, Lieutenant General Hooper built strong relations with officials from allied nations around the world - not just defense officials, but with leaders from foreign ministries and finance ministries as well, among others.
Over the course of his career, Lieutenant General Hooper has held senior level military-political positions around the world. Prior to his role at DSCA, Lieutenant General Hooper served as the Senior US Defense Official/US Defense Attaché and Chief of the Office of Military Cooperation at US Embassy Cairo. He has also served as the Director of Strategy, Plans, and Programs at US Africa Command and Deputy Director for Strategic Planning and Policy at US Indo-Pacific Command.
Lieutenant General Hooper spent much of his career focused on US policy in the Indo-Pacific region, and specifically on the US-China bilateral relationship. He completed two attaché assignments in Beijing, including as US Defense Attaché to China, serving for a total of seven years in China. He also served as the Senior Country Director for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, in addition to teaching Chinese foreign policy to rising US military leaders at the Naval Postgraduate School. In 1975, Lieutenant General Hooper was one of the first few West Point cadets selected to study the Mandarin dialect of the Chinese language, which he still speaks fluently. He also speaks Arabic.
Although Lieutenant General Hooper was commissioned as an infantry officer, he was later selected for the US Army's prestigious Foreign Area Officer (FAO) program following extensive training and additional education. FAOs - best described as the Army's "Soldier Statesmen" - are unique officers who combine professional military skills with regional expertise, language competency, and military-political awareness. With 16 years of security cooperation, security assistance, and military attaché experience, Lieutenant General Hooper retired as the Army's Senior Career Foreign Area Officer.
A native of Willingboro, New Jersey, Lieutenant General Hooper is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is also a graduate of the US Army War College and the UK Ministry of Defense Chinese Language School, Hong Kong.
In addition to his work with The Cohen Group, Lieutenant General Hooper is affiliated with the National Bureau of Asian Research, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, and he serves on the Board of Directors of UL Inc. and the Board of Trustees of The National WWII Museum in New Orleans.
Culminating a 31-year career with the civil service, Charlotte Sowers joined The Cohen Group in April 2001. She previously worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon for 12 years. As an Administrative Specialist to the Assistant Chief of Staff, Ms. Sowers participated in the establishment of an initiative to respond to domestic terrorist attacks involving chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons of mass destruction. While assigned to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy, she augmented Task Forces in support of the Nuclear Posture Review, Bottom-up Review, Quadrennial Defense Review and Defense Reform Initiative. During her years in the General Counsel, she supported key Defense Department efforts, including the apprehension of Manuel Noriega and the investigation of the Pan Am 103 terrorist attack.
Before moving to Washington, DC, Ms. Sowers provided administrative and communications support to the Deputy Commander of Operations at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. For more than 10 years she supported the global deployment of military personnel and weapons systems from the 436th Military Airlift Wing in support of numerous Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed exercises conducted in the Middle East and contingency operations in Honduras, Sudan and Grenada.
Ms. Sowers began her career as a secretary with the Agar and Goffin Law Firm in Portland, Maine. She attended Wesley College in Delaware and the University of New Hampshire, and worked for nine years at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, Yokota Air Base in Japan, and the US Army Medical Center in Okinawa. She is the recipient of numerous government awards including two Exceptional Civilian Service Awards.
Job Titles:
- Senior Counselor
- President and Chairman of Korea Defense Veterans Association
In 2019, General (Retired) Curtis "Mike" Scaparrotti completed a distinguished 41-year career in the US Army as the Commander, US European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, NATO. As the NATO Commander, General Scaparrotti worked to preserve the security and stability of the Alliance and strengthen it in the face of traditional and new-age adversaries. He collaborated with the leadership of all 29 NATO member nations, as well as the various NATO partner countries around the world.
Prior to General Scaparrotti's leadership position at NATO and US European Command, General Scaparrotti served as the Commander of US Forces Korea / United Nations Command / Combined Forces Command in Seoul, South Korea from 2013 to 2016. He has also served as the Director of the Joint Staff, Commander of the International Security Assistance Force, the Deputy Commander of US Forces - Afghanistan, the Commanding General of I Corps and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and the Commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Additionally, over the years, General Scaparrotti served in key leadership positions at the tactical, operational, and strategic level of the United States military. These positions have included Director of Operations at US Central Command, and the 69th Commandant of Cadets at the US Military Academy at West Point. He has commanded forces during Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), Support Hope (Zaire/Rwanda), Joint Endeavor (Bosnia-Herzegovina), and Assured Response (Liberia).
General Scaparrotti's awards and decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, and the Army Meritorious Service Medal. Additionally, he has earned the Combat Action Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, and the Ranger Tab.
General Scaparrotti graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point in 1978. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff College, and the US Army War College. Additionally, General Scaparrotti holds a Master's degree in Administrative Education from the University of South Carolina.
In addition to his work with The Cohen Group, General Scaparrotti is the President and Chairman of Korea Defense Veterans Association, a Trustee of The German Marshal Fund, a member of the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Council, a member of the Advisory Board of the Patriot Foundation, a Senior Fellow at the National Defense University, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Spirit of America.
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor
- Senior Fellow at the Energy Policy Institute
Dave Rank retired from the US Foreign Service in 2017 as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy to China. In this capacity, Mr. Rank ran the Embassy's day-to-day operations, worked closely with his counterparts in Washington and Beijing, and served as the Chargé d'Affaires for the six months prior to Ambassador Terry Branstad's arrival in Beijing.
Throughout his 27 year career in the US Foreign Service, Mr. Rank performed with excellence in various postings around the world. In addition to his final assignment in Beijing, Mr. Rank served in five other positions in the region: two prior posts at the US Embassy in Beijing, two at the America Institute in Taiwan, and one at the US Consulate General in Shanghai. He has also served at the US Embassies in Afghanistan, Greece, and Mauritius. Mr. Rank's domestic assignments included Director of the State Department's Office on Afghanistan Affairs, Senior Advisor to the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and the Desk Officer for the Republic of Korea.
From 2012 to 2013, Mr. Rank served as a Dean and Virginia Rusk Fellow at Georgetown University's Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. In 2015, Mr. Rank was awarded the State Department's Distinguished Honor Award for his role in the release of the only American service member held by the enemy in Afghanistan. He is also the recipient of the American Foreign Service Association's Sinclaire Award for the study of languages and cultures.
In addition to his role at The Cohen Group, Mr. Rank is a Senior Fellow at the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago. Mr. Rank speaks Mandarin, French, Dari, and Greek. A native of Chicago, Mr. Rank attended the University of Illinois. He is married with three children.
David Hallisey joined The Cohen Group in March 2021 after more than 30 years of military and public sector experience.
Prior to joining The Cohen Group, Mr. Hallisey served more than 14 years across four administrations at the White House Military Office (WHMO) on both active duty and as a career civil servant. His assignments at WHMO included Deputy Director of Policy, Plans, and Requirements; Director of Administration and Personnel Management; Deputy Chief of Staff; and Chief of Staff. As Chief of Staff, he helped oversee the integration and operations of the 3,000-person WHMO Enterprise encompassing Air Force One, Marine One, the White House Communications Agency, Camp David, the White House Medical Unit, Presidential Food Service, the White House Transportation Agency, and the Headquarters elements, all charged with ensuring the daily and uninterrupted functioning of the Presidency. While at WHMO, Mr. Hallisey was responsible for writing and shaping the National Continuity Policy, leading government-wide continuity programs and exercises, and briefing the President and senior staff, including more than 30 cabinet officials from various administrations.
Prior to the White House, Mr. Hallisey was a career Navy officer serving in a variety of sea and shore assignments. At sea, he completed numerous deployments to the Middle East, Mediterranean, and Pacific, primarily in destroyer-class ships, and often sailing during wartime operations. Ashore, he was one of the first officers stationed in a newly democratic Albania in support of the Partnership for Peace initiative; served as the Aide and Flag Lieutenant to the worldwide Military Sealift Command; was a speechwriter for the Secretary of the Navy; and helped manage the Middle East portfolio on the Chief of Naval Operations staff.
While on active duty, Mr. Hallisey was selected for a two-year Political-Military graduate studies fellowship where he earned a master's degree in Strategic Studies and International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He also holds a bachelor's degree in Mathematics (minor in Russian studies) from the US Naval Academy, where he graduated with distinction.
Mr. Hallisey has extensive experience abroad having lived in Japan, Italy, Albania, and Denmark and having traveled to more than 60 countries. Additionally, he is a certified facilitator in leadership training and has been a frequent top individual fundraiser for Wounded Warriors.
Diane Cuva joined The Cohen Group in October 2021. Prior to that, she was an Executive Assistant to the Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President/General Manager at Graduate Management Admission Council in Reston, Virginia. Ms. Cuva was responsible for managing executives' calendars, preparing domestic and international travel, assisting the event planners with the organization of GMAC's Annual Conference, and organizing the yearly virtual MBA Tour Events which allow prospective students to meet with school officials. In addition, Ms. Cuva was responsible for onboarding new hires within the Marketing Department, maintaining the department intranet site, and organizing departmental teambuilding events.
Ms. Cuva previously worked at US Investigation Services in Falls Church, Virginia and Lafarge North America in Reston, Virginia, supporting multiple C-level executives at both organizations.
Ms. Cuva is originally from Long Island, New York, and now lives in Gainesville, Virginia. In her spare time, Ms. Cuva enjoys spending time with family, crocheting, and cooking.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director ( India )
Job Titles:
- Administrative Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Co - Chief Executive Officer
James Bodner served on the US-Mexico High-Level Contact Group, oversaw cabinet-level bilateral working groups with Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, and worked with cabinet members in Venezuela and other countries in the region.
Ambassador Jeff Davidow led US policy for the region as Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, and was Ambassador to Venezuela and later Mexico during the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. As President of the Institute of the Americas, Ambassador Davidow worked with political and business leaders across the region on policy issues affecting trade and investment. President Obama recalled Ambassador Davidow to the White House to organize and serve as his Special Advisor for the Summit of the Americas in 2009.
Ambassador Jeff Davidow led US policy in the region as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, was ambassador to Zambia and chargé in Zimbabwe, and spent many years in multiple peace negotiations in southern Africa, including in Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chairman
- JCS Vice Chairman
As JCS Vice Chairman, General Ralston deeply engaged with Turkish senior leadership. As SACEUR, continued close relationship. In 2006-2007, served as presidential envoy.
Job Titles:
- Chief China Representative
Lord Robertson developed ties in the region as UK Defence Minister, further developed them as NATO Secretary General, and continues to do so in his role as Executive Vice Chairman of Cable & Wireless with responsibility for the region.
Lord Robertson worked closely with African leaders as NATO Secretary General and UK Defence Secretary. He remains active in Africa on transportation and telecommunications infrastructure and operational issues.
Mr. Alexander Werman joined The Cohen Group in September 2021. Previously, Mr. Werman was an analyst at a global specialist risk consultancy in Dubai where he led the company's research on Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Territories as well as being a primary contributor to analysis on the Gulf states, Iraq, and Libya. In this role, he regularly briefed major technology, energy, and pharmaceutical companies on how regulatory and political developments could impact their businesses. Prior to that, Mr. Werman studied Arabic in Jordan while interning as an editor and contributor at local English-language newspaper the Jordan Times.
Mr. Werman received his MA from George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs. While in graduate school, he worked at international NGO Search for Common Ground, where he focused on peacebuilding initiatives in Yemen, Sudan, and the Central African Republic. Mr. Werman also interned at the Department of State's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, where he worked on the worker rights section of the 2017 Human Rights Report for Middle East countries. He also spent time at the Atlantic Council's Middle East Security Initiative preparing research briefs on security issues in Iran and the Gulf countries as well as supporting panel discussions and events on Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.
Mr. Werman has a Master of Arts in Security Policy Studies from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Emory University. He studied Arabic at Qasid Arabic Institute and CET Academic Programs in Amman, Jordan. He has published articles at the Middle East Institute, Jordan Times, USA Today, Fair Observer, and The Diplomat. He has lived and traveled extensively throughout the Middle East and is proficient in Arabic.
Mr. Ben Drake joined The Cohen Group after serving on active duty in the US Army as an Air Defense Artillery Officer. During his time in the Army, Mr. Drake served primarily in leadership and tactical roles in a Patriot missile defense unit. His duties and responsibilities included serving as the Officer-in-Charge for a Patriot missile defense crew during two operational deployments overseas and as the senior tactical advisor to the Battalion Commander.
Mr. Drake graduated from Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Service. While at Georgetown, he was a member of Campus Outreach and the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps and was recognized for his academic and leadership achievements with the Distinguished Military Graduate Award. In his spare time, Mr. Drake enjoys watching movies, visiting museums, and traveling with his wife.
Mr. Damian Felton joined The Cohen Group in January 2022 after 16 years with the US Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration where he held multiple senior-level positions leading teams focused on international trade policy and export promotion. He also previously worked as an auditor in both the public and private sectors and is a certified public accountant.
For over seven years and across two postings (2017-2021 and 2009-2011) he served at the US embassy in Beijing, China, where he advised business executives and senior embassy leadership on complex and consequential tariff proceedings administered by both the United States and China. Mr. Felton also provided strategies for preserving market access by obtaining preferred outcomes in China's trade remedy proceedings, and counseled companies on how to successfully navigate and compete against structural impediments posed by China's state directed economy. At the embassy, Mr. Felton led a team that conducted in-depth research on market distortions caused by China's government interventions through industrial policies and subsidy programs.
Mr. Felton worked as a senior analyst for the Commerce Department in Washington, DC, where he focused on countervailing duty investigations of subsidized imports from China; specifically examining the benefits received by Chinese companies through government policy lending, grants, government provisions of goods and services for less-than-adequate remuneration, and tax subsidy programs. He also frequently led US delegations to China to conduct detailed verifications of the financial and accounting records submitted by Chinese companies and Chinese government agencies.
Mr. Felton was detailed to the Commerce Department's 232 Steel and Aluminum Tariff exclusion request review team where he evaluated tariff exclusion requests and briefed high-level decision makers on approval/denial recommendations. For another domestic assignment, Mr. Felton led the Commerce Department's office in Wisconsin responsible for providing small and medium-sized businesses with consultative, strategic guidance on international trade business development and risk mitigation. This included advising firms on foreign market selection, entry/expansion strategies, and preferred channel partner selection techniques, as well as guidance on key US export and foreign import laws/regulations.
Mr. Felton began his career as an auditor, working for the Department of Defense's Office of the Inspector General, and the accounting firms of Ernst & Young and Mayer Hoffman McCann. He is a certified public accountant, received his BS in accounting from the University of Alabama, and was selected by the Commerce Department to study at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government to complete an executive education program for the Practice of Trade Policy. He is married and has three elementary school-aged children.
Mr. Dillon Kersh joined The Cohen Group in February 2022 after working as a Researcher at Control Risks, where he performed due diligence and business research. Before that, Mr. Kersh interned at two firms in New York specializing in geopolitical and ESG risks in emerging markets.
Mr. Kersh graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History. During his studies, he completed a semester at University College London (UCL) in the United Kingdom. While at the University of Pennsylvania, Mr. Kersh worked as a Research Assistant for Dr. Witold Henisz at the Wharton Political Risk Lab, where he supported qualitative and quantitative research on the material impact of political risk and effective mitigation strategies for multinational corporations.
Mr. Kersh grew up in New York City and loves soccer, traveling, and classic movies.
Mr. Dmitry Vovchuk joined The Cohen Group after serving in numerous key roles at the US Departments of State and Defense, National Security Council, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). He also held several leadership positions in financial services and management consulting.
Mr. Vovchuk was selected to the Civil Service as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2006. He led the interagency process to invite new members into NATO at its Summit in Bucharest, Romania, supported the development of NATO's renewed Strategic Concept, and managed US policy priorities for the Alliance's International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan. Mr. Vovchuk also served as a Political Officer at the US Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense during the 2008 conflict between Russia and Georgia.
Subsequently, Mr. Vovchuk coordinated the work of the White House Task Force responsible for the 2012 NATO Summit hosted by President Obama in Chicago and served as the National Security Council Director for Eastern Europe, managing the development and execution of US policy for a region stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea.
Mr. Vovchuk later served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Secretary General of NATO. In that role, he managed the transition of NATO's combat operations in Afghanistan to its Resolute Support Mission and helped achieve key milestones in NATO's ballistic missile defense program. Mr. Vovchuk also led the process to conduct a full review of the US integrated campaign plan as the Director for Strategic Planning in the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy to Counter ISIS.
Outside of government, Mr. Vovchuk advised global consumer goods and health care companies on organizational change and strategic alignment as a Principal with the McChrystal Group. He was a registered financial representative and served as Chief of Staff at Ally Bank, supporting the Executive Director for its auto, deposits, online brokerage, and wealth management customer care and experience division.
Mr. Vovchuk is the recipient of the State Department's Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards, completed a five-year term membership with the Council on Foreign Relations, and serves as Vice Chair of the Board of the Echo Foundation - a non-profit organization in Charlotte, North Carolina dedicated to the promotion of social justice. He received a Master's of Arts in US National Security Policy at Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts from Drew University.
Ms. Ally Sands joined The Cohen Group after receiving an MA in Latin American Studies and International Economics from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). While completing her graduate studies, she interned for the United States Trade and Development Agency on their Latin America and Caribbean team, where she performed research and assistance on USTDA projects in the energy, ICT, and transportation sectors. Following her internship, Ms. Sands focused her SAIS Capstone project on the challenges to digital development in Brazil.
Ms. Sands graduated cum laude from the University of Alabama, double majoring in International Studies and Spanish with a minor in Economics. During her studies, she completed a semester abroad in Peru, an internship with a member of the Spanish Senate, and an internship in Washington, DC at the Department of State, Western Hemisphere Affairs Bureau in the Office of Andean Affairs. While at the State Department, Ms. Sands provided research assistance to various country desk officers with a particular focus on Bolivia.
Ms. Sands grew up in New Jersey, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. She is proficient in Spanish.
Prior to joining The Cohen Group, Ms. Avantika Menon was a Research Assistant at the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), a New Delhi-based think-tank. As a Research Assistant, Ms. Menon worked on the Indo-Pacific and published issue briefs and research articles on Supply Chain Resilience for Vaccines and Critical Emerging Technologies, Space 2.0, and the scope for deepening the Quad partnership across these domains. Ms. Menon also coordinated the quarterly-held Quad-Plus Dialogue and the monthly US and Europe Expert Group meetings coordinated by the VIF. Additionally, she has interned with the National Maritime Foundation, New Delhi. Ms. Menon has completed her MPhil in Security Studies from the Central University of Gujarat. Her dissertation was titled, The Indo-Pacific Regional Security Order: India's Perspective. Her dissertation was an attempt towards understanding the security order in the Indo-Pacific Region (IPR), with a central focus on India's strategic interests and engagement with other major powers in the region. She has a post-graduate degree in Politics and International Relations and a graduate degree in Economics. A native of India, she is fluent in Hindi, English, Gujarati, and conversational Mandarin (HSK1&2).
Before joining The Cohen Group, Ms. Caitlin Kennel served for more than a decade at the National Security Council and the State Department. She most recently worked in the State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs where she was responsible for providing strategic guidance on counternarcotics, rule of law, citizen security, and anticorruption policies in the Western Hemisphere.
At the National Security Council, Ms. Kennel led the development and implementation of the Administration's high-level engagement with Canada and Mexico. She was responsible for coordinating efforts across the interagency, culminating in the 2016 North American Leaders' Summit held in Ottawa.
During her tenure at the Department of State, Ms. Kennel held numerous positions focused on Latin America where she was responsible for leading policy development on high-profile and emerging bilateral and regional issues. In these roles, she worked closely with foreign counterparts to develop and advance new initiatives and programs on key priorities such as migration, the opioid crisis, and anticorruption. Ms. Kennel also worked in the intelligence community during her time at the Bureau of Intelligence and Research.
Ms. Kennel is the recipient of numerous Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards at the Department of State. She holds a master's degree in Latin American Studies from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and a bachelor's degree in International Studies from Michigan State University. She is married and has a rescue dog, Bailey.
Job Titles:
- Co - Chief Executive Officer
Job Titles:
- Senior Counselor
- Chairman of the Murray Darling Basin Authority
Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston AK, AFC (Ret'd) was awarded the Knight of the Order of Australia in January 2015 for extraordinary and pre-eminent achievement and merit in service to Australia, through distinguished service in the Australian Defence Force, continued commitment to serve the nation in leadership roles, particularly the national responses to the MH370 and MH17 disasters, and in a variety of roles in the community.
Sir Angus was Chief of the Australian Defence Force from 2005-2011. He served as Chief of the Australian Air Force from 2001-2005. He retired from the military in 2011 after 41 years of service.
Along with his role as Senior Counselor for The Cohen Group, Sir Angus is Chair of the Murray Darling Basin Authority; Chancellor for the University of the Sunshine Coast; Chair of the Defence South Australia Advisory Board; Chair of the Victorian Police Corporate Advisory Group; Chair of the University of NSW Canberra Advisory Board; Chair of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and Chair of the Supashock Advanced Suspension Advisory Committee.
He is a Board Member of the Lowy Institute for International Policy, the Sunshine Coast Mind and Neuroscience Thompson Institute; the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, GreaterGood Canberra and the Victorian Police Executive Command. He is also a visiting fellow of the Australian National University National Security College.
In addition to his many board roles, he is the Ambassador/Patron of numerous charitable organizations including several mental health organizations.
In July 2014, Sir Angus was appointed as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy to lead Australia's efforts to help recover, identify and repatriate Australians killed in the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 disaster. Sir Angus also led the Joint Agency Coordination Centre coordinating the Australian Government's support for the search into missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in 2014.
In 2012 Sir Angus led the Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers.
Sir Angus was Chair of the Anzac Centenary Advisory Board from July 2011 until March 2014. He was also Chair of Air Services Australia from 2012-2018.
In 2011, he was named the Australian Father of the Year and in 2012, the ACT Australian of the Year.
Sir Angus was awarded the Degree of Doctor of the University of South Australia in August 2017, Degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa from ANU in December 2016, Degree of Doctor of the University, honoris causa from UNSW in November 2015, and Degree of Doctor of the University from Griffith University in December 2013.
Sir Angus is married to Liz and they have three sons and three grandchildren.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director and Head of India Branch Office
Job Titles:
- Fellow at Georgetown University 's Institute
Secretary William Cohen and TCG principals have developed and maintain strong ties with political, business, military, and media officials throughout Latin America that can help to accomplish client business objectives in the region. Our understanding of and relationships in the region have enabled TCG to assist numerous firms in the US, Spain, and elsewhere in Europe that have business interests in Latin America.
Secretary William Cohen's involvement with China spans nearly thirty years, beginning in his days as a young Congressman from Maine in 1978 when he travelled to China to meet with Deng Xiaoping. Since then, he has been a constant presence in the US-China relationship, including commercial development and security cooperation. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the US-China Business Council and as an honorary professor at Nankai University in Tianjin, China. Secretary Cohen is joined by a talented team of China specialists, including Chinese nationals with extensive experience in Chinese government ministries and the private sector, as well as Americans with combined decades of experience involving China.
Secretary William Cohen worked with heads of state and government and cabinet ministers across Africa.