COLLINS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director / the Collins Group Inc.
Alex Wiederhold has over 34 years of experience with multinational companies in Brazil and Mexico. Alex is a multicultural executive, and is fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese and German. He has extensive experience in strategic analysis and planning, restructuring of business lines, business development, startups, sales and marketing, import - export, domestic and international logistics, establishing representatives and distributor's network, and in international negotiations. Alex has a BS degree in Business Administration from the Catholic University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Alex joined The Collins Group in February 2012 as an Executive Director covering Brazil. Campinas, Brazil
Alex Wiederhold is an Executive Director of The Collins Group. Alex Wiederhold has over 30 years of experience with multinational companies in Brazil and Mexico. Alex is a multicultural executive, fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese and German. He has extensive experience in strategic analysis and planning, restructuring of business lines, business development, startup experience, sales and marketing, imports and exports, domestic and international logistics, establishing representatives and distributor's network and in international negotiations.
As an Independent Business Consultant since 2009, Alex has done several market analyses for foreign companies interested in Brazil. Examples include searching for an acquisition candidate for a US PE Fund and conducting a market analysis, and also a M&A deal (underway) for a German company where Alex prepared the Strategic Plan of the new operation, among others.
As Director of Supply Chains at Resinet, a distributor of thermoplastic resins with sales of US$ 100 million, Alex was responsible for restructuring international and domestic logistics, procuring and securing new suppliers, reducing stocks and coordinating management for a cost reduction program of 35%.
As Managing Director of Mathiesen do Brasil (multinational company with a presence across Latin America), Alex was responsible for the company's turnaround after 11 years of losses. In one year, not only did the company generate profits, but also increased sales by 40% and gross margin by 133%. Alex also opened new business lines, implemented SAP and administrative procedures and controls, consolidated facilities, promoted and modified Quality Assurance Policies and ISO 9001, and transformed the commercial company into an industrial one.
Created Wittmann's subsidiary in Brazil, an Austrian producer of auxiliary equipment for the plastic industry. Alex formed a net of representatives in South America, coordinated product lines to be produced locally, and adapted the product based on local preferences.
Worked for more than 17 years with the Mannesmann Group (with total turnover of 19 billion in 1999) in Brazil. Alex was responsible for exports of up to US$ 100 million. Later in Mexico, Alex implemented new business lines such as equipment for the plastic industry, spare parts for steel plants and projects to revamp petrochemical plants.
Alex holds a BS degree in Business Administration with a major in marketing from Catholic University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Alex was born in Chile and also holds a German passport, permanent residence visa for Brazil and has lived in Chile, Argentina, Mexico USA and Brazil.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Collins Team
- Senior Advisor
- Technology Advisor
- Technology Advisor / the Collins Group Inc.
Bill Kleinebecker provides services in business and market development that identifies and quantifies potential markets for emerging technologies, analyzes a market's readiness for a technology, and advises actions to be taken to prepare the technology for selected markets. He has provided these services for organizations in North America, Europe, and Asia and for organizations of all types, such as Global 1000s, governmental agencies, and startups. Bill is a veteran in sales, marketing, and advanced technology planning at IBM. He has co-led, organized, and conveyed the results strategic projects involving multiple stakeholders in such areas as technology road mapping and regional asset coordination. He advises Stage 1 entrepreneurs on technology capabilities and trends across a wide range of technology areas including IT, Communications, Manufacturing Technology, BioTech, and HealthTech..
Bill Kleinebecker is a Technology Advisor at the The Collins Group. He provides services in business and market development that identifies and quantifies potential markets for emerging technologies, analyzes a market's readiness for a technology, and advises actions to be taken to prepare the technology for selected markets. He has provided these services for organizations in North America, Europe, and Asia and for organizations of all types, such as Global 1000s, governmental agencies, and startups. Bill has a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and a Masters in Industrial Management from M.
Veteran in sales, marketing, and advanced technology planning at IBM. Was a major contributor on teams planning cross divisional strategic solutions in areas, such as, for an application platform that crossed operating environments, several subsystem services that would compatibility run on multiple operating systems, and a high performance/large capacity data bases. These activities disrupted product directions at IBM.
Organizer and lead author of numerous market studies in a wide range of technology areas from software to optical devices to plastics. These studies would include identifying market potential, verifying value propositions, and arranging face-to-face meetings with potential partners.
Researched multiple technology areas to forecast using group intelligence, the market acceptance of technologies areas that would be fielded over the next 10 years within an assigned technology. This was done within the U.S. intelligence community. Identified research teams working on advancements.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Collins Team
- Senior Advisor
- Senior Adviser, Aviation & Aerospace
- Senior Advisor - Aviation & Aerospace
- Senior Advisor / Aviation
- Senior Advisor, Aviation & Aerospace / the Collins Group Inc.
Dale Hunt is a Senior Adviser, Aviation & Aerospace at the The Collins Group concentrating on the aerospace industry. Dale has 40 years of senior leadership and business development experience in high profile areas of prominent, growth companies in the aerospace industry. Dale is particularly effective in aerospace marketing services relative to business development, supply chain management, and M&A activity. He has had extensive senior management experience with an aero-structure manufacturer and integrator, providing major airframe assemblies to fixed and rotary wing OEMs, and with a company providing MR&O services and proprietary products to commercial and military customers internationally. Dale is a ‘people person' with a career pivoted on conscientious effort, integrity, prudent planning, perseverance and enthusiasm.
Job Titles:
- Independent Consultant for over 14 Years to Brazil
- Senior Advisor Brazil Retail
Daniel Machlup joined The Collins Group to advise our clients on entering Brazil's retail market. Daniel has been an independent consultant for over 14 years to Brazil retailers.
He has extensive experience in organizing stores, assembling and supervising buying teams, financial services and MIS for retailers. His past experience includes a successful 25 year career as Senior Manager at C&A Modas Ltda. a leading Dutch fashion retailer where he was dealing with an annual budget of over US$1 billion and 8,000 workers. He was also responsible for the expansion of C&A Modas' stores and information management. Daniel also supports the Board of Directors of a Pension Fund on investments, and acts as Chairman of a small chain of stores. Daniel has a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from the Escola de Admininstracao de Empresas de Sao Paulo da Fundacao Getulio Vargas University, Sao Paulo and is fluent in Portuguese, English and German. São Paulo, Brazil
Job Titles:
- Member of the Collins Team
- Senior Advisor
- CEO at ISIS Chemical Inc
- Senior Adviser - Chemical Sector / the Collins Group Inc. New York, USA
- Senior Adviser - Chemicals
David Phillips has over 40 years of multi-national, business development and turnaround management experience as a senior chemical industry executive. Current focus is specialty chemicals, energy by enhancement of traditional sources and brand security. New York, USA
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor
- Business Executive
- Senior Technology Adviser
- Senior Technology Advisor
- Senior Technology Advisor / the Collins Group Inc.
David Smith is a futurist, business executive, serial entrepreneur, and an expert in solving wicked problems. He has served as CEO and President of technology companies and as an executive of R&D organizations. He has experience in commercial, governmental and academic institutions. David was named one of the seven top global futurists in the Millennium issue of Businessweek feature, "What Technology Will Be Like in 100 Years". For the CIA David was one of the principal designers of In-Q-Tel. He led extensive analysis to develop the framework for In-Q-Tel and help design its implementation plan. David is an active speaker on technology, futures, and innovation throughout the world. He is a University of Texas, Austin, IC2 fellow, elected Society for Design and Process Science Fellow, and a member of the Association of Professional Futurists. Awarded the Council of Consortia award for Extraordinary Contributions and Achievement in Technology Transfer.
David has been an executive and a leader in many innovative endeavors during his career which spans many different technology and commercial segments. Some of the key takeaways are that he is always involved in solving the difficult problems and particularly the wicked problems. He has been a leader in collaborative solutions and in futures programs. David was named one of the seven top global futurists in the Millennium issue of Businessweek feature, "What Technology Will Be Like in 100 Years". As a wicked problem solver and business executive, David Smith has a world-renowned reputation and remarkable track record as a global futurist and innovative business leader.
David has been active in the intelligence community and DOD. Led futures, grand challenges, training, and Roadmapping projects for NGA/NIMA, NSA, CIA, DIA, and all the services. Was a protégé in the DOD Mentor protégé program. Raytheon was the mentor company and NGA was the mentor agency.
For the CIA David was one of the principal designers of In-Q-Tel. He led extensive analysis to develop the framework for In-Q-Tel and help design its implementation plan. This included testifying before Congress and briefing senior intelligence officials.
David has been an active speaker on technology, futures, and innovation throughout the world. He has been the invited speaker at multiple intelligence community, DOD, commercial and other focused conferences and workshops. He was one of the speakers at the U.S. Senate's first emerging technology conference.
He has also been active in economic development, principal designer of Bio Crossroads and statewide DOD plan for State of Indiana. He has been involved in many other consulting activities and multiple other states and agencies, including National Institute of Health, National Cancer Institute, and DARPA. Served on the CSIS steering committee drafting proposals for a new mission for U.S. federal labs.
A leader in collaborative R&D and public-private partnerships. He served as an executive in charge of planning and technology transfer at the MCC and SEMATECH consortia. He was also actively involved in developing and managing multiple P3's.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Collins Team
- Senior Advisor
- Senior Adviser - Medical Technology
- Senior Advisor / the Collins Group Inc.
- Senior Medical Technology Advisor
Dr. Scott Collins is an accomplished, forward looking CEO with 28 years of cross-industry leadership experience spanning strategy, operations and development in the life sciences, biotechnology, health tech, bioinformatics, IT and engineering. Responsibilities include company formation, business and product development, technology-market fit, public relations, strategic negotiations, sales and corporate partnership. Throughout life Scott has been drawn to solving big problems -- first as an inventor, then an entrepreneur, and now as a leader. He enjoys using his multi-disciplinary experience with teams of great people to overcome major challenges-technical, operational, and financial. He is an advisor to the New Organ Alliance and is working with national leaders to roadmap solutions to tissue and organ shortage. Initiatives thus far include the new organ liver prize, the vascular tissue challenge and the innovations in space award. He has also worked on initiatives to improve medical outcomes in low resource settings.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Senior Advisor - Middle East / the Collins Group Inc.
Evan Stefatos has over 20 years of experience growing international business, entering new markets and running market development, strategy consulting and marketing for F500 multi-national corporations operating in the USA, Europe, Eurasia, Middle East and Africa regions. He has deep expertise in payments, financial services, digital transformation and FinTech. He is a strategic adviser and financial transaction consultant to innovative startup company boards and leadership teams in the middle-east and a mentor with multiple incubators. He is passionate about accelerating disruptive business models that advance financial inclusion. He had lived and worked in Greece, the UK, the US and Russia and is currently based in Dubai, UAE. He holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley.
Evan has over 20 years of experience growing international business, entering new markets and running market development, strategy consulting and marketing for F500 multi-national corporations operating in the USA, Europe, Eurasia, Middle East and Africa regions. He has deep expertise in payments, financial services, digital transformation and FinTech.
As a Managing Director at Innervant Strategic Advisers, in Dubai, UAE, he works with banks and financial technology startups on strategy, financing and business optimization. Among others he has advised a Middle East based digital authentication provider on entering the payments business increasing their addressable market by 200% attracting top Wall Street investors, created the strategy and implementation plans for a Gulf government sponsored mobile payments platform advancing innovative technology adoption, advised a new Europe-based payments processor on business development and consulted multiple gulf government entities on the digitization of payments to promote economic growth.
As a senior leader at Visa over many years, in multiple countries, he worked on international markets development. He created the Dubai UAE based product hub team and operations for the 96-country geography of Visa CEMEA and launched, managed and grew the CEMEA client consulting team, advising more than 75 clients in MENA, Russia/CIS, and Africa. During his time in Moscow, Russia he devised and implemented entrance and growth strategies for multiple Visa key EMEA markets. Starting with Visa International in their Foster City, CA HQs he helped define, launch in the US, and grow globally, the EMV chip payment authorization platform.
In San Francisco, CA, USA and within US banking and financial services, among others, he launched and managed a disruptive e-commerce student lending platform at Chela Financial in early 2000s and used innovative risk models, acquisition and balance usage techniques to grow profitable card balances and empower the unbanked at Providian Financial in the late 1990s.
He moved to California, USA in 1996 to pursue a full-time MBA in Strategy and Management of Technology at the Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley. He got his startup and technology "bug" from living in Silicon Valley during the startup and dot-com boom (and bust) of the 1990s. Fortunately he also acquired a balancing wine "bug" which he carries till today from his multiple getaways and tasting ventures in Napa, another valley.
Just prior to completing his Bachelor's degree in Business Economics at the American College of Greece, he started his career as a consultant with Praxis S.A in Athens Greece, and continued with them after graduating to develop strategies and implementation plans for multiple international clients wishing to enter SEE markets.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Member of the Collins Team
Georg D. Braune has 25+ years of experience in project, export and acquisition financing, including extensive infrastructure financing experience in transportation and energy. He has been in charge of major international transactions on behalf of major global private banks as well as for a development bank and an international wealth manager. As chief investment officer and member of the board of directors, he was responsible for two London/Mauritius based investment companies and general manager of a Munich based wealth management company. Georg has a BA and MA in German Law and has qualified as a judge and federal attorney in Germany. Berlin, Germany
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director / the Collins Group Inc.
Gregg Van Volkenburgh provides services to support expansion, help drive major projects, develop markets, form client relationships, expand manufacturing, install new business systems and secure financial support. Gregg's experience covers launching and operating technology companies; international business development in the Middle East, Europe, India, China and Japan, Russia and North America; technology licensing, transfer, and commercialization; and joint venturing and financing. Gregg has a PhD in Space Sciences; bachelor's degrees in chemistry and mathematics/computer science; and industrial experience in oil and gas, environmental monitoring, applied software solutions, process control instrumentation, aerospace, life sciences and remote sensing. Brasov, Romania
Gregg Van Volkenburgh is an Executive Director at the The Collins Group. He provides services to develop markets via strategic alliances, support expansions of start-up companies, develop client relationships through direct selling, expand manufacturing, secure government financial support, and gain equity financing. Gregg has advanced degrees in computer science, chemistry, mathematics, and optical physics and has wide industry and technology expertise.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- General Manager
- Member of the Collins Team
- Gerente
Gunter Eberhardt has extensive experience as General Manager in several industrial fields (plastics, auto parts, software service, printing, electronics) in national and international companies. His expertise includes general administration, strategic analysis and planning, project management, business development and M&A. Gunter is fluent in Portuguese, English and Spanish. Gunter graduated as a Civil and Industrial Engineer from Mackenzie College - was awarded Shell Prize as Best Student of the Industrial Engineering course. S�o Paulo, Brazil
Gunter Eberhardt tem grande experiência como Gerente Geral em diversas areas industriais (plásticos, autopeças, software, impressão, eletrônica) em companhias nacionais e internacionais. Experiência em administração de negócios, análise e planejamento estratégico, "project management", desenvolvimento de negócios e fusões e aquisições(M&A). Fluente em português, inglês e espanhol. Gunter ê formado em Engenharia Civil e Industrial pela Universidade Mackenzie - recebeu o Premio Shell como melhor aluno do curso de Engenharia Industrial. São Paulo, Brazil
Gunter Eberhardt is an Executive Director of The Collins Group. Gunter has extensive experience as General Manager in several industrial fields (plastics, auto parts, software service, printing, electronics) in national and international companies.
Gunter has expertise in general administration, strategic analysis and planning, project management, business development and M&A.
With his own company, Ebertec Assessoria (since 1997), Gunter has participated in several projects including Strategic Planning, Business Restructuring, Business Development, Project Management and M&A.
At Stream International (RRDonnelley Group), Gunter implemented and managed Global Software Services (software manufacturing), whose initial mission was the manufacturing of Windows95 in time for the global launching of the product, as well as the manufacturing of the Microsoft products in Brazil. The implementation was successfully completed in a very short time and the Company reached their goals. In 1996, by decision of headquarters (USA), Stream left Brazil. Gunter was invited to become General Manager of one of the main SBUs in the United States, but decided to stay in Brazil to run his own company (Ebertec).
At Globo Cochrane (magazine printing), a joint-venture between Globopar (Brazil) and Cochrane Group (Chile), Gunter was responsible for the implementation of the project (inauguration: August 1992) and for the operations of the plant, reporting to the Board. (Huge volume of exports, mainly to South and Central America - 250 employees).
Gunter Eberhardt &eccute; Executive Director do The Collins Group. Gunter tem grande experiência como Gerente Geral em diversas &accute;reas industriais (pl&accute;sticos, autopeças, software, impressão, eletrônica) em companhias nacionais e internacionais. Experiência em administração de neg&occute;cios, an&accute;lise e planejamento estrat&eccute;gico, "project management", desenvolvimento de neg&occute;cios e fusões e aquisições(M&A)
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Founder
- Member of the Collins Team
- CEO / the Collins Group Inc. Montreal, Canada
Ian Collins is the founder and CEO of The Collins Group, and the quarterback of the TCG Team. He has been active in investment banking, mergers & acquisitions, project financing, and capital market consulting for 40 years after graduating with a BA (Honors) in Economics & Political Science. Montreal, Canada
Ian Collins is the founder and CEO of The Collins Group. He has been active in investment banking, mergers & acquisitions, project financing, and capital market consulting for 40 years after graduating with a BA (Honors) in Economics & Political Science. Ian is the quarterback of the TCG Team and has an extensive background in:
Arranging corporate financings and financing for acquisitions.
Sourcing US and European venture capital and private equity investors for technology companies.
Capital market advisory services to private and public companies.
Initiating M&A transactions.
Preparing project business plans and arranging project financing.
In the early years of TCG, Ian was involved in a number of "firsts" in the investment business:
Conceived and initiated Canada's first public issue of an off-shore investment fund. The fund, sponsored and managed by the Bank of Bermuda was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange after its IPO.
Arranged all financing aspects for nine full length motion pictures, including the first and second nationally filed movie IPO's in Canada.
Through the Montreal Stock Exchange, initiated the effort that resulted in the formation of the Trans Canada Options Exchange - the first medium in Canada for exchanged traded options.
Ian acted as chief consultant to the Canadian stock exchanges, and was Secretary General of "Committee for a Canada Wide Securities Market System", the attempt by the Canadian stock exchanges and the Investment dealers Association of Canada to create a single Canada-wide integrated market for all Canadian stocks and bonds.
Prior to founding The Collins Group Inc. in 1975, Ian held senior positions with a Canadian investment bank where he was responsible for block trading, investment research, asset management, and equity underwriting.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Collins Team
- Senior Advisor
- Senior Advisor - Energy Systems, Water & Waste Water Management
- Senior Advisor Energy Systems, Water and Waste Water Management / the Collins Group Inc.
Johan Arstrom is knowledgeable and has practical experience in Energy Systems with a special focus on District Heating, Bio-Mass, Bio-Gas, Water, Wastewater Treatment and allied operations. He has been a senior advisor and project manager with extensive experience in business development, project management, acquisition due diligence, and contract issues regarding energy production and distribution. Johan has some 25 years' experience at some of Europe's leading energy and consulting companies including Fortum, Dalkia, Sweco and Jaakko Poyry. Stockholm, Sweden
Johan Årström has 20 years of experience experience in the fields of Business Development, Procurement, Project Management and Due Diligence projects. Industry experience includes Energy and Water & Wastewater with extensive practical experiences. In the last couple of years, Johan has worked with management and technical advisory, business development, procurement, contract issues and negotiations within the energy and water & waste water industry including due diligence processes in acquisition projects. Key strengths include the ability to move issues positively forward in both national and international projects.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Collins Team
- Senior Advisor
- Senior Advisor / Latin America
Julio Piran, Senior Advisor Latin America. Julio has more than 25 years of experience working in Information Technology in the Banking sector in Uruguay. Most of his experience is in the fields of Software Development and Project Management. Currently he is focused in expanding contacts in South America, especially in Uruguay, in order to explore opportunities of corporate financing and M&A transactions with potential clients in different business areas. Montevideo, Uruguay and Montreal, Canada
Julio Piran tiene más de 25 años de experiencia trabajando en la Banca en el área de Tecnología de la Información. La mayor parte de su experiencia es el campo de desarrollo de sistemas y gerenciamiento de proyectos. En el presente está enfocado en la expansión de contactos en Sudamérica, especialmente en Uruguay, a fin de explorar oportunidades de financiamiento corporativo así como de fusión y adquisición con potenciales clientes en diferentes áreas de negocios. Montevideo, Uruguay and Montreal, Canada
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Member of the Collins Team
- Executive Director - Central Europe
- Executive Director / the Collins Group Inc. Budapest, Hungary
Laszlo Gazdag has an extensive technology, finance and business background. He has a PhD in Engineering Physics from the Technical University of Budapest and an Executive MBA from Purdue University (USA) and ESC Rouen (France). He has substantial experience in launching and operating technology and software companies, and in asset management. He has acted as a representative of European banks in Hungary. He is familiar with international business development in Central and Eastern Europe, and in multilateral cooperations in EU and cross-border, cross ocean transactions. Budapest, Hungary
Laszlo Gazdag, Executive Director, developed The Collins Group's presence in Hungary. His task is to build on the initial TCG work in Hungary and Croatia and to take The Collins Group into the other countries of Central & Eastern Europe. Laszlo has an extensive technology background combined with considerable finance experience in banking and asset management. He has a PhD in engineering physics from Technical University of Budapest, followed by an Executive Master's MBA from Purdue University (USA) & Rouen Graduate School of Management (France).
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director, Nordic Region / the Collins Group Inc. Stockholm, Sweden
With degrees in Engineering and Economics and part time studies in Law at Uppsala University, Leif Wallenhorn is an Executive Director of The Collins Group. He has extensive experience in management positions within marketing, manufacturing, export and corporate finance. His focus for the past 20 years has been in investor relations and corporate finance. Leif has led a number of IPO's and private placements for clients in various industries.
Job Titles:
- Senior Adviser - Middle East / the Collins Group Inc. Dubai
- Senior Advisor - Middle East
Nicholas Lehmann is Senior Advisor - Middle East for the Collins Group and will primarily focus on transactions in the financial services and oil and gas sectors. Nick has almost 40 years of multinational, multicultural and varied management experiences in the UK, Australia and the Middle East. His roles have been diverse including being the Chief Financial Officer for a National Oil & Gas Company and an insurance group. He has served as a Director of banks and insurance companies in the UK, Australia and the Middle East and has been the founding CEO of three Finance companies in the Middle East.
Nicholas (Nick) Lehmann is Senior Adviser - Middle East for the Collins Group and will primarily focus on transactions in the financial services and oil and gas sectors. Nick has almost 40 years of multinational, multicultural and varied management experiences in the UK, Australia and the Middle East. His roles have been diverse of which include being the Chief Financial Officer for a National Oil & Gas Company and an insurance group. He has served as a Director of banks and insurance companies in the UK, Australia and the Middle East and has been the founding CEO of three Finance companies in the Middle East.
Nick has a B.Sc. in Mathematics from London University, a Masters in Management Science from Imperial College, London and professional qualifications in finance (FCA), insurance (ACII) and banking (ACIB); all from the recognized professional bodies in the UK.
He has an excellent contact base derived from having worked with and for important family groups, Sovereign Wealth Funds and institutions in the region. This enables Investment opportunities to be explored both inwards and outwards from the region. Nicholas has many years of experience in investment review, M&A, IPOs, capital restructuring, enterprise risk management and corporate governance through working at multinationals companies such as Jardines, RBS Group and Aon group. He is currently an adviser to the Emirates Investment Bank for new product development and development activities.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director Baltic States / Balkan Countries
- Executive Director, Baltic States / Baltic Countries / the Collins Group Inc. Tallinn, Estonia
Rein Ruubel, Executive Director Baltic States / Balkan Countries will be building upon and expanding the contacts already made in the Baltic States, Estonia and Finland as well as exploring new opportunities with prospective clients. Rein is also active in Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina. Rein has extensive technology knowledge and background with positions held in the private, public and higher education sectors. Rein is currently located in Sarajevo, where he is leading the development of the three innovation centres and the research sector in Bosnia Herzegovina. Tallinn, Estonia/Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Rein Ruubel is an Executive Director Baltic States / Balkan Countries at the The Collins Group. Rein has extensive technology knowledge and background with positions held in the private, public and higher education sectors. Specializing in the areas of project and technology transfer management, business consulting, development of partnerships, technology commercialization, incubation of start-up and spin-off companies, extensive pan-European network for research and technology transfer and business and business environment.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Collins Team
- Senior Advisor
- Senior Adviser - Structured Debt
- Senior Advisor for Structured Debt / the Collins Group Inc. Waterloo, Canada
Robert Kilimnik recently retired from Manulife Financial as VP and Managing Director. Prior experience includes co-founder and CIO of Borealis Capital; Vice President - Investments at Clarica Life with responsibility for their Canadian portfolio operations including commercial mortgages, corporate lending, real estate, public bonds and equities, private equity and Treasury and ALM operations. Bob has extensive infrastructure and power financing experience, and has done close to 1000 corporate debt transactions. Waterloo, Canada
Robert Kilimnik is a Senior Advisor for Structured Debt at The Collins Group. He recently retired from Manulife Financial as Vice President and Managing Director where he was responsible for its Canadian Private Placement Debt operations and Canadian Public Credit. Having worked for two major Canadian life insurance companies, and co-founded a major Canadian private equity company (Borealis Capital), Bob has had a very broad and unique investment career focusing on the debt and credit markets. Highlights include:
Prior to leaving Clarica Life (formerly Mutual Life of Canada) in early 2000 to co-found Borealis Capital, Bob was Vice President Investments with responsibility for their Canadian portfolio operations including commercial mortgages, corporate lending, real estate, public bonds and equities, private equity and Treasury and ALM operations.
Founded as Dorset Capital in 2000, control of Borealis was assumed by OMERS in 2001. Borealis raised $500 million for its private equity fund and $75 million for its financial technologies fund. Bob was Chief Investment Officer.
Bob joined the investment arm of Manulife MFC Global Investment Management in 2002 to run their North American bond operation. After the 2004 merger with John Hancock Life and Maritime Life he accepted the mandate to develop their Canadian private debt operations.
Bob played a pre-eminent role in the development of the Canadian private placement market making Clarica the #1 non-bank lender in Canada in the 1990's and introducing innovations such as secured term lending, lease financing, private securitizations, and project financing. Manulife has now established itself as the #2 private placement lender in Canada.
Actively involved in a number of strategic acquisitions for Clarica including the Canadian operations of Prudential Assurance and Metropolitan Life and John Hancock/Maritime Life for Manulife. Responsible for the acquisition and eventual disposition of strategic equity interests in a number of leasing companies including Newcourt Credit for Clarica.
Background and experience in different successful debt restructurings in real estate, the middle market and corporate market.
Substantial corporate governance experience with directorships in a variety of public and private companies.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Collins Team
- Senior Advisor
- Senior IT Technology Advisor
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Member of the Collins Team
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Member of the Collins Team
- Executive Director / Southern Europe