New York
Edward J. Tobin
Edward J. Tobin is a Director of Global Emerging Markets North America, Inc., where he manages Special Situations and Venture investing. In addition to these activities, he has overseen structured finance transactions in industries such as clean tech, media, telecommunications, manufacturing, real estate and life sciences. Prior to joining GEM, Mr. Tobin was Managing Director of Lincklaen Partners, a private family investment office. Previously, he had been a portfolio manager with Neuberger and Berman and prior to that Vice President of Nordberg Capital, Inc. Mr. Tobin received his MBA from the Wharton School, as well as a Master of Science in Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Economics (cum laude) from the University of Pennsylvania.
Christopher Brown
Christopher Brown is the founder and Director of The Global Emerging Markets North America, Inc., where he oversees the New York office and manages private placements on a global basis. He is on the Board of Directors of Bahrain-based VC Bank, co-sponsor of the GEM MENA Fund. In addition he is Chairman of the CITIC-GEM Fund, a non-voting General Partner in Kinderhook Industries and on the Board of Directors of the Global Leadership Foundation. He began his career with Drexel Burnham Lambert in Sales & Trading in 1985. He later joined Smith Barney as an Investment Advisor from 1986 to 1988 and worked for Shearson Lehman Brothers from 1988 to 1993. Mr. Brown attended UCLA.
Franco Scalamandre
Franco Scalamandre is a Managing Director of Global Emerging Markets North America, Inc., where he manages listed company investments and related transactions. Mr. Scalamandre received his Bachelor of Arts degree Magna Cum Laude in Economics from Harvard University in 1979 and received the Harvard Scholarship for “Academic Distinction of the Highest Achievement during the Academic Year.” He is named after his grandfather Franco Scalamandre, the founder of Scalamandre Silks, Inc.
Warren P. Baker
Warren P. Baker, III is an Investment Professional at Global Emerging Markets. Warren is responsible for sourcing, structuring and monitoring public and private equity investments worldwide. Prior to joining GEM, Warren was an Associate at Discovery Capital, a boutique Investment Banking firm focused on the U.S. Hispanic Market and Latin America. Warren spent two years as an analyst at Citi’s Latin America Investment Banking Group and also was part of IBM’s Business Consulting Services Division as a Strategy Consultant in their Financial Markets Practice. Warren serves as Director and member of the Board of Directors of the Colombian American Association of NY, a private, non-profit business organization which for 80 years has promoted investment and commerce between the United States and Colombia. Mr. Baker holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Babson College. He is fluent in Spanish and can read and understand Portuguese.
Peter de Svastich
Peter de Svastich is the Managing General Partner of GEM Brazil Private Equity Fund SCA/SICAR where he is responsible for the overall Brazilian operations of the Fund and interfaces with GEM New York in matters related to fund-raising, private placement opportunities, and investor relations. Prior to joining the Fund, he worked as an investment banker involved in Brazil. He has been the CFO/COO/CCO for a number of hedge funds and funds of funds, most recently with Alpha Equity Management where he helped sell a 25% equity stake to SunTrust Bank N.A. of Atlanta, Georgia. He served as President of Delegated Management S.A., a fund of funds and asset allocator in Geneva, Switzerland. He founded and ran WestHem International Group for 15 years, a boutique investment and asset management firm that also had a broker/dealer in New York. Prior to that he ran the International Division of one of Brazil's top five banks in the 1980's and spearheaded its international expansion. He has formed joint-ventures in banking and alternative investments with N.M. Rothschild & Sons (Madrid), Banco Internacional y de Comercio Exterior (Santiago), Banque Francaise de Commerce Exterieur (BFCE) (Montevideo), and BNP (Rio de Janeiro). Peter received a B.A. cum laude from Princeton University, an LLB and JD from the Yale Law School, and a Latin American Teaching Fellowship from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Rick Joshi
Mr. Rick Joshi is Managing Director with Global Emerging Markets North America, Inc., where he is responsible for sourcing, structuring and monitoring minority investments in listed companies as well as private equity investments globally. He has made principal investments primarily in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Germany in industries including technology, pharmaceuticals, IT, energy, telecommunications, mining, manufacturing and media. At GEM, Mr. Joshi has overseen the completion of equity fund commitments and advisory transactions exceeding US$250M in aggregate value. He also advises the private equity fund GEM India Advisors on making early stage growth investments in India. Earlier, as the Mumbai-based Vice President of Investments with the merchant banking subsidiary of the Times of India Group, Mr. Joshi headed the Asset Management and Research functions, managing over INR500M in proprietary investments and advising on the parent company's INR10B portfolio, which was among the largest proprietary portfolios in India at the time. Prior to that, Mr Joshi gained operating experience as Worldwide Product Line Manager with Oracle Corporation and as Product Manager with Intel Corporation in Silicon Valley, California. Mr. Joshi holds an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, an MS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Idaho and a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai.
