About Us
JUAN RIVERA (Ph.D. Managing Partner)
Juan has a Law and Business Degree (ICADE-Madrid) and an International MBA shared between Oxford (UK) and USIU (Allianz) San Diego, California and a Ph.D in Management from UPO-Sevilla. He has worked in the international pharmaceutical industry in Spain, his home country, as well as another 20 countries, including the Middle East, GM Russian-CIS, and Switzerland. Since 2000 Juan has concentrated exclusively on leadership and competitiveness as a professor at several universities (Georgetown-Washington DC –Global Competitiveness Leadership-, Ortega y Gasset-Madrid, Pacifico de Lima, Pablo de Olavide-Sevilla). He also teaches International Business Culture and International Human Resources in UPO-Seville using his specialization in leadership from Harvard University (Kennedy School of Government). He is a member of the Center for Leadership Studies of Exeter University (UK) and the International Leadership Association (ILA-USA). He has published three books (“Less leaders, more leadership”, about instruments and methodologies in leadership development, “Leadership, sex and gender” and “Leadership, women and society in Latin America” by University Pacífico (Lima, Peru)).
MARITHERESA FITZGERALD FRAIN (Ph.D Directora)
Maritheresa received her Bachelor’s degree from Penn State University (USA), and her Masters and Ph.D in Government and International Relations from Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.), where she taught Government. She spent time working for the International Monetary Fund where she served as advisor to the Portuguese prime minister and President Anibal Cavaco Silva in addition to being a professor of International Relations at the Moscow State University (Moscow). Maritheresa is director of the CIEE (Council for International Educational Exchange) in Spain and works at the State Department from the US Government. She has several publications on international relations and Spain, Portugal, United States and European politics.
JOSE PALMA Director (International Business)
Jose received his degree in Business Administration from UPO-Seville with a specializations in Leadership and Innovation and International Business Relationships from the Universiteit Van Amsterdam. He spent over five years in logistics services and international trade as an Authorized Agent and Consultant with different Chambers of Commerce and different public institutions in Spain. He has extensive experience in business negotiations with American, Latin-American, Middle and Far East and Europe Markets. He is the Co-Founder of Export: Creating Business Association and Black Bull Military Logistic Services and Coordinator of European Program INNOVATE for the Territorial Innovation and International Trade.
RAISSA ROUSE (Esq. Legal Counsel ALS)
Raissa hold a BA in political Science in Political Science from University of New Orleans and a Law Degree from Tulane Law School. After being a law researcher at Tulane University, working several years in law firms and in US Distric Court in Louisiana, she worked for several years in Miami as US lawyer for Spanish Global Communications Telefonica company in US-Spain and related with Latinamerican contracts. She teaches in several post-graduate law programs (ISDE, IE, UPO) and consults in international contracts, especially in the US-Spain field. Raissa shares her time between her home countries, Sweden, Spain and USA.
SHARON CURRY (Directora. Liderazgo militar y civil)
Retired officer of the British Navy, where she specialized in leadership, survival, teams and human development, including skills in strategy, management and communication. She has worked during more than 20 years in several industries and countries, including USA; UK, Spain, Middle East. etc. combining her military experience with the organizational world. She lives between London, Madrid and Washington, she is a certified Life, Executive and Corporate Master Coach by the European Coaching Center, with experience in corporate and executive coaching. She is a lead instructor in iMindMap by Think Buzan. And participate in many global civil and military projects in leadership development and mindmapping.
ROSA DE LA CALZADA (Directora. Desarrollo Organizacional)
Rosa has a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Human Resources from IDE-Spain, being a certified executive coach (ICF) and also Team Coach (TCI) and NLP practitioner. She worked in HR in several multinationals (BP; Nutreco, Monsanto) and HR Director for Europe and Leadership and Talent Management for Europe. She is specialized in Leadership and Organizational Development teaching in several Universities and Business Schools (UNED; Fco Vitoria, Georgetown, EUDE, ICF, EPWN). During the last 7 years she has been VP of Mentoring and Development and The European Professional Women Network , being of responsible of the mentoring of more than 150 executives per year. She is certified on MBTI, FIRO-B, Benchmarks 360, MPG, TDA, IRC, coaching for results, and she is specialized in transactional analysis.
MARIA VELICHKO (Directora Coaching)
Maria has a degree in Business Administration (Rostov-un-Don, Russia), and an MBA in Investments (Presidents State Academy, Moscow) a Masters in Psicogenetics by the Moscow Asoc of Psycogenetics, another Bachelors in Psycology- Ontopsycology by Saint Petersburg University and another Masters in Child-Juvenile Psychology by the Spanish Cognitive-Conductual Society (Barcelona). She is accredited in the use of MBTI by Oxford Psychologists. Maria combines her professional activities as psychologists, coach and trainer with her support of the “Help the children” foundation, she has multiple experience in business (Inditex, Pascual, Etc.) and organizations, speaks several languages and lives between Barcelona and Moscow.
MARÍA FERNÁNDEZ-GALNARES (Finanzas Internacionales y Multilateral)
María has a University degree in Business Administration (Sevilla), a Masters in international Business and a professional Masters in Finance and Business Automation. Marias has worked in several professional firms and consumer companies, is fluent in English and Spanish and develops in ALS the international finance activities and support and the development of the multilateral market opportunities.
MIGUEL DÍAZ (Corporate Finance Manager)
Miguel has a degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Finance, a Master in Banking Management from Carlos III University and Chartered Economist from the Official College of Economists in Spain. He has over 10 years of experience in business banking and management consulting. After being a Risk Analyst in Bankinter, he hold responsibility in corporate banking for two of Spain’s major commercial banks. He was responsible for developing a portfolio of over 50 corporate clients, all with turnover in excess of €10 million. Miguel is Director of Océano Azul – External Financial Management in Spain. He is certified as SAP FI (Financial Accounting) Consultant.