José Luis Romo

CEO - Mexico

José is an expert in economic development and investment attraction. He has been recognized by entities such as the Government of the United Arab Emirates and the global firm OBG. He has managed projects worth $14 billion USD and held significant roles in public policy.

He has been recognized by entities such as the Government of the United Arab Emirates and the global firm OBG. He has managed the development of projects up to $14 billion USD. He served as Minister of Economic Development and Minister of Public Policy in the State of Hidalgo; as an economist for the Central Bank of Mexico (Banxico); advisor to the Secretary and Undersecretary of Finance and Public Credit; Head of the Planning Unit of the Mexican Social Security Institute and has worked with international organisations such as the OECD and the UK Government,

He has a master's degree in Public Policy from Harvard University and in economics from the University of Warwick, as well as a bachelor's degree in economics from ITAM.

Andrew Jeffreys

CEO - Global

Andrew has extensive experience in fast-growth economies. He has worked with OBG for over 20 years and managed consultancy projects for clients such as HSBC and Solídere. He regularly appears on major international media.

He has worked with OBG for over 20 years, contributing to numerous consultancy projects, including urban regeneration in Pakistan and the internationalisation of the Colombian peso. His clients include HSBC, UKTI, Doğuş Holdings, and Solidere, where he led a year-long competitive analysis. He frequently appears on television and radio, including the BBC and CNN, and contributes to regional and international media. Andrew accompanied Prime Minister David Cameron on overseas trips to Asia, Mexico, and India. In 2012, he joined the Board of the UK-ASEAN Business Council.

He holds an honours degree in Politics, Philosophy & Economics from St Catherine’s College, Oxford University.

Steven Foland

Chairman

Steven has expertise in cross-border financing, with leadership roles in investment banking firms like Credit Suisse. He is currently the Managing Director of CDX Advisors and has extensive international experience.

In addition to his work with OBG, he is currently a Managing Director of CDX Advisors, a NY-based investment bank. He previously was the Managing Partner of RWR Advisors, a San Francisco Bay area based boutique investment banking firm. Prior to RWR, he was the Head of Banking, Americas for China International Capital Corporation China’s premier investment bank; Head of the Asia Investment Banking Group and Co-Head of Software Investment Banking at Stifel; Head of Technology Banking for non-Japan Asia for Credit Suisse; and held various positions with Morgan Stanley in both New York and Hong Kong.

Steven has a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame and a B.A. from the University of Michigan.

Dennis Zhang

Dennis runs his own capital markets advisory business, working with corporate clients across the U.S. and Asia on capital solutions and M&As. Earlier in this career, Dennis spent nearly 15 years in investment banking at various firms in New York and San Francisco, most recently with Raymond James where he served as Managing Director and Head of Asia and prior to that, Director & Head of China investment banking at Stifel. During his investment banking career, he focused on advising companies on capital markets and cross-border M&A transactions.

Dennis received a bachelor’s degree in English from Beijing Foreign Studies University, a Master of International Affairs degree from Columbia University, and an MBA from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and English.

Harry van Schaick

Harry oversees all consultancy, research and editorial output in all countries OBG covers in the Americas. Having joined OBG in 2015, he has worked with the company in a number of markets across Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East, having secured interviews and meetings with heads of state, ministers and private sector stakeholders in these regions.

Harry holds a B.A. (Hons) in Human Geography from the University of Sheffield in the UK and an MSc in International Development from the University of Amsterdam, where he specialised in Latin American Development Economics. He is a native English speaker, and also speaks Spanish and Portuguese.