International Experience
James Hamilton
EUROPE (twenty-five years residence at different intervals, representative examples)
• Germany Executive coaching, Munich (2009 - current); business reviews, Munich (´98 - ´current) and Düsseldorf (´97). Marketing courses and strategy seminars, Munich (´98-2004, ´91 -´92). Strategy formation and execution as CEO of a German firm (´91-´94). Previous experience ranges from complex negotiations to classified research funded by the German Defense Ministry at LIMAS, an R&D organization affiliated with the Rheinische Friedrich-Willhelms-Universität Bonn (´72).
• Switzerland Financing projects in Zurich (´02, ´00, ´94). Negotiations to sell a chemical plant for $14 million (´82). Feasibility study on franchising a printing system (´75). Project on the expansion of a UK grocery chain into CH and the Benelux countries (´74). Branch consolidation analysis for a bank in Zurich (´74).
• Spain Marketing strategy (e.g. website presence) for a credit card venture, Barcelona (2012). Market research for a wireless LAN hotel project, Barcelona (´01, ´02). Marketing for a dance academy, Barcelona (´02); Restructured financing to win a bid while protecting profits on a $7 million requirement (´81).
• United Kingdom Negotiations re a master franchise license (´98); imported textiles from Peru (´72).
• Malta Project on local assembly for the EC; on strategic alliances in continental Europe for a training company (´90).
• Italy Project for an sbu of a multinational about the US sourcing of consumer packaged goods to be transshipped with production from its Italian factory for Northern African markets (´82).
• Portugal Developed multicurrency hedging options to enable escudo bids (´81).
AFRICA (did business in over 20 countries in the 80´s; a dozen examples follow, clockwise on a map)
• Northern – Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt: government sales, including negotiating a multinational’s first contract with the Egyptian Defense Ministry.
• Southern – Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana: Established distributors and pursued JV and licensing opportunities.
• Francophone – Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Senegal: Developed a consumer product agency network to compete against traditional French sourcing.
• Western – Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia: Reorganized an agency and distributor network with an associated advertising campaign.
MIDDLE EAST (three years in Teheran, Iran with travel throughout the region, mostly in the 70´s)
• Israel Negotiated a sole supplier contract winning 80% of a market niche (´81).
• Kuwait Market research for a multinational (´80); trips re construction (´76-´77).
• Saudi Arabia Sub-contract negotiations re eight-figure development projects (´79).
• Iran Country Manager with P&L responsibility, ran investment and development projects. Served on the commission that prepared the government’s White Paper on the Teheran Stock Exchange (´79). Independent consulting engagement on a reorganization and a lease/buy decision for office buildings for Krupp (Iran) AG (´77).
THE FAR EAST (primarily travel in the 70´s and 80´s, also in 2004, 2005)
• Mandarin/Cantonese speaking – Hong Kong (three tourist trips): Mainland China re a tri-national plastics recycling project (´04-´05) (cf. a compelling event China)
• Other languages – Thailand, import/export of silk and emeralds; Vietnam (long trip); Japan (short trip) and Okinawa (one month stay).
LATIN AMERICA (travel occurred mostly in the 70´s and 80´s)
• Spanish speaking – Argentina, Columbia, Venezuela: key account CRM (´80-´82).
• Portuguese speaking – Brazil: half a dozen market research trips (´81-´83).
NORTH AMERICA (my parents immigrated to New York with me as a seven year old; at different times four years of my education were in Europe, the rest in the U.S.)
• Canada Tourist trip to Montreal during college.
• Mexico Tourist trips to Acapulco and Mexico City during college.
• United States Recent business trips include ones to San Francisco re office development (´07) and periodic trips to South Carolina, where BridgeS E C also has an office.