Board of Advisors

Mr. Otto Juan Reich is the President of Otto Reich Associates, LLC, of Washington, DC, a consulting firm that provides international government relations, trade and investment advice to US and multinational clients. He has extensive experience in private enterprise, government, and the U.S. military, primarily focusing on Latin America and the Caribbean.

From 2001 to 2004, Ambassador Reich served as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, reporting to Secretary of State Colin Powell, and as President George W. Bush’s Special Envoy for Western Hemisphere Initiatives. In this assignment he was concurrently a Senior Staff Member of the National Security Council, reporting to Dr. Condoleezza Rice.

From 1989 to 2001, Ambassador Reich was a private consultant, advising clients on international government relations, market access and strategic planning, first as a partner in the Brock Group and later as president of his own consulting firm, RMA International. In 1991 and 1992, as a private citizen and at the personal request of President George H. W. Bush, Ambassador Reich served as Deputy U.S. Representative to the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva.

In the 1980’s, Reich received three appointments from President Ronald Reagan. In reverse chronological order, these were: From 1986 to 1989, U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela, work for which he was awarded the highest commendations of both the State Department and the Republic of Venezuela. As Special Advisor to the Secretary of State from 1983 to 1986, he established and directed the Office of Public Diplomacy for Latin America and the Caribbean, which received the Department’s Meritorious Honor Award. From 1981 to 1983, a period of high-level US financial support to the region, he was Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in charge of U.S. economic assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean.

Ambassador Reich received a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies from the University of North Carolina (1966) and a Master’s Degree in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University (1973). His military service (1966 – 1969) included duty as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army’s 3rd Civil Affairs Group (Airborne), Panama Canal Zone. Mr. Reich appears regularly on US and Latin American media. From 1998 to 2001, he was co-host of CNN International’s “Choque de Opiniones,” a Spanish-language public affairs program.

Mr. Keoseyan is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of RK Consultores which is a major business consulting firm in Mexico City specialized in lobbying, representation, legal and finance in the energy, transportation and consumer industries in Mexico. Major clients are PEMEX, Coca-Cola, Bombardier, Grupo R, STC (Mexico City subway system) Grupo Mexico, TMM, Protexa, Kinder Morgan. RK Consultores was created in 1995 and has been active as a major player in the Mexican business sector and has a good standing in the business community of the country.

Previously Roberto was a Senior Executive of PEMEX for 15 years in various different capacities. He served as a General Manager for all Maritime contracts, General Counsel for international affairs and Senior Officer for credit negotiations. Mr. Keoseyan has a law degree from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and complementary studies in international finance in the United States andEngland.

Mr. Larson is a Managing Director for the Pataki-Cahill Group and oversees business development both domestic and international for Pataki-Cahill projects and clients. Christopher joined the Pataki-Cahill group after serving Governor George E. Pataki as Political Director for his federal political action committee.

Prior to joining the Governor’s PAC, Christopher helped run the New York City office for a Washington DC government affairs firm where he represented clients in a variety of sectors including energy, infrastructure and gaming. Mr. Larson worked on Governor Pataki’s successful reelection in 2002 where he focused on media and advertising. In addition to his work domestically, Christopher has also worked in politics in Eastern Europe. He received his Bachelors degree from Yale University.

Mr. Castelli is currently a Co-Founding Partner of BM Counseling in Rio de Janeiro Brazil.  BM Counseling is a group of seasoned professionals, mostly former CEO’s that focus on traditional management consulting activities and services for Brazilian national and multinational companies both domestically and internationally.

Prior to BM Counseling , Aldo spent 22 years working for Shell, most notably as President of Shell Brazil, Corporate Vice President of Shell Oil Product Latin America and CEO of all Regional operations in the Caribbean and Central America. His assignments at Shell ranged from operations, government relations, finance, strategy in the Americas and as Corporate Adviser supporting the Group Managing Directors in the Shell head-office in London.

Mr. Castelli has also a  strong financial and leadership background based on his 16 years’ experience within the financial sector (External & Internal Audit Manager, Finance Manager, and Controller) both in Shell and in Price Waterhouse in Sao Paulo and Houston. Aldo has extensive experience in managing business organizations in complex and unstable environments (multi-cultural; regulated & deregulated markets and with high volatility).

Aldo obtained a degree in Business Management and Accounting from Mackenzie University in Sao Paulo(1978-1984); complemented by numerous executive development programs in theUnited States, England (Oxford), and France (Insead).  He has previously served in a number of Business Chambers such as a member of the Rio American Chamber and as President in 2003/05 of the Brazil Britain Chamber (Britcham).