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| Summit 2010 Speakers
 Michelle ToddSpecial Assistant to the Governor
R. Michelle Todd was appointed Special Assistant to Governor Charlie Crist in May 2007. In this capacity, Ms. Todd is responsible for staffing and advancing the Governor and Lt. Governor’s public appearances in West Central Florida. She also serves as the Governor’s liaison and representative with citizens, community leaders, and elected officials.
Prior to joining the Crist Administration, Ms. Todd specialized in political campaigns. Her political campaign experience includes numerous successful local, state and federal races. Ms. Todd also has experience as a paralegal in the areas of commercial real estate, environmental and land use law.
A native Floridian, Ms. Todd received an Associate of Arts degree from the Honors College at Hillsborough Community College and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science – Pre Law with a focus in American Politics from the University of Central Florida. Ms. Todd also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Spring of Tampa Bay and the Honors Advisory Committee of the Honors Institute at Hillsborough Community College and was named to the inaugural class of Hillsborough Community College’s 40 Outstanding Alumni in 2007.
 Chuck Sykes
President and CEO
Sykes Enterprises
Charles (Chuck) Sykes was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated in August 2004. Prior to his recent appointment, Mr. Sykes served as Chief Operating Officer since July 2003 and President since May 2004.
As a young man Mr. Sykes began working within the company from entry level positions onto senior management. He has worked his way through the ranks, including laying cable and installation to serving as General Manager of the Americas, resulting in a comprehensive knowledge of the Company. Mr. Sykes' extensive experience in operations, accounting, professional services, recruitment, and sales and marketing enable him to manage SYKES' client relations and the ongoing success of global operations.
A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Mr. Sykes majored in mechanical engineering at North Carolina State University. He is currently on the board for America's Second Harvest; the country's largest charitable hunger-relief organization. He is a member of the Young President's Organization and of the Greater Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee and Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee for 2007. Mr. Sykes is also a member of the Tampa Bay Partnership Council of Governors and of the University of Tampa's Florida Entrepreneur and Family Business Center Board of Advisors for 2007.
 Richard WainioPort Director and CEO Tampa Bay Port Authority
Richard A. Wainio was appointed Tampa Port Director and Chief Executive Officer in January, 2005. Mr. Wainio has in-depth knowledge about the maritime industry, international trade, and global transportation gained from over 30 years of high-level public and private sector experience that includes work in many countries around the world. Prior to coming to Tampa, he worked 23 years in executive positions with the Panama Canal. His responsibilities with the Panama Canal included strategic and treaty planning, economic research and marketing, and served as the primary advisor to the Canal’s bi-national Board of Directors. He subsequently held executive positions with several international ports and shipping companies located in Panama and the United States. Mr. Wainio also served as President and Executive Director for the American Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Panama.
Mr. Wainio earned a Master of Arts degree in international management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Davidson College. He also did post-graduate work in Latin American demographic studies at the University of Florida and in economics at the University of Oklahoma. He is active in various international trade organizations and associations and serves as an advisor to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
 Grant Petersen
Shareholder
Ogletree Deakins
Grant Petersen is a Shareholder in the Tampa Office of Ogletree Deakins, the third largest law firm in the U.S. representing and counseling employers in all areas of labor and employment law. For the past 30 years, Mr. Petersen has helped employers comply with U.S. and international labor and employment laws, and has represented employers in employment litigation matters. Since 2007, Mr. Petersen has been listed in the annual editions of Best Lawyers in America and Florida Super Lawyers in the areas of labor and employment law and international law. Recently, Mr. Petersen was selected by Florida Trend Magazine as a member of the Florida Legal Elite for 2010.
Grant also serves as the President of the International Business Summit and as Chairman of the British American Business Council Tampa.
Rick Gallegos
President and CEO
Rick J. Gallegos & Associates, Inc.
Rick Gallegos is President and CEO of Rick J. Gallegos & Associates, Inc., presenters of Dale Carnegie Training. Under his leadership, after being ranked #1 in growth out of 176 Dale Carnegie offices worldwide three of the past eight years, Dale Carnegie Tampa Bay was given the first time "Territory of the Year Award." This was the highest award given at the annual year-end 2007 convention in Acapulco, Mexico. This award represents overall excellence in the areas of growth, market share and training quality. Most recently, Dale Carnegie Tampa Bay was selected by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce as Small Business of the Year in September of 2008.
Rick is a specialist in developing action plans for a wide range of individuals and organizations committed to growth in a tough, competitive economy. He was educated at Florida State University and is a master trainer in all Dale Carnegie courses. He currently resides in Tampa, Florida and considers it a privilege to serve the business community in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties, offering world class development for his clients. Testimonials include such prestigious business partners such as Kforce, Marine Max, Hillsborough County School System, Rooms to Go, Bank of America, Checkers, Progressive Insurance and KPMG.
Rick is the developer/writer of the most successful one-day seminar that Dale Carnegie & Associates has released, entitled “How to Cold Call and Build New Customers.” He also is the author of a sales management program titled, “Sales Leadership Excellence.” His newest program is called “Building Great Teams” – a team-building program designed to bring individuals together.
Currently Rick serves as a board member of Sales & Marketing Executives International Tampa Bay and is actively involved in the Tampa Chamber of Commerce. He was elected President of the Dale Carnegie International Franchise Association in 2007, and has done work on three continents representing franchises in Asia, Europe and North America.
Dale Carnegie Tampa Bay's main focus for community development is in the area of youth programs and youth seminars. This year DCTB has offered pro-bono workshops for Big Brothers Big Sisters, The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, The Heart of Tampa, Academy of Finance and donated instructors to work in Hillsborough County Public School System.
With a 99% worldwide customer satisfaction rating, Dale Carnegie Training® is recognized as the world leader in Training and Development. Business icons such as Lee Iacocca, Warren Buffett, Thomas Monaghan and thousands of other distinguished alumni regard Dale Carnegie Training® as an integral dimension of their foundation for success. Some 450 of the Fortune 500 Companies in America utilize Dale Carnegie Training to supplement their internal and technical training initiatives to provide documentable, researchable results from their people.
If you are searching for ways to grow your business and make bottom-line improvements in the areas of customer service, communication skills, time management, goal setting, leadership and selling skills, Dale Carnegie Training® Tampa Bay can help. For more information or to arrange an appointment, please feel free to contact Mr. Gallegos at (813) 288-8778 x111.
 Michel Amblard
Managing Partner Executive Solutions
Michel Amblard brings to Executive Solutions an extensive background in strategic transactions, mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, divestitures, restructuring, re-financing, large investment programs, business planning, and taxation. His far-reaching, international expertise crosses both the North American and European continents.
Before joining Executive Solutions, Amblard served as senior vice president, corporate controller and, ultimately, as chief financial officer of European operations for Danka Business Systems plc, a $1.4 billion, worldwide, leading independent provider of office imaging equipment and related services and supplies. He participated in several large profile transactions, including the sale of a major division, bond redemption and re-issue, and large re-financing projects.
This fully decentralized European division of Danka had operations in 17 European countries and revenue of $500 million. Amblard was responsible for the division's accounting, reporting, tax, local financing, and European lease financing lines. Under his leadership, the company developed strong relationships with lease financing providers, significantly improved cash flow performance, re-established strong financial controls, and established a European cash pooling agreement with a major United States bank group that enabled the company to minimize excess cash balances and reduce transaction costs.
Amblard also served as senior vice president of human resources for Danka worldwide after its purchase of the office equipment business from Eastman Kodak. He directed significant restructuring initiatives, chaired a sales compensation plan for the merged companies, directed service force reductions, prepared a corporate stock option program analysis, and reduced the company's financial pension plan exposure in both Europe and Latin America.
A graduate in business with a finance major from Hautes Etudes Commerciales in Paris, France, Amblard began his career with Arthur Andersen in Paris, joining International Paper Company as country controller before moving to the United States. He ultimately became the company's director of corporate budgets. Among his other accomplishments, Amblard served as chief financial officer for Infotec Europe, leading the company's acquisition due diligence, and served as international controller for Nashua Corporation's $500 million office equipment division in New Hampshire.
As past president of the French American Business Council of West Florida, an associate council member of the French American Chamber of Commerce network, Amblard is passionate about fostering trade opportunities between Europe and the Tampa Bay area, where he now resides. He is an active member of Financial Executives International (FEI).
Walter E. Andrusyszyn
Adjunct Professor, International Business University of South Florida
Business at the College of Business Administration of the University of South Florida, where he began teaching in spring 2007. From January to May 2009 he was temporarily assigned as Deputy Permanent Representative to the U.S. Mission to NATO. He joined the Plastipak Packaging Company in January 2004 following a career in the U.S. Government. He retired from public service at the end of 2003, after serving at the White House as the Director for Northern and Eastern European Affairs in the National Security Council (he became Director in November 2001). Having entered the Foreign Service in 1980, he served in Stockholm (1980-82) and in East Berlin (1982-84) before returning to Washington to be the Desk Officer for Grenada and the Windward and Leeward Islands of the Caribbean (1985-1987). In 1987-1988 he was Special Assistant to Assistant Secretary Rozanne Ridgway in the Bureau of European and Canadian Affairs. He then served in Bonn as the Bonn Group Representative, responsible for Berlin and Four Power rights during Germany's reunification. In 1990, he headed the Political-Military unit at the American Embassy in Bonn.
Mr. Andrusyszyn became the Desk Officer for Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia in 1992. In 1994, he returned to Bonn to head the unit reporting on domestic political events in Germany. In October 1995, he was assigned to the American Embassy in Sarajevo where he served during the Dayton Peace Talks and for the first months of IFOR deployment. For his efforts to gain the release of an imprisoned American journalist held by Bosnian Serb authorities, Mr. Andrusyszyn received the Secretary's Award for Heroism. In April 1996, he was assigned to Stockholm as Political Counselor. In August 1997 he was appointed Charge d’Affaires at the American Embassy in Tallinn, Estonia and in July 1999, be became director of the Office of European Security and Political Affairs, responsible for NATO and the OSCE. In September 2001 he was named the Director of the Task Force on Terrorism in response to the September 11 attacks.
Born in Blackburn, England in 1951, Mr. Andrusyszyn emigrated to the U.S. in 1957 and was raised in New York City. A graduate of New York University (1973), he attended the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (1973-1975). He continued his studies in Germany and also worked as a local employee for the Sri Lanka Embassy in Bonn (1977-78).
He is married to Sandra Andrusyszyn and has five children: Alexander, Lisa, Lawrence, Emelie, and Peter Louis.
 Santosh Govindaraju Chief Executive Officer
Paragon Capital Partners, LLC
Santosh Govindaraju is the portfolio manager of Convergent Capital Partners LLC, a Tampa based real estate private equity fund, which specializes in debt and equity capital investments.
Mr. Govindaraju’s real estate experience includes the origination of over $600 million in residential and commercial loans and over $100 million in the repositioning and development of commercial real estate. As CEO of Paragon Capital Partners, LLC, he was responsible for directing the firm’s strategy, managing the finances, managing the risk in the firm’s investments, evaluating the firm’s processes and quality control, and overseeing the real estate investments and portfolio lending operations. Prior to founding Paragon Capital Partners, LLC, Mr. Govindaraju worked at Lehman Brothers in New York as a trader of fixed income derivatives, including various U.S. Dollar interest rate products such as swaps, caps and floors.
Mr. Govindaraju’s work experience also includes work as an equity research analyst intern at Raymond James office in Mumbai, India. He complemented his study abroad in Pune, India (studying the macroeconomic outlook following India’s economic liberalization in 1990), with an investment banking internship valuating high growth companies in India.
Mr. Govindaraju was named IndoUS Chamber of Commerce Businessman of the Year for 2002, and was honored as one of the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s “Top 30 Under 30” (recognizing the top 30 individuals under 30 years of age contributing to the Tampa Bay business community) and as the Young Minority Business Person of the Year for 2003, also designated by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
He serves on the Board of Directors of the IndoUS Chamber of Commerce (where he was past Chairman from 2006 to 2008) and the Asian American Chamber of Commerce (where he was past President from 2007 to 2009). He is also a member of Leadership Florida.
Mr. Govindaraju also serves as a mentor in the USF Corporate Mentor program, which he began serving in 2006. Mr. Govindaraju obtained a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and concurrently earned a B.A.S. in Systems Engineering from the University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. He was also was one of the first recipients of the University’s Emerging Economies Fellowships. He also minored in mathematics, south asia regional studies, and theater arts.
    Frederic Potvin Cross Border Segment Advisor
Assistant Vice President RBC Bank
As Cross Border Segment Advisor, Frederic Potvin is responsible for the Cross Border Segment (US Banking for Canadians) of RBC Bank (USA) from the strategy to execution. He is one of two executives responsible for the business development of this segment. Mr. Potvin is based out of RBC Bank’s Florida Headquarters in Orlando, FL. The Cross Border Segment of RBC Bank currently has over 100,000 Canadian clients and over $1 Billion in total business. Mr. Potvin has over 9 years of experience as a Financial Services professional providing innovative technical solutions and managing and implementing complex projects. He has a proven track record in continuous process improvement and forging and developing internal and external relationships to drive business development and achieve organizational goals. Mr. Potvin currently sits on the Diversity Leadership Council of RBC Bank (USA). Born in Montreal Canada, Mr. Potvin has lived in Florida since 1996. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelors of Science in Finance.
 Richard Jacobson
Shareholder/ International Tax Leader Fowler White Boggs
Richard A. Jacobson is a Shareholder in the Tampa Office of the Fowler White Boggs P.A. statewide law firm. His legal practice includes representation of foreign clients seeking pre-residency tax planning assistance; foreign investors in U.S real estate (FIRPTA) and other business ventures; U.S. companies exporting products or services or conducting business internationally; foreign manufacturing activities of U.S. clients; U.S. business executives planning extended tours of duty overseas; IRS Voluntary Disclosure and FBAR reporting; inquiries from foreign attorneys, trust companies, and accountants; and international estate planning. Mr. Jacobson is a Certified Public Accountant and is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in International Law. Mr. Jacobson has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for the past five years and has been listed in Florida Super Lawyers since 2007. He is Director of the Tampa Bay Area Committee on Foreign Relations and Member of the Board of Directors of TerraLex, a worldwide network of 160 law firms in more than 100 countries. Mr. Jacobson received his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University, his J.D. With Honors from the University of Florida and his B.B.A. With Honors from the University of Georgia. He attended high school at the American International School of Kabul, Afghanistan.
 Glynis Ross-Munro
President Competency and Performance Solutions
Glynis Ross-Munro is an experienced training and business consultant with three degrees in industrial psychology and educational psychology from the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of South Africa. She is qualified in international competency-based instructional design and training assessment through City and Guilds of London
Glynis was born in South Africa, and felt international all her life. She had a Welsh-Indian father who spoke Hindi, Japanese and French, and a Dutch-Irish mother. She has traveled on six continents, consulted for national and international companies, and presented at national and international congresses. South Africa has a very diverse population and 11 official languages, and Glynis spent many years analyzing training needs, and designing learning interventions that often included issues around communication, diversity, culture and international business.
Glynis has lived in Tampa for 10 years, and spent six of these “doing” rather than “teaching.” She worked with Sterling Ultra Precision, the Tampa-based world leader in ophthalmic ultra-precision engineering. She then returned to training and consulting, and is President of Competency and Performance Solutions, a training, consulting and instructional design business. She is also VP-Communications of the Suncoast American Society of Training and Development, and secretary of the International Business Summit. She and her husband Hilton are advisors to the boards of the French and Caribbean American Chambers of Commerce.
Jennifer Roeper
Shareholder/ Immigration
Fowler White Boggs
Jennifer G. Roeper is a Shareholder in the Tampa Office of the Fowler White Boggs P.A. statewide law firm. Ms. Roeper concentrates her practice in the area of immigration, and handles all aspects of immigration law including temporary visa processing, applications for permanent residence and naturalization. She assists corporate clients in maintaining compliance with U.S. immigration laws, and serves as counsel for clients facing deportation from the United States. Ms. Roeper is Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by The Florida Bar. She received her B.A. from Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus and her J.D. from the American University Washington College of Law.
Olga Pina Shareholder/International Business Leader
Fowler White Boggs
Olga M. Pina is a Shareholder in the Tampa office of Fowler White Boggs P.A and serves as Diversity Committee co-chair. Ms. Pina has more than 20 years’ experience in the areas of corporate, securities, international business transactions and international trade. She has extensive experience in corporate transactions and international trade issues in Central and South America. She is AV peer review rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America and by Florida Trend’s Legal Elite. Ms. Pina received her B.A. from Holy Cross College and her J.D. from The Georgetown University Law Center.
Asian Chamber of Commerce of Tampa Bay President
Ms. Hongling Han-Ralston is the managing member of the Law Offices of Han-Ralston, PLLC. She primarily practices in the areas of international business transactions, estate and tax planning, and general commercial transactions. Ms. Han-Ralston has extensive experience in advising clients in in-bound or out-bound investments and business operations in China and the United States . Ms. Han-Ralston received Master of Law from Renmin University of China, J.D. with honor from Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis , and LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. She was an Associate Editor for Indiana International & Comparative Law Review and a Graduate Editor for NYU Journal of International Law and Politics. She is admitted to practice law in Florida , California and New York and also holds the Chinese Bar Qualification Certificate. Ms. Han-Ralston is actively involved in the Tampa Bay business community and Asian Community. She is the current President of the Asian American Chambers of Commerce of Tampa Bay, and sits on the Board of Directors of the World Trade Center Tampa Bay . She co-founded the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Tampa Bay, and served at the Board of Directors of the Suncoast Association of Chinese Americans. Her involvements in the Tampa Bay community and achievements have been featured in the Tampa Bay Business Journal, Maddux Business Report, 2007 Tampa Bay Corporate Guide (an annual publication of Tampa Bay Partnership) and other media. Ms. Han-Ralston was awarded the 2007 Business Woman of the Year for the International category by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. She was honored as winner of the Year 2008 40 under 40 by the Gulf Coast Business Review.
Anthony Gaeto  WebDirectBrands, Inc.
CEO, President, Co-Founder
Anthony Gaeto has spent his entire business life leading his own companies with innovative and successful concepts. Gaeto attended the University of North Carolina and the University of South Florida, and in 1983, he founded What's Amatta You Pizza. Under his guidance, the company grew to a successful regional franchise with seven stores delivering fresh pizza throughout the Tampa bay region. In 1990, Gaeto sold the company. Following that, the forward-thinking businessman founded Prism Auction, a national auction company that liquidated assets for such recognized names as Discovery Zone, Denny's, Little Caesar's Pizza, and Morton's Steakhouse. This auspicious endeavor operates coast to coast, and Gaeto continues to serve as Chairman.
In 2000, Gaeto created a novel business model with FreeTilitSells.com. This site serves as a marketplace for people wishing to sell their products online and promotes sales through category owners' "Netchises". Understanding that the best way to demonstrate the usefulness of a product or service is to model it, Gaeto started three model Netchises, CoffeeNuts.com, BestBuyFitness.com, and GateCrafters.com, as examples to those customers. However, the businessman's expert understanding of enterprise proved itself again, as those examples grew to be prosperous enough that Gaeto decided to organize another company. In 2002, Gaeto co-founded Web Direct Brands, Inc. This company would focus on brining higher level of quality and service to specialty websites. Today, Web Direct Brands Inc. owns and manages over 50 specialty websites and is the largest seller on the web for goods such as autoharps, tomato milling machines, swimming pool safety fences, and driveway gates and gate openers.
Asian Experience:
In 2004, Anthony Gaeto lead his company, Web Direct Brands, Inc, overseas to make its first purchase of gate automation equipment. Since that time Web Direct Brands has grown to import products in a vast number of product lines ranging in diversity from musical instruments to “green living” solar equipment. Anthony Gaeto spends 2 months a year in China traveling to manufacturers’ facilities and attending trade shows to find new products or align suppliers for existing product lines of Web Direct Brands, Inc. During this last half decade Web Direct Brands, Inc has opened an office for China employment, developed an IT development / website production team in China that works remotely with its US based IT Director, employs a full time quality control / sourcing agent in China, and also coordinates shipments through Shanghai and Guangzhou container consolidation warehouses. Anthony has also lead projects working directly with Chinese engineers and production facilities to produce new products based on the needs of Web Direct Brands, Inc niche markets. Anthony projects a high amount of future expansion for Web Direct Brands in China in terms of employment, product development, and logistical coordination.
 Sidd Pagidipati BusinessChamber.com
CEO & Founder Sidd Pagidipati is a serial entrepreneur. His current venture, BusinessChamber.com, is an Online Chamber of Commerce connecting business professionals and businesses in and between 1000+ local communities worldwide. BusinessChamber.com provides an online, convenient and free way to: 1) Market your products and services 2) Network quickly and easily in your local chamber or around the world 3) Access webinars by NY Times Best-Selling Authors (coming April 1)
Prior to BusinessChamber.com, Sidd Pagidipati was Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Freedom Health (www.freedomhealth.com). He was responsible for the day-to-day operations, including sales, marketing and direct oversight of state and federal regulatory requirements. Sidd wrote the initial business plan, acquired capital investment, received state and federal health insurance licenses, and grew Freedom into the 4th largest Medicare Health Plan in Florida. During his time there, he grew the company from $0 revenue and 3 employees in 2004 to ~$500M and over 400 employees in 2010. Inc. Magazine recognized Freedom Health as the 7th fastest-growing private company in America in its prestigious 2009 Inc. 500 rankings. In 2008, the Indo-US Chamber of Commerce selected Sidd as the Business Man of the Year.
Prior to being an entrepreneur, Sidd worked as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ), where his expertise included debt and equity financings. Sidd graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Georgetown University with a degree in Economics and International Relations. He was a Landegger and Krogh Scholar, the highest academic honor at Georgetown. In addition, he was actively involved on campus and was the student body president for the School of Foreign Service. | |
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