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TEFO Management
The TEFO management team has been active in international trade in California for over 15 years with trade finance experience spanning over three decades. We have developed working relationships with a broad range of Trade Finance providers in North America, Europe, Asia, with an emphasis on the Pacific Rim. Our network allows us to recommend the top two or three trade finance service providers that can meet any particular requirements.
The Management Team
Charles Fishel, J.D. is a Principal of the Hoffman Row Group, Inc., an investment banking firm with offices in Monterey, California and Denver, Colorado. Current investment banking activities involve strategic business planning, international trade finance, corporate finance and technology transfer. Dr. Fishel is a Distinguished Executive Lecturer at California State University, Monterey Bay and Senior Lecturer, San Jose State University. Other teaching experience includes Santa Clara University, the University of California, Berkeley and the Monterey Institute of International Studies. His teaching emphases are entrepreneurship, global business strategy, international trade finance, technology transfer, and business law. He has held management positions with Fortune 100 multinational corporations including Intel, Teledyne, Carnation Company and Peter Kiewit and Sons. As an investment banker, he has worked with hundreds of small and emerging companies. He serves as a director on the boards of several public and private companies. Dr. Fishel has been recognized by Marquis' Who's Who in Finance and Industry.
Ted S. Eastman has an extensive background in international banking, trade and trade finance. He served as a Trade Finance Specialist with Bank of America, Vice President International, Lloyds Bank, California and several Export and Trade Management positions. Mr. Eastman’s expertise includes international banking, export and import trade finance, international trade and finance management, international credit analysis, international financial training program development, and export/import market research. He authored the Bank of America publication, EXPORTING and has conducted business development projects, including a joint venture with the Fujian Provincial Government in China. He is a founding member of the Monterey Bay Investors Roundtable and serves as Board Member of the International Angel Investors Institute. Mr. Eastman has taught International Trade Development at the Far Eastern University in Vladivostok, Russia. He is currently a Guest Lecturer in International Trade Finance at San Jose State University and Trade Finance Trainer with the Silicon Valley Center for International Trade Development. Mr. Eastman Holds a BA from UCLA and an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley.
Jim Faith is currently Program Director for Global California, an Information Technology and trade portal project funded through the Economic and Workforce Development Agency of the California Community College system. Mr. Faith brings over 20 years of experience in engineering and technology management positions with Fuji Film and Photo Optical, Pinnacle Systems, Datalogic and RSA Data Security. He has been involved in joint technology development projects in South Africa, Japan and the Russian Far East. His experience in finance began with graduate research in the economics of online payment systems, showing that online payments would increase the velocity of money and therefore decease the level of money stock required to service a given level of economic activity. He provides consulting assistance to the Monterey Bay International Trade Association (MBITA) and serves on MBITA’s Board of Directors. Mr. Faith is the Trade Finance instructor at the Silicon Valley Center for International Trade Development (SVCITD) in San Jose and a Guest Lecturer in Trade Finance at San Jose State University. He holds a BS in Physics from the University of Washington, a BS in Economics from the University of San Francisco and an MA in Economics from San Jose State University.
Nicolai Nielsen received his JD in 1989 from the University of Hamburg, Germany, and his MBA from the American Graduate School for InternationalManagement. He provided strategic planning and consulting services for Mercedes Benz in their Latin American expansion. Mr. Nielsen is admitted to the bar in Germany and California and has served as Corporate Counsel for the privatization of East German real estate. He has worked as In-house Counsel for a Silicon Valley start-up, and currently focuses on international trade finance and International business contracts. He has lectured at Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany, the University of Phoenix and University of California at Berkeley on business law, international law and publishes frequently on both topics. Mr. Nielsen has co-authored a book on Letters of Credit that has been published in China. He is fluent in English, German, French and Spanish and has negotiated international business contracts in all 4 languages.
TEFO Associates
Marjorie Farnsworth of Farnsworth International Trade Management, has brought world class logistics expertise to TEFO. Her mission is to help importers and exporters reduce the cost and risk of their trade operations though tools, systems and improved efficiency. Ms. Farnsworth’s has been a professional manager and troubleshooter in international trade operations for over 17 years. While serving in corporate supply chain management, she has saved millions of dollars in trade operations costs for companies like Motorola, Hewlett Packard and Marubeni Transport. She has worked as an importer, exporter, customs broker, freight forwarder and distributor. Additionally, Ms. Farnsworth holds an MBA in Marketing, is a certified project manager, and speaks Mandarin Chinese.
Patrick Reilly is accomplished at distilling and actualizing the value proposition of information technology in international business transactions and strategic relationships. His background includes over 20 years of leadership practice in high tech sales, global account management and intellectual property rights negotiations. Patrick’s experience as a linguist, patent attorney and founder of the Intellectual Property Society (www.ipsociety.net) greatly informs his work at TEFO. He has earned a B.S. in Sociology (University of the State of New York), a B.S.E.E. (University of Toledo) and a Juris Doctor (Concord Law School). Patrick is a member of the Federal Patent Bar and the California State Bar. His pro bono work includes serving as the Vice President of Shakespeare Santa Cruz (http://shakespearesantacruz.com/) and as a Trustee of the Santa Cruz Montessori School (http://scms.org).
TEFO is supported by:
California Independent Bankers Association
California Centers for International Trade Development
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