Francisco Acuña
Chairman and CEO
acuna@intrustglobal.org   

 

Francisco Acuña leads InTrust Global Investments. A businessman, author, and academic, Mr. Acuña is a recognized authority on the business, economy, and politics of Latin America. His experience includes a wide range of strategic projects in the region, from mobilizing finance through private and public sources to advising companies and governments on investments and strategic alliances.

 

Mr. Acuña specializes in developing and implementing cross-border strategies for firms and government entities seeking to expand operations to and within the U.S. and Latin America. He has advised one of the largest U.S. insurance companies and a multinational security company on their expansion strategies. He is also an expert in trade and investment. He has assisted U.S. and foreign companies to realize new projects by securing millions of dollars in financing in a wide variety of industry sectors. Mr. Acuña has special expertise in the energy sector, with a specific eye on green energy. He is the co-founder of a fund that seeks to invest in eco-friendly energy and infrastructure projects in the Americas. He also works closely with indigenous tribes throughout the Americas, bridging their needs and resources with those of local governments and companies.

 

He authored a book about Mexican Federalism and the increasing importance of sub-national governments in the economic and political development of Mexico. He has been a Professor of international business and strategy in Mexico and the U.S. From 2005-2009 he served as Managing Director for ManattJones Global Strategies, LLC and Manatt, Phelps & Philips, LLC. Prior to joining Manatt, he advised the North American Dialogue, collaborating on an initiative to shift the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to a "Track II" that would provide more productive integration among NAFTA countries. 

 

Mr. Acuña holds an MPA from Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, an L.L.M  in International Legal Studies from Georgetown Law Center, an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden, and a J.D. from Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico, (summa cum laude). He is licensed to practice law in New York and Mexico.

Mark H. Hess

Director of Israel and Middle East Operations

Hess@intrustglobal.org 

 

Mark H. Hess is a businessman and attorney based out of Israel, where he has lived since 2002, and Los Angeles.  He focuses on advising Israeli companies and individuals wishing to do business in the United States and American companies and individuals wishing to do business in Israel.  

Mark’s practice also include advising employers and plan administrators with respect to their qualified retirement plans, nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements, health and welfare plans, employment agreements, disability programs, ESOPs, stock option arrangements, incentive compensation arrangements, and other employee benefit plans, both on an ongoing basis as well as in the context of a merger or acquisition. Previously, Mr. Hess served, respectively, as a partner in the Los Angeles office of the law firms of Loeb and Loeb, Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro, and Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.

Mark is a 1976 graduate of Bernard M. Baruch College of the City University of New York and a 1980 graduate of Columbia Law School. He is also a certified public accountant (inactive) in the State of New York.

Oscar Guzman

Associate Director

Guzman@intrustglobal.org

 

Oscar focuses on international transactions between European countries and the U.S. and Latin America.  A businessman and engineer, he represents some of the most advanced alternative-energy technologies in Europe.

 

He has an excellent track record of working with international teams and a wide range of knowledge when it comes to the business processes of multi-national corporations.  His accomplishments include advising top European technology companies such as SAAB Tank Radar to expand manufacturing capabilities and distribution facilities worldwide, as well as coordinating the efforts of European technology companies to increase global production capacity by 50 percent via expansion in each world area: Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and Middle East.

 

Mr. Guzman holds an MBA from Blekinge University of Technology in Sweden and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.   He is a citizen of both Peru and Sweden.

 

James D. Payne
Associate Director
Payne@intrustglobal.org

Mr. Payne practices in the field of international trade regulation and policies, focusing on the trade practices of the United States, the European Union and Latin America.  

Mr. Payne creates and oversees the implementation of regional trade development platforms for both public sector and private sector clients.  In these platforms, Mr. Payne deals with governments at the national, state, and municipal levels, and addresses the legislative issues and regulatory barriers to clients at each level.  In addition, Mr. Payne works with private sector clients seeking to enter foreign markets and/or establish joint ventures.  Mr. Payne also advises clients on strategic opportunities in impending changes in laws affecting international markets, allowing clients to not only navigate the current regulatory landscape, but also plan strategies to take advantage of changing regulations.  

Mr. Payne also consults with clients on issues of customs regulations, tariff classification, antidumping and countervailing duties, the Export Administration Regulations, and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.  His clients have included the parties in the telecommunications sector, wireless communications, and agricultural retailers.   

 James holds a B.A. from Huntingdon College, an L.L.M. in International and European Union Trade Law (highest distinction) from the University of Amsterdam, a J.D. from the Washington College of Law, an M.A. in International Economic Policy from The American University.  He is licensed to practice law in New York, New Jersey, Alabama, and the United States Court of International Trade.

Stephen King

Managing Director

King@intrustglobal.org

 

Stephen King is a long time businessman based out of Oklahoma where he was born and still resides.  He specializes in structuring sale-leasebacks as a conduit for securing financing for Infrastructure projects in the US and Latin America.  Stephen spent over twenty years as a Consultant and Developer for Wal-Mart, and during those years Stephen was involved with projects in excess of $500 million dollars using the sale-leaseback structure.

 

Over the years, Stephen has become an expert in the use of the sale-leaseback structure both domestically and in foreign markets.  In recent years, Stephen has begun consulting with US Municipalities and Foreign State and Federal Officials regarding using the sale-leaseback structure as an “Alternative Source” of financing for infrastructure projects.  With the Network that Stephen has been able to assemble through his affiliation with InTrust, new sources of financing have been established for future Infrastructure and “Green Energy” opportunities.

 

Stephen is a1970 graduate from the University of Tulsa, with a Bachelors’ Degree in Business management and earned the Certification of becoming a  Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM).  Stephen is married, with four children and one granddaughter. One of Stephen’s sons plays baseball for the St Louis Cardinals and another plays college baseball.

 

 

 

 

Laura Michonski
Media Consultant

Michonski@intrustglobal.org

 

Laura Michonski works with companies and governments regarding international media issues and opportunities. Her areas of expertise include tourism and entertainment, with a special focus on Latin America.

 

Prior to her career as a journalist, she worked with the media on behalf of tourist organizations such as United States Tour Operators of America (USTOA) with Kundell Communications, and state governments of France through the French government. In this role she helped to position interests, such as package tours and the 60th Anniversity of D-Day, within the market and secure press attention both with domestic and international media.