Senior Professionals - In alphabetical order
David Brown
David Brown has more than thirty years of experience in corporate law, finance and management. He has direct operating experience as Chairman & CEO of several public companies, and extensive experience in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, tender offers, leveraged and management buyouts, and capital markets transactions, including IPOs, traditional debt, equity and hybrid offerings (public and private) and structured financings of various kinds. Mr. Brown was Vice President and General Counsel of City Investing Company (NYSE), a bank, insurance, real estate and manufacturing holding company, for 13 years. He served as an Honorary Director of Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company. When he practiced law, his practice focused, among others, on bank mergers and finance in a wide variety of industries. Mr. Brown has managed and closed hundreds of transactions, aggregating billions of dollars, in a broad range of industries. In addition to the United States, Mr. Brown has direct M & A and capital markets experience in Europe, South America, Australia and Japan. Mr. Brown has an undergraduate degree in Economics and a graduate degree in Law from Rutgers University. He was an Editor of the Law Review and graduated with High Honors. He is a member of the Bar of the State of New York.
Michael J. Brown
Michael Brown has executive experience with Mobil Oil Corporation, Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, Inc., Norton Simon, Inc., Comdisco, Inc., Bernard Chaus, Inc. and a host of other companies. Early on he performed financial and economic analytical work as a Treasurer, then CFO, and later performed overall senior management roles, primarily turnaround, as COO and CEO. In addition to operating management, Mr. Brown has executed billions of dollars of financial transactions, including secured and unsecured bank arrangements, factoring, ABS, MBO’s, M & A and various kinds of receivables financings. Mr. Brown has an undergraduate degree in History with Economics from Kenyon College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Richard D. Butler, Jr.
Mr. Butler has over 30 years experience in management, credit and investment analysis, mergers and acquisitions, real estate and commercial mortgage banking, sales and marketing. He is a veteran Savings & Loan and Mortgage Banking executive, co-founder and major shareholder of Aspen Healthcare, Inc. , former CEO and President of Mt. Whitney Savings Bank, CEO of First Federal Mortgage Bank, CEO of Trafalgar Mortgage, Executive Officer/Member of the President's Advisory Committee at State Savings & Loan Association (peak assets of $14 billion) and American Savings (peak assets $34 billion, NYSE-"FCA") holder of U.S. and International patents pending, and Member of the Board of Directors and The Executive Committee of Live Deal Inc. (NASDAQ - "LIVE"). Mr. Butler attended Bowling Green University in Ohio, San Joaquin Delta College in California and Southern Oregon State College.
Koron Choi
Koron Choi has played a key role in the formation of the Pacific Star operations in Greater China since 2006 as the Executive Vice President for Pacific Star China. He has been responsible for overseeing all aspects of the country's operations. Mr. Choi has held senior positions in Asia since 1995, as Director of Finance for the Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai; Finance Director of Welcome Company Ltd, member of the Dairy Farm Company Ltd in Hong Kong and as Director of Operations at Delta Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific. Mr. Choi is an active member of the Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals. He served as Board of Director & Treasurer for the Canadian China Business Council for the Shanghai Chapter from 2003 to 2005 and Board of Director & Chairman for the Shanghai Hotel Financial Professional Association from 2002 to 2004. Mr. Choi is located in Shanghai, China.
Mark Cohn
Mr. Cohn is a seasoned investor and entrepreneur with a proven track record of success in a variety of industries. Specifically, he has expertise in real estate, hospitality, telecommunications, and technology with strong leadership, management, and financial skills. Mr. Cohn has been a founding investor in a start-up entity, Secondmarket.com and an early-stage investor in medical devices, telecommunications and healthcare businesses, such as Eko Health, Inc. In addition to his investing background, he has substantial international experience in structuring and implementation to privatize entities in leveraged buy-outs (LBO). With the assets acquired, immediate deployment followed, such as partnering with the International Ski Federation for the World Cup in 1990, or shedding assets out of the transaction into successful worldwide products sold worldwide. Mr. Cohn’s real estate experience is vast and includes acquiring and managing various hospitality properties beginning in the early 1980’s. Properties include Sheraton Hotel at the San Francisco Airport, (309 room hotel); JFK Plaza Hotel, JFK International Airport, NYC (1998); Sheraton International Hotel near O’Hare Airport, (470 rooms); and Hilton in Downtown Phoenix, AZ, (534 room hotel). Further, owned and managed portfolio of 27 hotel properties in addition to other real estate and hospitality holdings. In recent years, he has actively been involved in a philanthropic capacity. With the Phoenix Rescue Mission, reduced the homeless population. During the pandemic years, assisted OperationSmile.org to fill the need for surgical masks and arranged assistance to help feed the hungry. Provided additional sums in monetary contributions to these organizations and others. Mr. Cohn is a founding member of the US Congressional Human Rights Foundation. Mr. Cohn graduated from Stanford, with an Economics major and has a JD from the University of California at Davis.
William E. Cunningham
Mr. Cunningham has founded and been responsible for the success of a number of companies in various industries. He ardently pursues and implements solutions for complex business situations that need increased capital, structure and streamlined operations to increase market value. He has done this for his own companies as well as his clients' companies which have been at various stages of maturity including start-ups, struggling companies, or companies already at a plateau that seek direction or efficiency. He founded and successfully operated commercial and residential lenders. As CEO of American Commercial Mortgage, Founder, Officer & Director of ReNew, a residential lender, and senior financial officer of the Liberty Companies he has served on the Investment Committee, responsible for establishing Company policies and financial underwriting standards. Prior to lending and mortgage banking, he served as a senior financial officer with Fortune 100 Companies in worldwide natural resources, manufacturing, and consumer products including the US subsidiary of RTZ Limited, American National Can and AMAX, now a Freeport-McMoRan company. Mr. Cunningham has primary responsibility for P&L operations and had extensive experience in building, shaping and revising operating management to produce cash positive, profitable companies and has been responsible for financial fiduciary duties and responsibilities throughout his career. He builds teams, integrates technology and implements systemic changes & controls to improve value. He began his career as a CPA with the international accounting firm of Price Waterhouse Coopers. Mr. Cunningham graduated from Boston College with a B.S. degree in Accounting and holds multiple state licenses. Mr. Cunningham is located in Sacramento, California.
Ari Feldman
Ari Feldman is a prominent international real estate consultant who over the last three decades has specialized in discreet services in five countries on four continents. A problem solver and non-conventional thinker dedicated to the total success of his client base, he has had been involved in 100’s of transactions. In addition to private individuals, he has assisted many of the top 500 global corporations. The recipient of many awards and honors and author of numerous papers, his skill set encompasses acquisition, operating, financial and investment modeling, demographic analysis, strategic planning, and audit, appraisal, project management, legal consulting and witness services as well as consultant facilitating between lenders, owners, buyers, and sellers. Born and educated in the United States, he attended Antioch College and the University of Dayton Law School, and earned advanced real estate designations in commercial, industrial and land studies. For the past 15 years he has lived in Mexico and is fluent in Spanish. Ari is actively involved as Director of Academic Affairs for FIABCI University, Paris and is a Director of the UN-Habit embraced NGO partner, Global Housing Foundation, an independent U.S. and European based not-for-profit launched in 1999 by the late René Frank. GHF offers a worldwide Micro-Financing Program to build new affordable housing for the working poor allowing them to purchase and own their homes. Mr Feldman is located in Cancun, Mexico.
Helio Goes
Helio Goes has more than 30 years experience in business in South America. He is an economist by education and training and resides in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mr. Goes has been employed in senior executive positions with Price Waterhouse & Co., Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company Leasing and American Express Bank, acquiring an exceptionally strong international business background. Through his own Company, H.G.Negocios e Participacoes, LTDA, Mr. Goes is affiliated with Trafalgar Advisors, LLC providing consulting and advisory services for Trafalgar, commercial banks and other South American corporations. He specializes in structuring financial transactions and performing Due Diligence and corporate investment advice for investment funds in the Brazilian market. Mr Goes is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and English. Mr. Goes graduated in economics from Faculdades Integradas Bennett, and has both attended and conducted numerous high level business and graduate classes in project and corporate finance both in the United States and South America.
Jamie Klein
Jamie Klein has over 30 years experience in the sales and marketing of real estate, with a focus on Lead Management and Shared Ownership. He is the only marketing professional in the shared ownership industry chosen by the three largest brands in the luxury hotel and shared ownership industries (St. Regis, Four Seasons and Marriot) to head Lead Management systems and Sales and Marketing programs. Under his leadership Marriott’s Desert Springs in Palm Desert entered the timeshare business – The Marriott Vacation Club - during the early nineties. In 1996, Four Seasons hired Mr. Klein to develop a Lead Management and sales and marketing operation for timeshare and fractional products in North America and Mexico. In 2002, Starwood hired Mr. Klein to develop a nationwide fractional business and perform Lead Management and sales and marketing disciplines for the St. Regis brand. Mr. Klein launched The St. Regis Residence Clubs for Starwood,in 2003 marking their entry into fractional sales. His career also includes many accomplishments in the General and Luxury Real Estate, Lead Management, Fractional and Vacation Ownership industries where he has held leadership positions in sales, marketing and Lead Management. Today, Jamie Klein is one of the premier real estate sales and marketing experts in North America. He is often asked by industry leaders to speak and or consult throughout North America on sales, marketing and Lead Management practices.
Charles Knapp
Charles W. Knapp is a Senior Partner of Trafalgar Holdings, LLC. Mr. Knapp is a former Wall Street investment banker and well known financial advisor. Mr. Knapp was a cofounder of Cumberland Partners, and a Managing Director of Shearson, Lehman. Mr. Knapp is the past Chairman and former controlling shareholder of American Savings Bank, State Savings & Loan, Century Bank, Budget Capital Corp, Budget Financial, Financial Corporation of America, Atlantic Re, American Pacific Corporation, French Polynesian Hotel and Resort Corporation and Trafalgar Re. He was educated at the University of Hawaii, University of Utah and attended the University of California, Hastings College of Law.
Winston H. Lee
Winston Lee is a well known investment banker in Asia and has served as a Managing Director of Capital Note Fund Partners, LLC., and former Chairman and CEO of SVO Private Equity, Ltd., headquartered in Shanghai, China. He has over 25 years of direct experience in the Asian business community, and is a co-founder of Gateway Communications (Asia) Ltd., FarEasTone Telecommunications (the largest mobile and fixed line carrier in Taiwan), and is a former Managing Director of Morgan Stanley (Asia/Hong Kong). Mr. Lee is a Director of CleanTech China Council. Mr. Lee co-founded China Solar Power (Holdings) Ltd., a major thin-film solar module producer, is Chairman of Neo-Neon Holdings, Ltd., and an Associate of LTJ Capital, Inc. Mr. Lee is from Zhenjiang, Jiansu Province with a long family tree, he graduated from Rice University with a major in Architecture and received his MBA from New York University, Leonard Stern School of Business. Mr. Lee directs the Asian activities of Trafalgar Global Partners and headquarters in Shanghai, China.
William J. Levy
William J. Levy has more than 35 years experience in real estate investment and finance. He has directed, entitled and arranged financing for more than $1 billion of residential and commercial real estate projects, from California to Colorado. He has worked in conjunction with local, state and federal agencies to joint venture (develop) major mixed use regional malls in projects designed to fuel the renaissance of downtowns as desirable places to live and work. Mr. levy has been the major shareholder and chairman of two public companies: Santa Barbara County Bank, which pioneered the origination, packaging and selling, up to $50 million monthly of mortgage/backed loan securities to institutional and private investors; and American Restaurants, which owned and operated Wendy's, Baskin Robbins, Chuck-E-Cheese, as well as created and expanded numerous full service restaurant concepts, throughout the western states. In these roles, Mr. Levy directed operations, developed management strategies and worked with major Wall Street investment firms and commercial banks to secure the necessary financing required for their creation and continued growth. Today, he is creating enhanced yield opportunities through the acquisition of triple net leased, single purpose properties, occupied by A (or better) credit tenants. Mr. Levy is also advising borrowers and lenders on the restructuring of commercial mortgage loans. The Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce, twice, named him business leader of the year, as well as most influential business person. Mr. Levy graduated from Santa Barbara College, where he earned a degree in business and finance, and later attended UCLA where he studied real estate finance in a graduate program. Mr. Levy lives in Santa Barbara.
Joseph Ling
Joseph Ling is located in Shanghai, China and leads the investment strategies and management of Pacific Star Hong Kong with over 20 years experience in investment banking, direct investment and corporate finance in Hong Kong and Asia Pacific. From March 2005 to March 2007, Mr. Ling was a Senior Vice President of VXL Capital Ltd., a publicly listed company in Hong Kong. Prior to that Mr. Ling was a consultant with The Link Group Inc., a publicly listed company on NASDAQ, U.S.A and an Executive Director of Singapore Hong Kong Properties Investment Ltd. He has worked for various financial institutions including Citibank, HSBC, ING Baring, ABN AMRO Bank, and has been involved in numerous merger and acquisition and fund raising transactions. Some landmark transactions included the sales of E-New Media Co, Ltd., to Ms Nina Kung, Chairman of Chinches Ltd and the share placement of Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Co., Ltd to Samsung Life Insurance of Korea.
Louis Mancini
Mr. Mancini spent 25 years with General Nutrition Centers (“GNC”), where he rose from being a salesperson to President and Chief Executive Officer. During his tenure at GNC, he was instrumental in a management buyout and an initial public offering. Mr. Mancini is well versed in the franchisee/franchisor business. More recently, Mr. Mancini co-founded The Fire Pine Group, which provides financial, operating, capital market and merger and acquisition expertise. Prior to that, Mr. Mancini was President and Chief Executive Officer of Brookstone which he managed for 3 years. Prior to that, Mr. Mancini was President and Chief Executive Officer of Murray’s Discount Auto Stores, where he was successful in turning the company around and selling it. Mr. Mancini is a solid operating executive. He is currently a Board Member of Sports Clips, a retail chain of men’s hair solons.
Richard F. Marr
Richard Marr is President and CEO of Charter Holdings, Inc., a real estate development and asset/property management company. Through its subsidiaries, Charter Holdings has developed over seven million square feet of property including: high-rise residential; regional malls; recreational communities; and development management of hotel properties. Mr. Marr has over thirty years experience in real estate development, management and financing including work-outs for Savings and Loans institutions. Mr. Marr has been a budget analyst for the City of New York, and an Assistant to the Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Marr received his B.A. degree from Yale University and is responsible for asset restructuring functions at Trafalgar Global Partners.
James Waggoner
James Waggoner comes from a New York Wall Street background that covers more than 30 years. He has started and raised capital for three of his own ventures and specializes in advising on business startups and capital formation. Mr. Waggoner has served as CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Sands Asset Management and Managing Director of Research of Sands Brothers Ltd. He was the founder of The Kensington Group in 1988, one of the early deal arbitrage hedge funds in the 1980’s that produced IRR’s of 24.2% over the life of the fund. For the 10 prior years, Mr. Waggoner was an analyst and investment banker with Bear Stearns Cos. Inc. His focus was on consumer product and health care companies. He has been recognized on multiple occasions as one of the top analyst in his field by Institutional Investor Magazine and participated in one of the largest health care mergers to that point in Bear Stearns history. His international financial background includes Vice President of SoGen-Swiss International Corp, a Paris based joint venture of the French Societe General and Credit Swiss. In this role, he advised major US financial institutions on global financial and economic issues. He is a member of the Board of Advisors of Parafund Inc.; a private equity firm. Mr. Waggoner holds an undergraduate degree in Finance and Economics from The Ohio State University.
Gary Warfel
Gary Warfel has 30 years of experience in engineering, construction, real estate asset management, and development. He is the former President of the Capital Diligence Group, a New York-based real estate investment management consulting firm, and a former Vice President with Eastdil Realty of New York. He has developed notable client relationships with firms such as The Carlyle Group, Starwood Capital Group, Lend Lease, and others. Now located in Los Angeles, Mr. Warfel has founded the Los Angeles District Energy Company, creating renewable energy strategies for commercial and industrial real estate portfolios that add value for asset repositioning. Mr. Warfel’s educational background includes an engineering degree from Bradley University and graduate work in the Real Estate Investment Management Program at New York University. Mr. Warfel is a former elected official for the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council and an active Board Member with the South Park Business Improvement District. Gary Warfel has significant experience in mixed-use luxury hotel and retail renovation, development, and asset management, with specialized expertise in high-rise urban infill markets.