Intellex Acquires Expert by Big Village

We're thrilled to announce that Intellex has acquired Expert by Big Village, effective March 22, 2024. This strategic move enhances our capabilities and strengthens our commitment to delivering exceptional solutions to our customers.

Stay tuned for more updates on how this acquisition will benefit our clients and experts.

For inquiries or more information, please contact us at info@intellex.com.

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Expert Details

Insurance; Market Entry and Emerging Markets in Central and Eastern Europe

ID: 730897 Connecticut, USA

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Expert possesses 40 years' executive and marketing management experience in financial services, the securities industry, and insurance and consumer products. He also served as the Chief Deputy Insurance Commissioner for the State of California.

Expert has experience as the Chief Executive, Chief Operating or Chief Marketing Officer for prominent U.S. insurance organizations, including CIGNA, Horace Mann Educators Corporation, California Life Corporation, Beneficial Standard Corporation, the USAA Group, and Integrated Resources, Inc. He was a Registered Principal (National Association of Securities Dealers), and the American Council of Life Insurance selected him as Executive-in-Residence, Middlebury College, Vermont (1985).

Expert began his work in the Former Soviet Union during the period of Glasnost and Perestroika in 1988 and has been involved in several pre-emerging-market activities, concentrating on consumer non-durable marketing, direct marketing and the establishment of personal lines and commercial insurance operations in the Russian Federation.

Expert recognized the commercial growth potential of economic reform in what was destined to become the Former Soviet Union (F.S.U.) and began to develop marketing projects in the Soviet Union in early 1988. He organized one of the first wholesale and retail Joint Ventures in 1989 with the U.S.S.R. Ministry of Internal Trade and which included 22 marketing affiliates across the Soviet Union.

Expert also established a Russian trading company and, in 1991, began an agreement with Avon Products, Inc., providing for market entry and wholesale marketing development in cosmetics products. Given the vast expanse of the country, along with infrastructure deficiencies, Expert organized a direct marketing distribution network that included more than 125 sales affiliates across the Former Soviet Union.

In 1992, Expert was appointed as Insurance Advisor to the Ministry of Fuel and Energy and supervised the formation of an insurance company in partnership with the Ministry, the Coal Companies of Russia and the coal miners' unions. Expert then became a partner and advisor to the ROSNO Insurance Group from 1995 through its merger with the Allianz Group of Germany. He was appointed advisor to the Ministry of Finance in 2006 and authored an OECD book on Russian Insurance Market Reforms and more than 25 articles on the Russian insurance sector. Expert is presently engaged in developing and coordinating
acquisitions of property-casualty and life insurance companies in Russia.

A battle decorated, ten-year (1962-1972) Regular Army Officer and Vietnam War veteran, he served with a battalion in support of the U.S. Third Marine Division. He was also assigned to the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and was directly involved in Soviet Studies and Analysis and the SALT I and ABM Treaty negotiations. He was co-founder of the federally-sponsored Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program. Colonel Expert retired from the Army National Guard after headquarters-level duties with the 40th Mechanized Infantry Division.

Expert is the youngest graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He received a degree in Business Administration from Benedictine College (Summa Cum Laude) and a Master of Arts in Management from the University of Nebraska with a concentration on Soviet Industrial Management. Expert is a Distinguished Fellow in the Life (Insurance) Office Manage.

ROSNO Insurance Group, MoscowAvon Products, Inc.Ministry of Finance, Russian FederationMinistry of Defence, United KingdomKuwait Investment Authority

Education

Year Degree Subject Institution
Year: 1971 Degree: Master of Arts Subject: Management Institution: University of Nebraska
Year: 1970 Degree: Bachelor of Science Subject: Business Institution: Benedictine College

Work History

Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1996 to Present Employer: Undisclosed Title: Chief Executive Department: Executive
Responsibilities:
Expert has served as Chief Executive of this insurance coalition from 1996 to present.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2007 to Present Employer: Undisclosed Title: Managing Partner Department:
Responsibilities:
This investment group, based in Moscow and in Stamford, Connecticut, undertakes private equity project development, ownership and management in consumer retail, the expanding Sekundochka chain of shoe repair stores, social media, inland and ocean marine transportation and logistics, financial services, and insurance in the Russian Federation. The firm currently focuses on developing the retail trades, social media and airline transportation. The Aurora Investment Group investment record, and a partnership with Texas Pacific Group (TPG-Aurora), has, in the recent past, included the 36.6 Pharmacies group (similar to CVS in the U.S.), MTV Russia, Eurocement, Pivovarny Ivana Taronova and Celtic Resources. The Aurora Group is currently in the process of organizing a new Private Equity Fund for the Russian Federation. Colonel Expert is an advisor to three foreign governments, several sovereign investment funds (in the Middle East and the Pacific Rim) and has worked with private and publicly-held organizations relative to advisory, market entry and organization development in Russia, the C.I.S. and the E.U. for financial services, consumer retail, IT and investment projects.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1995 to Present Employer: Undisclosed Title: Chair of the Board Department:
Responsibilities:
Expert's eponymous firm was established to conduct international insurance M&A and to provide advisory services to insurance groups in the Russian Federation, the C.I.S. and Central and Eastern Europe. The group, as well as its U.S. affiliate, served as the principal advisors to the CEO and Board of Directors of the ROSNO Insurance Group from 1997 to 2002, including the ROSNO merger with the Allianz Group. The U.S. affiliate established the Russian Insurance Consolidation Fund (RICF) in partnership with the Aurora Investment Group of Moscow, designed to acquire influential shareholdings in the more prominent and active insurance groups in the Russian Federation and the Commonwealth of Independent States. RICF has worked with sovereign funds, private equity investors and international insurance groups to acquire Russian domestic insurance groups only of merit. AIC and RICF may consider controlling-stake acquisitions of larger insurers with exceptional operating performance, scale and competitive market share and, in addition, are continuing to evaluate insurance investments and M&A in the U.S. and the EU.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1998 to 2012 Employer: Moscow State UNiversity Title: Adjunct Professor for Risk Management and Insurance Department:
Responsibilities:
Expert served this Russian university as Adjunct Professor of Risk Management and Insurance for just under 15 years.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1989 to 1995 Employer: (Eponymous) Group, Inc. Title: President and CEO Department:
Responsibilities:
This eponymous group was organized to participate in the rapidly changing market reforms in the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. The Group established and guided the market entry for Avon Products, Inc., in 1991, and organized and operated the Avon wholesaling network across the Soviet Union, having formed the first Joint Venture with the Ministry of Internal Trade. The Group also was a principal distributor for Eastman Kodak processing labs. Expert was also a Consultant to SAIC and a principal in the development of the first Insurance Code for the Russian Federation.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1988 to 1993 Employer: Union of Afghanistan Veterans of the U.S.S.R. Title: Senior International Advisor to the President and Board of Directors Department:
Responsibilities:
Expert served the Union of Afghanistan Veterans of the U.S.S.R.for five years as Senior International Advisor to the President and Board of Directors.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1990 to 1992 Employer: U.S.S.R. Ministry of Fuel and Energy Title: Senior Insurance Advisor to the Coal Companies of the Soviet Union Department:
Responsibilities:
Expert was Senior Insurance Advisor to the Coal Companies of the Soviet Union for the U.S.S.R. Ministry of Fuel and Energy during this time.

Government Experience

Years Agency Role Description
Years: 1962 to 1992 Agency: U.S. Army Role: Lt. Colonel Description:

International Experience

Years Country / Region Summary
Years: 1988 to 2013 Country / Region: Russia Summary:

Career Accomplishments

Associations / Societies
Association of the U.S. Army
Life Office Management Association
Licenses / Certifications
Fello, Life Office Management Association

Language Skills

Language Proficiency
Russian Conversant

Fields of Expertise

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