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Straife Experts

From geostrategic advisory to risk management to compliance, to on-the-ground support, our team meets client requirements across the globe.

Unparalleled Expertise

Our team of specialists draws upon decades of experience in diplomacy, law enforcement, intelligence, public policy, corporate M&A, and digital innovation to deliver solutions that meet the needs of each client. Straife experts provide comprehensive solutions based on their combined expertise in both government and corporate spheres.

Deep knowledge, broad experience

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Our Leadership
fleming

Joseph Fleming is the CEO and Managing Director of Straife. He brings a unique combination of expertise in both the corporate and political worlds to Straife, having spent many years managing corporate M&A transactions before representing high-profile political clients such as the governments of Pakistan and Libya.

Joseph Fleming Founder & Managing Director read bio
James Conway
James Conway served our nation with distinction for over 35 years, 25 of which as a Special Agent of the FBI. Throughout his career, James managed many successful and complex investigations in Organized Crime, Violent Crime, and Counterterrorism. He also served as a member of the FBI’s elite tactical SWAT team.
James Conway Managing Director & Senior Strategist read bio
Jason Fuller

Prior to joining Straife, Jason worked for the office of U.S. Senator Ted Cruz beginning in February 2018 as the Southeast Texas Regional Director, where he regularly met with elected officials, business leaders, stakeholders, and constituent groups to address their concerns and promote economic growth for the region.

Jason Fuller Managing Director & Global Development read bio
Ron Gualy

Ronald Gualy is a highly qualified and experienced executive. His successful career includes creating value, identifying and formulating strategic, revenue-generating opportunities, projects, partnerships, joint ventures, acquisitions, and alliances within the energy, renewables, technology, and engineering industries.  

Ron Gualy Managing Director read bio
bahadir square

Bahadır Kaleağası is the President of the Paris Bosphorus Institute and lecturer at the Galatasaray University in Istanbul on international economic relations, sustainable development, and European integration.

Bahadır Kaleağası​ Managing Director read bio
Craig Lebamoff

Craig Lebamoff is a Managing Director at Straife and advises on human trafficking, customs enforcement, border security, mass migration planning, and other related topics, including U.S. State Department funding sources available to foreign governments.

Craig Lebamoff Managing Director read bio
Yadel Öskan

Yadel Öskan is a Managing Director at Straife. Having been born in Frankfurt, Yadel studied German Language and Linguistics as well as literature at Istanbul University. A lifelong entrepreneur and investor, he founded multiple companies throughout his career in a myriad of industries. 

Yadel Öskan Managing Director read bio
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Deep knowledge, broad experience

Joseph Fleming

Co-Founder & CEO

Joseph Fleming is the CEO and Managing Director of Straife. He brings a unique combination of expertise in both the corporate and political worlds to Straife, having spent many years managing corporate M&A transactions before representing high-profile political clients such as the governments of Pakistan and Libya.

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James Conway

Co-Founder & Managing Director
James Conway honorably served our Nation for over 40 years, 25 of those years as a Special Agent of the FBI, managing complex global investigations and prosecutions of matters involving organized crime, international terrorism, and violent crime. During nearly 10 years of his career, Special Agent Conway was assigned to FBI, International Operations in a diplomatic capacity as an FBI Legal Attache, working with his counterparts in international police, judicial, and foreign intelligence services targeting organized crime and international terrorist organizations. Today, Jim remains a global terrorism expert consulting with foreign governments as well as private sector corporations, the media, and academia on international affairs, security issues, counter-terrorism measures, and risk mitigation.
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Matthew Bryza

Managing Director, Turkey & Greater Caspian Region
As Managing Director for Straife, Ambassador Bryza helps clients traverse complex geopolitical challenges to secure business opportunities in complicated geographies. He concurrently serves on the boards of energy and telecommunications companies operating from the greater Caspian region to California. Previously,  Matthew was a White House and senior State Department official during a 23-year career in which he helped develop and implement US foreign policy in the greater Caspian region, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, and Russia, including on energy security and conflict resolution. His final assignment was as U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan.
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Jason Fuller

Managing Director, Global Development
Prior to joining Straife, Jason worked for the office of U.S. Senator Ted Cruz beginning in February 2018 as the Southeast Texas Regional Director, where he regularly met with elected officials, business leaders, stakeholders, and constituent groups to address their concerns and promote economic growth for the region.
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Ron Gualy

Managing Director
Ronald Gualy is a highly qualified and experienced executive. His successful career includes creating value, identifying and formulating strategic, revenue-generating opportunities, projects, partnerships, joint ventures, acquisitions, and alliances within the energy, renewables, technology, and engineering industries.  
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Alket Hyseni

Managing Director
Alket Hyseni is the Director of Straife’s Balkans office. A former member of Parlament, Alket spent many years working for and with the government of Albania, including as General Director of the Albanian Financial Intelligence Unit, Chairman of the Task Force for State Properties, and as an advisor to former Prime Ministers. 
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Craig Lebamoff

Managing Director

Craig Lebamoff is a Managing Director at Straife. He advises on human trafficking, customs enforcement, border security, mass migration planning, and other related topics, including U.S. State Department funding sources available to foreign governments.

Prior to leaving government, Craig served as a senior attorney in the Office of Chief Counsel, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS/USCIS). In addition, he served as an immigration officer at the U.S. Embassies in Iraq and El Salvador and the U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. He also worked as an asylum officer in Chicago and Laredo/Nuevo Laredo. Before transferring to the Department of State, Craig was a Foreign Service Officer, serving in Russia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Nepal, and the State Department Main Office in Washington, D.C. He served as the (acting) chief of the Consular Section in Russia.

During his time at the State Department, Craig contributed to drafting and editing of the U.S. State Department Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP) and International Religious Freedom reports on Afghanistan, Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan and engaged in follow-up diplomacy with each country subsequently.

Craig was a Fulbright Fellow in immigration policy and was an advisor to the Afghan Interior Minister on border security, human rights law, and transnational crime fighting. He received the Director’s Heritage Award for assisting Iraqi refugees in “extreme and dangerous conditions,” the NATO medal, and the Southwest Asian Defense medal for his service in Afghanistan.

In private practice, Craig has advised on immigration and customs issues and human trafficking, among others. He has represented Tata/Range Rover on customs issues, the Pacific Fishing industry on forced labor, the government of Morocco on migrant detention strategies, and the UAE in regard to mass migration planning.

Craig holds a bachelor’s degree from The Citadel and a Juris Doctor degree from Indiana University. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve as an Air Defense Artillery Officer.

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Bahadır Kaleağası​

Managing Director
Dr. Bahadır Kaleağası is President of the Paris Bosphorus Institute, lecturer at the Istanbul Galatasaray University, Brussels Energy Club's honorary president, and board or advisory member in several companies and European institutions. Former CEO of TUSIAD (Türkiye's leading business lobby whose members are major multinational and national companies) and executive board member of BusinessEurope (the Confederation of European Business, Brussels), he has decades-long international top-level executive experience and advises clients on Transatlantic and European affairs and global operations.
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Yadel Oskan

Managing Director
Yadel Oskan is a Managing Director at Straife. Having been born in Frankfurt, Yadel studied German Language and Linguistics as well as literature at Istanbul University. A lifelong entrepreneur and investor, he founded multiple companies throughout his career in a myriad of industries.
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Brendan Fleming

General Counsel
Brendan Fleming provides legal and general business advice to Straife and its affiliates regarding its operations domestically and internationally. Before joining Straife. Brendan worked at Husch Blackwell, LLP, a large national law firm, representing commercial banks, private equity firms, and business owners in complex finance, corporate, and real estate transactions. 
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Burak Dimici

Vice President, Legal & Compliance
Burak Dimici is an Energy/Infrastructure and M&A lawyer with a multi-disciplinary background. After graduating from Ankara University Faculty of Law in 2001, Burak started his career as the legal counsel at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, with special assignment, advisor to the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. 
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Mike Croissant

Vice President, Corporate Intelligence

Mike Croissant is Vice President, Corporate Intelligence, at Straife. An insight-driven, multi-faceted analytical expert, Mike has a deep intelligence background and a proven track record of successfully identifying trends, gaps, opportunities, and strategic insights in global intelligence data. Mike retired from the CIA in 2021 after nearly 22 years of service. From 1999 to 2018, he worked as a CIA political analyst in the Directorate of Intelligence for the Office of Russian and European Analysis, where he conducted deep dives to evaluate political strategies, analyze the goals and motivations of foreign governments, and assess the strengths and weaknesses of various foreign government strategies to forecast the potential impact on U.S. goals and policies.

Prior to retiring, Mike worked as a targeting officer in the Director of Operations (DO) at Langley’s Counterterrorism Mission Center. A key member of the counterterrorism team, he drove the planning and execution of foreign intelligence collection, counterintelligence, and covert action operations to identify terrorist threats, illegal arms trade, and drug networks on a global scale. While at Langley, Mike leveraged advanced analytics skills and tools to strengthen the CIA’s counterterrorism posture, identify new targets and opportunities for DO activities, and support ongoing mission-critical operations. A published author, Mike’s works include “The Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict: Causes and Implications” and “Bombing Hitler’s Hometown: The Untold Story of the Last Mass Bomber Raid of World War II in Europe.” His writings also include scholarly articles in Strategic Review, Comparative Strategy, Jane’s Intelligence Review, and others. He is also an exceptional data analyst – highly skilled at identifying geopolitical risks, raising awareness of emerging issues, and enabling government stakeholders to understand the strategic, operational, security, and economic impact of global intelligence challenges on U.S. interests.

Mike is a graduate of Indiana University with a Master of Arts in Central Eurasian Studies. He also attended Missouri State University, where he earned a Master of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies, and he has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from the University of Illinois.

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Victor Salinas

Vice President, Ecuador
Victor Salinas joined Straife in 2018 as Director of Operations in Ecuador. Currently, he is the Vice-President representing Straife in Ecuador. He obtained his bachelor's degree in architecture. After some years of architectural practice in Ecuador and Canada, where he obtained his Engineering Management degree.
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Stephen Guice

Director of Research
Stephen Guice received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Linguistics from Michigan State University. He taught applied and theoretical Linguistics before joining the U.S. Department of State. In his 20-year career in the State Department, he served extensively in Central Asia and the Caucasus.  
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Sahib Aliyev

Director, Business Development, greater Caspian region
Sahib Aliyev is a renowned industry professional with over 28 years of work experience, mainly in the oil and gas, steel, and offshore wind sectors. He had business development roles with international companies such as Oceaneering International, ArcelorMittal International Luxembourg, Quantum Global Solutions, and Scottish Enterprise Energy Group, a government agency of Scotland supporting oilfield suppliers with a focus both on regional and international emerging markets. Sahib also develops Key Account Clients for Montgomery, Texas-based NORAMCO – North American Trade Corporation in the Caspian region and Central Asia.
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Lauren Gilmore

Director, Communications

Lauren Gilmore is an award-winning digital communications strategist with over ten years of experience in strategic communication in both the private and non-profit sectors. Her oversight includes corporate and asset-level communications for Straife and its sister companies around the world. She is responsible for advancing the firm and its client's strategic messaging, brand perception, thought leadership profile, and internal communication. A former editor and educator, Lauren is passionate about media relations, public education, gender equality, and the arts. As Straife's Communications Director, Lauren oversees all communications involving the organization, its clients, and the broader ecosystems that support them.

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Tulay Spicker

Director, Business Development
Tulay Spicker is an M.A. Diplomacy and MBA graduate with diverse experience in diplomacy, international business, project management, and data analysis. At the beginning of her career, Tulay worked as a regional expert and analyst for the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) during the dismemberment of the Soviet Union. She was actively involved in Turkey’s development and humanitarian assistance projects for the newly established countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus. 
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Selin Bülbül

Business Development Manager
After graduating from California State University, Northridge, Selin Bülbül served several years as a former foreign service commercial specialist in the Department of State and Commerce, assisting U.S. companies in successfully exporting to Turkey. 
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Liliana Bakayoko

Consultant
Highly qualified in international business law, Liliana Bakayoko has built solid experience as a lawyer, teacher, and consultant. She is a Consultant in International Investment, Government Relations, and Business Development.  Before devoting herself to the development of her law firm, she taught law at the University Panthéon-Assas (Paris II), and she was a Professor of Law at the European Business School (EBS), the École Supérieure d'Administration et de Management (ESAM) and the École Supérieure de Commerce de Lille (ESC Lille). She was also a trainer of lawyers in private international law at the École de Formation professionnelle des Barreaux de la Cour d'appel de Paris (EFB). Most recently, Liliana has advised clients on issues related to the IGB interconnection pipeline between the Greek and Bulgarian gas systems. She is a member of the International Lawyers Network, Justinian Lawyers, and IR Global. 
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Aziz Barzani

Senior Consultant

Aziz Barzani is a Senior Consultant at Straife. An academician and historian with ample years of experience as a business consultant and strategic affairs expert, Aziz has spent decades working on foreign policy and diplomatic representation efforts in Kurdistan, specifically building relations between the country with the U.S. and Turkey. 

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Luke Calhoun

Senior Consultant
Luke Calhoun is a retired Army lieutenant colonel who retired in 2019 after serving over 24 years in the United States Army. He is also a service-disabled veteran, serving five tours in Iraq and Syria. The first three tours were focused on fighting Al Qaeda in Iraq and helping the Iraqi people rebuild their country. His last two tours were focused on fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and dealing with the post-conflict challenges of refurbishment and stabilization both in Iraq and Syria.
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Yolanda Caraway

Senior Advisor
As a political risk expert, Yolanda analyzes and explores the political and social factors in various geographies to better help clients identify potential challenges and develop strategies. She has played a significant role in shaping the goals and objectives of the National Democratic Party. She has been called upon throughout her career to coordinate various party efforts. 
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Michael Clarke

Senior Consultant
Michael Clarke is a Senior Advisor on Counter-terrorism & Organized Crime. He is a thirty-one-year veteran of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and a former police officer. He has wide-ranging experience in counterterrorism, organized crime, criminal and cyber investigations, violent crimes, white-collar crimes, tactical and special operations, police procedures, and undercover investigations. Throughout his career, Michael has conducted dozens of international multi-faceted criminal investigations with sensitive circumstances, including financial investigations. 
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Ambassador Jonathan Cohen

Senior Advisor

Ambassador Jonathan R. Cohen is a strategic advisor and international consultant who served as a US diplomat for over thirty-five years, including as Ambassador to Egypt and the United Nations, as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia covering Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus, as Deputy Chief of Mission in Baghdad and Nicosia and as Acting Deputy Chief of Mission in Paris. He is a Distinguished Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London and a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC.

His foreign service assignments include Rome, Ankara, Irbil, Stockholm, OSCE Vienna, OSCE and NATO/Bosnia Desks at the State Department, and Secretariat Staff/Advance Team for Secretaries of State Baker, Eagleburger and Christopher. Earlier in his career he was USAID Coordinator and Economic Officer for the West Bank at the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem and Refugee Protection Officer in Bangkok.

Ambassador Cohen is the recipient of a Presidential Rank Award for sustained superior accomplishment in foreign policy, the State Department’s Charles Cobb Award for success in trade development and promotion and the James Clement Dunn Award for Excellence, a Distinguished Honor Award, and multiple Superior Honor Awards.

Born in Palo Alto, California in 1964, Ambassador Cohen grew up there and in Laguna Beach, California. He graduated with an AB in Politics and a Certificate in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University in 1985 and attended Georgetown University’s Master of Science in Foreign Service Program.

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Kevin Countie

Senior Consultant
Kevin Countie is a retired Army National Guard Colonel. Prior to joining Straife, Kevin was Deputy Chief of Staff and National Security Advisor, focusing on defense, foreign affairs, homeland security, and law enforcement issues for Congressman Troy E. Nehls (TX-22).  Before his employment at the U.S. House of Representatives, Kevin served as the division director over the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) at the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission, primarily focusing on countering human trafficking activities in licensee locations throughout Texas
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Stuart Jolly

Senior Advisor
Stuart Jolly advises clients on matters relating to political risks and U.S. government engagement. Before joining Straife, Stuart served as a named partner and president of two private diplomacy groups in Washington, D.C., representing several clients with unique political, national, and international concerns. He also served as Southeast Regional Political Director and was promoted to National Field Director in the 2015/16 presidential campaign.
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Chris Laursen

Senior Consultant
Christopher Laursen is a leading expert in financial institutions, markets, products, and financial company risk management, regulation, and accounting. With 30 years of financial industry experience, he has served as a senior financial company regulator and policy maker, consultant to public and private clients, and testifying expert.  
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Ray Leonard

Senior Consultant
Ray Leonard is a Senior Consultant at Straife and an upstream oil and gas executive. He has over 40 years of experience in energy exploration, production, economics, legal, and management of the E&P industry. 
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Mike Longhauser

Senior Consultant
Mike Longhauser is a 15-year veteran of the Department of State, where he progressed quickly from managing logistics portfolios to overseeing core business platforms of embassies and consulates. An experienced logistics and international supply chain manager, Mike has overseen financial operations, government acquisitions, as well as buildings and facilities. He has served at U.S. embassies in Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia and has received many awards and recognition for exemplary performance. Prior to the Department of State, he served in the USAF for 20 years in aviation operation manager roles supporting fixed-wing air and ground operations. Mike managed complex flight clearances supporting diplomatic flights in Africa and Asia, DoD liaison for aerial support in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and DoD aircraft maintenance contracts.
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Michael Messier

Senior Consultant
Michael Messier’s career as a Special Agent with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) spanned 15 years in domestic and international assignments. In 1995, Michael entered DEA after spending 10 years as a practicing, licensed, and certified financial advisor in New York City. His last position with the DEA was as a Supervisory Special Agent stationed at the US Embassy in Mexico City, where he led the DEA’s Mexico Financial Investigations Group.
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Michael Murphy

Senior Advisor

Michael Murphy is a trailblazing international relations expert, real estate developer, and entrepreneur with a remarkable background built on over 25 years of experience. Michael forges critical alliances and strategic partnerships with global corporations and foreign governments. With expert knowledge in cyber intelligence, risk management, and business development, he leverages cutting-edge technologies with human expertise to turn creative ideas into successful business strategies.

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Justin Niederer

Senior Consultant
Justin Niederer is a retired Colonel in the US Air Force who started his career flying C-130 Hercules aircraft on missions supporting Operation Joint Guard in Eastern Europe, Operation Southern Watch in the Middle East, and unnamed operations in South America. More recently, he commanded a Contingency Response Group responsible for providing first response teams to establish initial airfield operations for contingency, humanitarian relief, non-combatant evacuation, and homeland defense missions.
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Stephanie Rice

Senior Consultant
As an economic sanctions and financial crime adviser with extensive public and private sector experience in investigations, regulatory compliance, and risk management, Stephanie Rice specializes in financial crimes and compliance consulting. She brings to the table substantial experience in sanctions enforcement and compliance and is well-positioned to advise on complex sanctions matters, designing and operating compliance programs, training, and managing testing/investigations.
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Tacy Nguyen

Senior Consultant Go back

Loubna Salagh

Senior Consultant

As a legal consultant for a U.S. immigration firm, Loubna Salagh has a strong background in immigration and corporate law, especially in regard to the immigration and interview process and the reporting requirements demanded by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Combined with her experience in Business Development, Loubna is an expert in translating and harmonizing treaties, corporate charters, joint ventures, and immigration-related documents that provide clients with the latest and most appropriate immigration strategies in the United States and around the world.

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Murat Seyrek

Senior Advisor

In his role as a senior advisor, Murat specializes in EU regulations, particularly those related to ESG/sustainability, critical raw materials, forced labor, and the EU Green Deal. He assists clients in gaining a comprehensive understanding of regulatory and policy changes within the EU, along with insight into the risks and opportunities associated with existing, new, and forthcoming legislation and policies.

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Robin Sutherland

Senior Consultant
Robin Sutherland is a trusted leader with an excellent track record of value creation through successful exploration in Africa, founded on strong government and joint venture partner relationships and execution of significant transformational change. A technical and engineering advisor, Robin possessing an in-depth understanding of the oil and gas business and a clear vision for value creation and sustainable growth in Africa.
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David Taylor

Senior Consultant
David Taylor retired U.S. Army Colonel after 24 years of service. His military assignments included Senior Army Advisor for the States of Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and South Carolina; Professor of Military Science at Michigan State University; Director, Commander's Initiative Group, NORAD and U.S. Northern Command; Director of Operations, Task Force Eagle; Director of Operations, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment; Strategic Planner, HQDA G/3/5/7; Troop Commander, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment; Company Commander, 177th Armored Brigade; Operations Officer, 2nd Brigade 24th Infantry Division; and Platoon Leader, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment.
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Cecilia Thorn

Senior Advisor

As a senior advisor at Straife, Cecilia brings a wealth of expertise in helping organizations navigate EU policy and regulatory developments in a wide range of policy domains. She helps boards, C-suit, and senior leadership navigate complex ESG strategies, including emerging trends and international and EU regulatory developments.

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Robert Wilson

Geopolitical Analyst
As Straife’s geopolitical analyst, Robert Wilson provides commercial and strategic perspectives to clients on the business implications of geopolitics, helping them navigate volatility, seize opportunity, and mitigate risk. Prior to joining Straife, Robert worked in Washington, D.C., advocating for foreign policy-minded organizations and acting as a research assistant for several think tanks. 
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Amir Levitsky

Business Development Analyst
In his role at Straife, Amir focuses on identifying growth opportunities, conducting market research, managing projects, and developing strategic plans. Known for his patience and consistency, he strives to add value to his clients. Amir also works on improving communication and operational processes within the company.
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Kyle Paige

Analyst
Kyle Paige holds a master's degree in international relations from the University of St Andrews. In his current role as an analyst, Kyle works with experts and other stakeholders to research and interpret data for clients.
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Yağız Çağlar

Executive Assistant
Yağız Çağlar is an Executive Assistant based in the Turkish office, where he efficiently and professionally supports daily operations. His multifaceted role includes serving as a Research Assistant across diverse projects, specializing in new market development, data interpretation, statistical analysis, and internal communications management.
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