Straife Experts

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.

A three-time Ambassador, most recently to the Republic of Bulgaria, Ambassador Kenneth Merten attained the rank of Career Minister at the United States Department of State. From January 2019 to January 2021, Merten was the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of the Director General of the Foreign Service. He held the responsibilities of Acting Director General of the Foreign Service from January 2021 to October 2021, after which he served as Chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Haiti for six months.

From January 2017 until November 2018, he was the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, with responsibility for Canada, Haiti, Caribbean Affairs, and the Office of Policy, Planning and Coordination. He was the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia from 2012 to August 2015. Before this, he served as the United States Ambassador to Haiti from 2009 to July 2012. He also served as Deputy Executive Secretary to U.S. Secretaries of State Clinton and Rice. He was awarded the 2011 Ryan C. Crocker Award for Outstanding Leadership in Expeditionary Diplomacy for his extraordinary leadership in the wake of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. In serving as Ambassador to Haiti, Merten oversaw the United States Government’s on-the-ground efforts to provide immediate relief after the earthquake through the presence of 8,000 U.S. military personnel. In the days after the earthquake, he also oversaw the largest evacuation of American citizens since World War II.

Ambassador Merten’s overseas assignments include the U.S. Embassy in Paris, the U.S. Mission to the European Union in Brussels, the U.S. Embassy in Bonn during German unification, and four tours at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Merten’s Washington experience includes two assignments in the State Department Operations Center, which supports the daily work and travel of the Secretary of State. He has also served in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs and on the Cuba Desk, and worked for the Special Advisors on Haiti from 1993 to 1994.

He holds a B.A. from Miami University in Ohio and a Master of Public Administration from American University in Washington, D.C. Studies at the Université d’Aix-Marseille in France and at Karl Franzens Universitaet in Austria complement his other academic work. In July 2012, Ambassador Merten was decorated by Haiti’s President with the Grande Croix of Honor and Merit, the fourth foreign diplomat to receive that honor in over 200 years of Haiti’s independence. In January 2018, Merten was awarded the Shandling Humanitarian Award by Sean Penn and his relief organization, CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort), for his work in Haiti.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ali Turanli is a Corporate Intelligence Analyst at Straife, where he focuses on political risk, strategic advisory, and energy sector analysis in emerging markets.

He supports the firm’s Washington, D.C. and Istanbul offices by developing intelligence reports, tracking geopolitical developments, and advising clients on market entry and risk management strategies.

Ali earned his degree in Political Science and Economics from the University of San Diego, graduating magna cum laude. His academic foundation, combined with experience in energy, defense, and infrastructure consulting, allows him to integrate geopolitical analysis with a practical understanding of organizational dynamics and decision-making.

Fluent in English and Turkish, with additional proficiency in Spanish, Ali brings international experience that enhances Straife’s global advisory reach.