Structure & Responsibility

Our Board Members:

• Support the EACC by sharing relevant information about the EACC with their networks and initiating and/or facilitating connections with relevant companies/organizations.
• Contribute targeted business activities and networking to the EACC, in accordance with the EACC strategic priorities and its overall mission
• Actively help raise the profile and visibility of the EACC locally, nationally, and internationally
• Meet at least every 6 months as a group to identify, plan, and accomplish programs and activities for the EACC and with the support of the EACC staff
• Participate in annual meetings and on occasion at annual EACC strategic meeting.

Profile of Our Board Members

Our Board Members are:

• Experienced business leaders and professionals who are committed and connected to deliver on the mission of the board and the EACC
• Responsible for leading the organization’s vision and advising the staff on strategic actions.

James D. Rosener, Partner, Troutman Pepper Locke LLP [President]

James Rosener is a partner in the Commercial Department of Troutman Pepper Locke LLP. Mr. Rosener heads the firm’s International Practice Group, is managing partner of the New York office and has served as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. His practice is devoted primarily to international transactions, private equity, mergers and acquisitions and corporate financing.

Mr. Rosener has represented domestic and foreign private equity funds in transactions in over 70 countries throughout the world, including platform and follow-on acquisitions, distressed buyouts, including in bankruptcy, corporate carve-outs and restructurings. He also has represented U.S.-based companies in transactions throughout Europe, Latin America and Asia (particularly, India and China), as well as several European, Indian, South American and Japanese companies in merger and acquisitions, financing and licensing transactions involving the United States. In addition, he also has represented management-led groups in the acquisition of businesses from divesting corporations.

Within the corporate financing practice area, Mr. Rosener has represented domestic and foreign issuers, in public offerings (both U.S. and foreign listings), venture and mezzanine capital raising, and traditional bank financing transactions. In addition, he has represented a number of issuers and bondholder groups in debt restructuring, recapitalization and work-out plans. Mr. Rosener regularly acts as international legal counsel to issuers and underwriters on off-shore public offerings in India, the U.K. and Europe. 

Mr. Rosener worked in the corporate finance field for nine years before becoming a lawyer. His experience in senior financial positions included the initial and subsequent public offerings of equity and debt securities of a major international integrated oil producer and a health care company, the acquisition of several publicly held companies and the financing of several stand-alone projects.

Sean Dowd, Managing Director, AlixPartners [Director]

Sean has spent more than 25 years performing a wide array of consulting services for Fortune 500 companies, as well as private-equity and law firms. Clients benefit from his expertise that spans such industries as banking, defense, healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, and securities. His services have included global investigations, litigation support, expert-witness testimony, restructuring, valuation, strategy, due diligence, and operational and financial improvement. Sean brings services and solutions to clients—primarily law firms and corporate legal and compliance departments.

Sean advises corporate counsel and their outside attorneys in identifying and selecting the right expert or investigative resources relevant to complex commercial litigation and corporate investigations. Previously, he was with Ernst & Young and as an operator at Dun & Bradstreet.

Soraiya Esmail, Regional Head, Global Network Banking, HSBC [Director]

Soraiya Esmail is the Regional Head of Global Network Banking at HSBC Bank USA, where she leads coverage of US subsidiaries of multinational corporates across the East Coast. With over 15 years of international banking experience across the UK, Middle East, and the US, she drives cross-border strategy, client growth and relationship development with a focus on diversified industrial and services sectors.

Soraiya began her career through HSBC’s flagship International Manager program and has since held leadership roles spanning Corporate and Investment Banking, Credit Structuring, and Business Management. She holds an M.B.A from IE Business School, an M.Sc. in Health Economics from the London School of Economics, and an B.A. from Ivey Business School at Western University.

Soraiya looks forward to partnering with the EACC community to expand transatlantic collaboration and foster a vibrant community of globally minded leaders at the intersection of innovation, international business and shared opportunity.

Thomas Heck, Partner on Secondment/Wirtschaftsprüfer, PwC [Director]

Thomas Heck is a Partner on Secondment and the German Business Network Leader at PwC US. In this role, Thomas is serving German MNCs with operations in the United States and Mexico. He is collaborating with PwC teams from all PwC Lines of Services in the US, Mexico and Germany. His clients comprise companies from various industries such as automotive, chemicals and retail & consumer products.

In his previous role, Thomas was the Head of the China Business Group at PwC Germany and Chairman of the European China Business Group at PwC until from August 2016 until April 2024. He advised Chinese companies on their investments in Europe as well as European companies with their investment in China and Asia. During a secondment to China from 2012 – 2016, Thomas was leading the German Business Group of PwC Hong-Kong and Mainland China. During a secondment to New York from 2005-2007, Thomas served US MNCs as an audit manager.

Within his over 25 years’ experience at PwC, Thomas served multinational clients, especially in the industrial, services and retail sector. Thomas has an extensive knowledge of reporting and accounting requirements under IFRS, German-GAAP, US-GAAP and Chinese-GAAP. He has a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities that multinational companies are facing in a globalized world.

Thomas is the key representative for PwC at the German American Chamber of Commerce and the American Council on Germany (ACG). He is a frequent speaker at conferences and guest on podcasts.

Thomas graduated from Pforzheim University in 1998. From 2000 to 2005, he was a guest lecturer at Pforzheim Business School. From 2012 to 2016 Thomas was a guest lecturer at Tongji University in Shanghai.

Nanette C. Heide, Partner, Troutman Pepper Locke LLP [Director]

Nanette advises public and private investors and borrowers on their sophisticated finance transactions and compliance issues. With a strategic approach and comprehensive understanding of diverse industries, she delivers precise and actionable guidance that helps clients achieve their most important business objectives.

Sascha Leske, Tax Advisor, Partner/Rechtsanwalt, Noerr [Director]

Sascha Leske is continuously advising key clients in major M&A transactions, private equity investments and reorganizations mainly in the field of new technology, media, telecommunication and internet.

As head of Noerr’s New York office he is a specialist for cross-border transactions and regularly takes the lead in multijurisdictional projects, coordinating advice in several jurisdictions.

Guillaume Martinez, Managing Director, Transaction Advisory Group, Alvarez & Marsal  [Director | President, EACC Paris]

Guillaume Martinez has recently joined Alvarez & Marsal in Paris as a Managing Director in the Transaction Advisory Group. Mr. Martinez has over 22 years of experience in professional services, including more than 16 years in transaction services for both strategic and private equity clients. He has been working on over 200 buy-side, sell-side and financing engagements.

Mr. Martinez has extensive cross-border transaction experience globally in countries such as United States, United Kingdom, Nordics, Brazil, South-East Asia, Japan, and North Africa. His industry experience focuses on aerospace & defense, hoteling & leisure and TMT sectors. Mr. Martinez has worked on numerous large and complex transactions involving both multinationals and large cap financial investors.

Prior to Alvarez & Marsal, Mr. Martinez was a transaction services partner in a big four firm in Paris where he headed the practice development toward corporates. He also did a secondment in New York where he specialized in assisting French clients investing in the US, as well as US corporates and PE funds investing across Europe. He started his career with Arthur Andersen in the audit practice.  Mr. Martinez has a Masters of Science in Management from ICN Business School. He serves as Chairman of the Board of the European American Chamber of Commerce.

James M. Gallagher, Managing Director, Head of Global Network Banking, US, HSBC [Proxy]

Jim is the US Head of Coverage, East, in the Multinational Corporate Banking business at HSBC. Jim manages a team of senior bankers and associates that oversee relationships with subsidiaries and affiliates of multinational corporates, spanning many geographies abroad. Jim and his team provide strategic advice to clients navigating the ever-evolving banking and economic landscape.

Jim has nearly 15 years of banking experience, with his career beginning in HSBC’s Retail Banking and Wealth Management division.  Jim worked in US Corporate Banking for over 5 years, covering  a diversified industries portfolio of clients, including a concentration in professional service firms.  He transitioned to HSBC’s Multinational Banking team in late 2012, managing the NYC-based team from 2015, with continued focus on multinational clients across all sectors.  He expanded his responsibility to include the eastern half of the US in 2017; teams include Buffalo, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, D.C., Charlotte, Atlanta, and Miami.  Jim has advised corporates, firms, and organizations on a wide variety of financing and banking topics through focusing on value-added client solutions.

Jim graduated Cum Laude from Georgetown University with a Bachelor’s in History.  Although a banker, Jim has long enjoyed international interconnectivity, and looks forward to continuing this focus as a board member of EACC NYC.

Brian Jenkins, Partner, AlixPartners [Proxy]

Brian Jenkins is a Partner in the Financial Advisory Services practice of AlixPartners. As a trusted advisor, Brian is adept at applying his strong foundation in accounting and financial concepts to the strategic review, analysis and synthesization of complex financial information.

He advises and counsels clients on a broad range of high-impact matters specializing in forensic accounting, financial investigations and dispute services. Brian has consulted in a variety of international and domestic corporate investigations, litigation and regulatory matters, arbitrations and disputes, white-collar-prosecution and defense efforts, monitor and receiver roles, bankruptcy proceedings, and provided related financial advisory services.

Prior to joining AlixPartners, Brian was in the audit practice of Ernst & Young, servicing both public and private clients. Brian holds a Master of Science in Accounting from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Villanova University. He is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Fraud Examiner, and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

Daniela Menghi, Managing Director, Co-Head of Coverage, East, HSBC [Proxy]

Daniela Menghi is the US Co-Head of Coverage for Global Network Banking at HSBC USA. In this role Daniela leads a team of internationally focused bankers who are responsible for advising and supporting all banking needs for subsidiaries of large multinationals clients. She joined HSBC in 2016 and is based in New York.

Prior to joining HSBC, Daniela worked at Morgan Stanley in Corporate Treasury and in Equity Research. Daniela held prior positions at JP Morgan in Investment Banking in the Financial Institutions M&A Group in New York and at Citi, where she spent six years in Corporate & Investment Banking in Brazil.

Daniela earned a Masters in Business Administration in Finance & Economics from Columbia University, and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Fundação Getulio Vargas, FGV.  Daniela was an Executive Board Member and Treasurer for the Allendale Foundation for Education Excellence and held numerous volunteering positions for the Calhoun School in New York and for the Allendale School District in New Jersey. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and has two adult children in college. Her favorite activity is travelling with her family

Chris Monteleone, Partner, Trust Solutions International Markets Leader, PwC [Proxy]

Chris is the Leader of PwC’s Trust Solutions International Markets practice. Trust Solutions covers audit, tax, ESG reporting, digital assurance and transparency services for our clients. Chris works closely with PwC’s foreign business networks to ensure that the firm is providing seamless collaboration and service to our cross border clients. He also serves as an audit partner for a number of multinational audit clients operating in the US and headquartered overseas.

Chris has been with PwC for 33 years and is currently based in the Washington DC area. He previously worked in PwC’s Central and Eastern European (CEE) firm in the Warsaw, Poland and Moscow, Russia offices where he served many European and US companies. While in CEE, he was the clients & markets leader overseeing 29 countries. Chris started his career in New York City and graduated from St. John’s University in New York. He is a Certified Public Accountant in New York and Virginia. Chris and his wife Kasia have three children and reside in McLean, Virgina.

Chris has worked with the European American Chamber of Commerce in New York since 2019 bringing a number of the firm’s specialists to provide insights to its members.