The Promotion Board of the Robin Cosgrove Prize
Stephen
Harris, Chairman of the Promotion Board. Stephen Harris
is the publisher of WealthBriefing.com, the global daily news service
for private bankers and wealth managers throughout the world, and of Executive
Compensation Briefing, the monthly corporate governance and pay newsletter.
Stephen Harris has been a financial journalist for almost 20 years having
previously been the proprietor of a company publishing Compliance Monitor
and several other financial services compliance titles. He trained as an
accountant in the City of London with Touche Ross. Stephen Harris had known
Robin since his school days as he is a close friend of his family. He spent
quite a bit of time with Robin before he went to Japan, including travelling
through France and skiing.
Amy
Allen studied Japanese at Oxford with Robin and they were
very close friends; he was godfather to Mimi, her daughter. She spent four
years in Tokyo working in advertising before moving back to London. She
currently lives in Singapore where she writes and sits on the executive
board of UNIFEM Singapore. Amy Allen is Director of Business Development,
Asia-Pacific for Champagne Jacquesson and runs an event and design business.
Her latest book This Little Piggy went to Prada is published by
Spy Publishing and Harper Collins.
Kirsten
Morley Bennett Horner is a Vice President at Morgan
Stanley & Co. Intl. Limited in London. She has worked for Morgan Stanley
since 1994, in New York, Tokyo and London. During her four years in Tokyo
1997-2001, she had the opportunity to work closely with Robin, who became
a friend, mentor and brother. She relocated to Morgan Stanley London's Prime
Brokerage division in 2001 to work with new Hedge Funds during their start
up phase. She now is responsible for the Statistical Arbitrage execution
product for European exchanges. Kir Bennett has a B.A. from The University
of Virginia, Charlottesville, in Economics. She enjoys trying to speak English,
German and very poor Japanese. Kir Bennett and her husband Giles reside
in London.
Shawn
Bryant is an entrepreneur
and well-known sports executive with deep ties to professional basketball.
He first met the Cosgrove family when he was a student at Tufts University
(Boston) and went to study in England. One of the turning points in his
career was an internship with Carol, where he met Robin in 1985. Shawn Bryant
went on to be a banker and has an MBA from Harvard Business School. He worked
for Sports Illustrated and then with the National Basketball Association
(NBA), before setting up his own sports and entertainment marketing company.
Currently, he serves as President / COO of The Harlem Globetrotters. Over
the years Shawn Bryant and his brother Wayne grew to consider Robin and
Andrew their little brothers. Robin spent great times with Shawn in New
York both as a teenager and as a young banker. During Robin's last visit
to New York the two old friends shared a meal and it was clear Robin was
a true rennaisance man and leader taking the world by storm.
Katrina
Chang was born in Taiwan in 1970. Prior to moving to Shanghai
in 2006 and working with MOCA, she had been in the media industry for 12
years. She was co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of TechVantage Magazine,
the tech-biz title of CommonWealth, the leading publishing group in Taiwan.
She also worked in asset management for renowned financial institutions
such as Citicorp and Fidelity. Katrina Chang is listed in “Who’s
Who in Taiwan” published in 1999. She obtained her M.Phil. degree
in Management Studies from Oxford University (Templeton College). Katrina
Chang met Robin Cosgrove during their student days at Oxford. They had remained
close friends till Robin’s untimely death.
Andrew
Clark has worked in the Software and IT industry in Japan
for over 10 years, including sales and operational management roles at Parametric
Technology Corportation, Mirror Image Internet, and most recently at IBM
Asia Pacific. Andrew Clark knew Robin from their years at University in
Tokyo.
Andrew
Cosgrove, Robin's brother, worked initially in consultancy
and then went on to work for eight years for Mars Incorporated. For several
years he was based in Singapore, working throughout the Asia-Pacific region
and travelling globally. He is an expert in Competitive Strategy and has
an Executive MBA from London Business School. Andrew now works for McKinsey
& Company, based in London and will shortly be relocating to California.
Andrew shares Robin's love of water and is an experienced sub-aqua swimmer,
diver and photographer.
Brindusa
Fidanza. She
says: "I unfortunately never had the chance to meet Robin personally.
The stories I know of him were told by his family and close friends, in
remembrance of him. Having worked closely with his mother, Dr Carol Cosgrove
Sacks, I learnt to appreciate the great interest he had in issues like ethical
finance, corporate responsibility, socially and environmentally respectful
investments etc. His memory remains alive through the prize that bears his
name and hopefully he will continue to inspire us all to strive for fairer,
greener, more transparent international frameworks."
Eisuke
Hattori is working as the representative in the
Japan subsidiary of Liquidnet Inc., the largest block trading marketplace
with headquarter in New York. The first time he met Robin was when he joined
Barclays investment bank in London: their desks were adjacent and they became
good fellow. Coincidentally, they quitted Barclays at the same day and decide
to go to Japan. Eisuke Hattori joined UBS Tokyo and Robin joined Dresdner
Kleinwort Tokyo and, later, UBS where his desk was again close to Eisuke.
They started Japan life, worked heard, and traveled a lot: Hawaii, Vietnam,
Korea, etc. Robin made up his mind to start hedge fund business. He was
clever enough and had the talent for creating his original investment idea.
His ability of insight to analyze still remains in Eisuke’s brain
and helps him a lot nowadays. Robin is always in his heart. Especially he
can feel him when he sees the beautiful nature scenery.
Viorel
Iordache is currently employed with the United
Nations Economic Commission for Africa since 2003. He works in the field
of IT management and is responsible for the ERP implementation at UNECA.
Previously, he has worked with the United Nations Office in Geneva, as an
IT systems administrator, and before that, he has worked with the United
Nations Economic Commission for Europe. During this period, Viorel Iordache
has worked for Carol, Robin's mother, who was the Director of the Trade
Division. He has met Robin and his brother Andrew at Carol's house.
Zoran
Jolevski is a professor at the European University
and an advisor to the Prime Minister of Macedonia on foreign and economic
policy. He has over 20 years' experience as a diplomat and as an international
trade economist. He served as Chief of Staff to the former President of
the Republic of Macedonia and now works as a consultant regarding WTO accession.
He is the Vice Chairman of the UN/ECE Committee on Trade. Zoran Jolevski
knew Robin as a family friend. He remembers Robin as an “excellent
person, with high moral and human values; I knew him as a young but experienced
banker who was paying special attention to ethical values in banking and
finance”.
Miroslav
Jovanovic is the Secretary of the UNECE Working Party on
Transport Statistics. In addition he is writing books and articles on economic
integration, as well as on evolutionary economic geography. Miroslav Jovanovic
met Robin several times in Geneva when he visited his family.
Jaki
Leverson is Director of the Study Abroad Programs for undergraduates
of Tufts University, Massachusetts (USA), at University College London,
SOAS and Pembroke College, Oxford. A friend and colleague of his parents,
Jaki Leverson knew Robin Cosgrove as a high school pupil and as a student
at Oxford and is pleased to have been able to share his interest in Japan
and, through Japanese friends, to have introduced him to his first working
experience - an internship - there.
Gareth
R. Lewis is a Director at UBS Securities Japan Ltd., working
in Equity Research Sales. Prior to joining UBS early in 2005, he worked
in sales in London for one year before transferring to the Tokyo office
where he worked in Hedge Fund Derivatives Research at Morgan Stanley. At
UBS Gareth Lewis is also responsible for Japan Equity Sales graduate recruitment
and mentoring. He has a BA in Oriental Studies from Hertford College, Oxford
University, where Robin was a close friend and mentor to Gareth during his
time as a student at Oxford, at Waseda University, Tokyo, and throughout
his early career.
Collin
Madden met Robin at St. Edmund Hall in 1992. They were fast
friends and soon became best friends traveling the world together and visiting
each other frequently in Tokyo and Los Angeles. Collin Madden has experience
in creating and developing both investment and product opportunities. Most
recently, he was the founder and CEO of Cold Fusion Foods, a manufacturer
of high protein ice cream bars. With a world-class team of investor/directors
from PepsiCo, Hershey Chocolate, and Albertsons, and management that included
former Balance Bar executives, Cold Fusion developed a national brand distributed
in major grocery, natural foods, schools, and hospitals. Collin Madden sold
the business in 2005. Prior to Cold Fusion, he worked in investment banking
with The Slavitt Ellington Group in Los Angeles and in corporate development
for the Pinkerton Company where he identified and engaged acquisition opportunities.
Collin Madden has a BA in economics and accounting from Claremont McKenna
College and studied international relations and economics at Oxford University.
Marc
Mallet is a native of Washington State, USA,
and currently works as a Sales Manager for the Internet company, Yahoo!
in Manhattan. He attended the University of Oregon where he studied Economics.
As an avid soccer player, he played for the University of Oregon men's soccer
team from 1990 - 1994 and continues to play in several leagues around New
York. His other interests are golf, travel, politics and skiing. Marc Mallet
met Robin in Japan in the mid 1990's and was lucky enough to spend time
with him in Japan, Hawaii and the United States. He shared his penchant
for travel and adventure and carries that spirit with him every day.
Christine
Manby is a novelist and screenwriter living and working
in London. Her most recent novel, The Matchbreaker, was a Sunday Times bestseller.
Christine Manby met Robin at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, where they were fellow
students.
Chantal
McLaughlin first met Robin Cosgrove while he was in his
final year at Oxford in 1996. They both had lived and worked in Tokyo the
year before, but only met when Chantal was traveling in Europe, and a mutual
Australian friend put them in touch. With a shared interest in Japan, travel,
food and wine and a compatible cheeky sense of humor, the two remained friends
over the years. Now based in New York City, Chantal holds a masters degree
from The Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University and is currently
an Associate Editor at Town & Country and Town & Country
TRAVEL magazines.
Nat
(Nataniel) Sacks is
Robin's younger step-brother. With a career spanning 10 years in IT infrastructure,
Nat Sacks has worked inside the insurance sector, for a multi-national confectioner
and at present, for a leading entertainment software house inside their
online division.
Raphael
(Raf) Sacks is Robin's older step-brother; they first came
together when they were both 17. They shared interests in cars, loud guitars
and even louder ties. Raf Sacks works in London as a database analyst with
Diabetes UK, the leading medical research charity. He is married to Kathryn
and they have a son, Daniel. Robin was proud to be his uncle.
Hannah
Skeates has been working in the asset management industry
for over 10 years. In this capacity, she has held positions as an index
portfolio manager, senior index strategist and transition strategist. Hannah
and Robin became friends whilst at BZW and lived together in London. Enjoying
travelling as frequently as possible, they explored Italy, Germany, Austria,
the Czech Republic and the Julian Alps in Slovenia. Hannah Skeates is now
based in the US.
Paz
Estrella Tolentino, known more commonly as Telly,
is currently Lecturer in International Business at Birkbeck College, London.
She earned her Master's and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from the University
of Reading where she met Carol Cosgrove and her family in the mid 1980s,
spending many Sundays with them as part of their family. After graduation,
she worked as an economist for the United Nations Centre on Transnational
Corporations in New York and Geneva. It was in New York that Robin and Telly
last met. They shared a common interest in Japan, her country of birth,
and during the course of his career Robin developed a strong interest on
the impact of the activities of multinational companies – a theme
which coincidentally forms part of Telly's core research interests in international
business.