About Us > Global Advisory Board

MilleniumAssociates’ Global Advisory Board consists of independent and prominent individuals in the industry. Their role includes:

  • Keeping abreast of market trends internationally
  • Advising on priority markets
  • Advising on and facilitating senior & confidential introductions, where required

Global Advisory Board Members

Hussain Al Alawi (Bahrain / GCC)
Hussain Al Alawi is the founder and managing director of Noorwood Group, a private independent investment consultancy based in Bahrain and has been involved with the investment decisions on major transactions worth more than USD 200 million. Mr Al Alawi has over 15 years of experience working with families and investors across the GCC region, providing them with business advice on the markets and access to multiple alternative investment products, such as landmark real estate, technology and private equity investments across Europe and the US. A trusted and established advisor, Mr Al Alawi is well connected with sovereign wealth funds, banks and financial institutions, corporates, family offices, executive circles and very high net worth individuals in the GCC region.

Bill Condon (Asian / Global)
Transaction orientated with a client focused approach, Mr Condon is a serial entrepreneur and philanthropist who has lived in Asia for over 25 years. Having held executive and non-executive positions in a number of listed and private companies across a range of sectors Mr Condon focuses on philanthropy as well as currently holding a number of advisory roles. In addition Mr Condon is a Director of the Ireland Funds, China, a constituent of the Worldwide Ireland Funds which has raised over USD600 million for charitable causes as well as Chairman of The Multitude Foundation and a founding director of the Irish Chambers' of Commerce in Hong Kong and Macau. He maintains strong government relationships and has extensive high level networks across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the USA.

Louis de Montpellier (Switzerland / Europe)
With an extensive experience in international finance with senior roles in both public finance and the investment banking world, Mr de Montpellier is an expert in the management of government and public sector debt and sovereign wealth, ESG, impact and green finance and sustainable economics. He presently serves as an independent board member of de Pury Pictet Turrettini & Cie; as an advisor of the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum; and as an advisor of Finance for Biodiversity. Mr. de Montpellier’s previous roles include Senior Managing Director and global head of the official institutions group of State Street Global Advisors in London till 2019; Deputy Head of the Banking Department and member of the Executive and Finance Committees of the Bank for International Settlements in Basel; Executive Director of the Belgian Government Debt Agency in Brussels and Director of Funding at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London. He has also worked for the investment banks Credit Suisse First Boston and Morgan Stanley in London where he was responsible for capital market operations with public sector entities in Europe.

Bente E. Engesland (Scandinavia)
A seasoned international communications executive, Ms Engesland currently concentrates on change management advisory and executive recruitment in the private sector as well as holding a number of board positions across the cybersecurity, transparency, transport, climate, and R&D industries. Previously her career has included roles such as CEO Norway in the leading global communication corporation Burson-Marsteller, Head of Communication at Statkraft, Europe´s largest producer of renewable energy and Head of News/Chief Editor in Norway´s major media corporations, NRK, Schibsted and Aller Group.

Mahmoud Gamal El Din (Egypt / UAE)
CEO of the regional infrastructure advisory firm InfraOne Capital Ltd, with over 25 years expereince supporting regional and local governments to enhance their economy through executing and fundraising for infrastructure projects that focus on sectors of Transportation and Logistics; Energy; Water Resource Management; Industrial Development; and Real Estate Development.

Robert E. Garrison II (USA / Houston)
President and Director of Houston-based Sanders Morris Harris Group. Co-founded former Harris Webb & Garrison, which was merged into SMHG in 1999. Former Director of Research of Underwood Neuhaus & Co and Managing Partner of Lovett Mitchell Webb & Garrison (sold to Kemper Securities). Mr. Garrison is a CFA and has over 35 years’ experience in the securities industry.

Koji Fusa (UK / Japan)
Koji Fusa is the joint founder and CEO of GVE, a leading digital payment platform. A fintech expert with over twenty years’ experience, Mr Fusa previously founded the private equity firm focused on Japan Sandringham Capital, served on the board of board of the online broker DLJdirect as well as holding senior assignments in investment banking in Japan. Earlier Mr Fusa was Managing Director for mergers and acquisitions and the origination of equity underwriting for both UBS and CSFB for their respective operations in Japan. He has served and still serves as Director for several Japanese companies. Mr. Fusa holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Waseda University.

David Gelber (UK / London)
Held various senior assignments in trading at Citicorp, Chemical Bank and HSBC before joining ICAP in 1994, the company he helped to grow into the world’s largest inter-dealer broker and from which he retired as COO in July 2005. Today Mr Gelber serves on several boards, including as Chairman of Walker Crips PLC, a London based Stock Broker, Altus Resource Capital PLC a specialised investment fund in junior mining situations, DDCAP Ltd a leading arranger of Islamic Banking transactions, Exotix Ltd a frontier market investment banking boutique and IPGL Ltd, a holding company with various investments including a 20% interest in ICAP PLC and majority ownership of City Index Ltd.

René Karsenti (France / Paris)
Currently President of the International Capital Market Association (ICMA), after having previously been Executive President of the same organisation. From 2009 to May 2011 Mr. Karsenti also was Chairman of the International Council of Securities Associations (ICSA). Prior to joining the ICMA in 2006, Mr. Karsenti was Director General of Finance at the European Investment Bank (EIB), Luxembourg, Treasurer of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) based in London, as well as holding a variety of senior positions in the treasury organisations of the World Bank Group (IBRD & IFC), including IFC Treasurer. Mr Karsenti also holds a number of non-executive positions, including; Chairman of the board of the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm) and Chairman at the European Capital Market Institute (ECMI) and member of the Strategic Committee of the French Debt Management Office, member of the Investment Advisory Committee of the Food and Agriculture Organisation and a member of the OECD Financial Markets Roundtable.

Maarten L. Pronk (Russia & Angola)
Independent Director at United Credit Systems Moscow. Partner at P&Z GMBH, an investment advisory boutique. Member of the advisory board of NRH, Natural Resources Holding AG Switzerland. Senior advisor to Bunge SA Switzerland. Mr. Pronk held several non-executive positions related with emerging economies. He was in executive positions for ING Bank in South America and Eastern Europe, and functioned as acting chairman of a top 10 bank in Russia, the Nikoil Bank Moscow. He was chief executive of Rabobank Russia and Fortis Russia. Furthermore Mr Pronk held non-executive positions in banks, insurance and asset management companies in Brazil, Russia and Ukraine.

R Todd Ruppert (USA / UK)
Founder and CEO of RTR International, Inc. a firm with diversified interests globally in the arts, film, distribution, merchandizing, and private equity. Todd is also a venture partner with Greenspring Associates, and holds a number of advisory and board positions globally.  In 2012 Mr Ruppert retired from the global investment management firm T. Rowe Price where he had been for 27 years, culminating as board member, CEO and president of T. Rowe Price Global Investment Services, board member and president, investment services, of T. Rowe Price International, and a member of the operating steering committee of the T. Rowe Price group.

Anthony J Smouha (Switzerland / Geneva)
Executive Director of ATLANTICOMNIUM SA and adviser to the GAM Star Credit Opportunities (USD, EUR, and GBP) funds. Prior to joining ATLANTICOMNIUM SA in 1992, Mr Smouha was Senior Vice President, Head of Bond Trading and Sales at Soditic SA/SG Warburg Soditic SA, Geneva and with Credit Suisse First Boston in London.

Michael Tomalin OBE (UK & Abu Dhabi)
Board member and former CEO of The National Bank of Abu Dhabi. Formerly Global CEO of Barclays Private Banking, CEO of Barclays Group in Japan, New Zealand and Executive Director of Barclays Merchant Bank in Hong Kong.

Carel N. van der Spek (The Netherlands / Amsterdam)
Held senior executive positions in the financial services industry in the Netherlands and internationally. He started his career at Amsterdam Rotterdam Bank in capital markets and continued his work at ABN AMRO Bank, as it became in 1990 after the merger with ABN. Mr van der Spek was stationed at various times in New York, Tokyo and London with his last position at ABN AMRO being Executive Vice-President Global Clients. From 1996 until 2005 Mr. van der Spek was a member of the Board of Management of F. van Lanschot Bankiers N.V., Netherlands.