Our team is your team. Let's grow together.

Bruce Takefman, founder and CEO of ResearchFDI, leads a seasoned and enthused team that provides economic development consulting for some of the world’s most prominent EDOs. ​

Bruce understands international markets, having worked with clients based across the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and Asia. Bruce’s work amongst different continents enables him to maximize the potential for his clients to seize global opportunities. ​

Bruce earned his Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Marketing, from the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Montréal, Québec. Bruce is a proud member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). ​

Bruce’s experience has led him to work extensively with a wide array of clients touching upon various industries such as the biotech and agriculture, aerospace and aviation, IT, financial services, medical, advanced manufacturing, and renewable energy sectors among others. His work to date and large network has led to millions in new investment opportunities for regions around the world. Furthermore, Bruce possesses a strong knowledge of trade shows, having helped prepare clients to attend some of the world’s most prestigious shows. Bruce leads his company on the principles of diversity and inclusion, boasting a firm with over a dozen different nationalities with more than 50 years of combined experience in professional business development.

Davor Davidovic is a business strategy and market intelligence expert who has been working in the economic development industry for over a decade. In his role as COO at ResearchFDI, he leverages his extensive knowledge in corporate strategy and real estate, location intelligence, industry linkages, market intelligence, as well as an understanding of specific industry issues. ​

​Davor earned a Master of Engineering in the Faculty of civil engineering at University of Zagreb in Croatia. He also later earned a degree in Business Administration and Marketing at Herzing College in Montreal. His educational background provided him with a unique understanding of the different industrial and organizational procedures that are required in business today.​

​Davor is a valuable asset to ResearchFDI and has been responsible for the development of the company’s data product portfolio. He oversees the entire product lifecycle from planning stages to product delivery and translates market opportunities into prioritized product enhancements. As part of the management team, he is also responsible for strategic alliances, overall corporate strategy and management of intellectual property.​

Asegual Akyuz is a PMP certified project manager and brings her extensive knowledge in client and program management, strategy, market intelligence and team management to her role as EVP of Project Management Office at ResearchFDI. Responsible for the Project Management Office she oversees the entire program lifecycle from the planning stage to program delivery.​

Her background has equipped her with the skills necessary for understanding different industries and how to best manage various programs successfully, having earned a BA from McGill University, with a double major in Economics and Political Science, as well as a graduate diploma in management. ​

Prior to joining ResearchFDI, she worked in various capacities in economic development consulting including, client services, project management, business intelligence and recruitment activities. At ResearchFDI, Aysegul is responsible for the development of the company’s client services. In her role, Aysegul has successfully managed numerous clients globally, ensuring a high level of client satisfaction. Her education combined with her past experiences working in various capacities in economic development consulting including, client services, project management, business intelligence and recruitment activities have made her a knowledgeable leader within our team.​

Jose Grimaldo is a skilled leader and communicator. His background in marketing and international business has given him the necessary skills needed for understanding the various aspects of management, collaboration, and industry development. He has brought his knowledge and experience to his role of EVP of Operations at ResearchFDI, which provides him a unique ability to communicate with C-level executives while also coordinating the best route for collaboration with EDOs. ​

Jose was born in Monterrey, Mexico, later moving to Montreal where Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business, specializing in international business and marketing. He has leveraged the skills learned in his education and applied them to his work in investment attraction and economic development. ​

​Jose is a business development and market research expert as well as a valued leader for the ResearchFDI team having worked and managed multiple international accounts. Since joining ResearchFDI, Jose has performed lead generation campaigns on behalf of multiple Economic Development Organizations across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, having organized multiple successful international trade show missions and events.​

​

Amber Hunter has leveraged her extensive experience in marketing, investment attraction strategy consulting into her role as EVP of North America at ResearchFDI. In her role, Amber works with several North American economic development organizations to help them promote their regions to potential investors and has developed tremendous expertise in both domestic and international business recruitment programs, resulting in numerous significant investment project wins for her clients. ​

​Born in the United Kingdom and raised in Montreal, Amber earned a BA in Political Science from Concordia University. She began her career in economic development as a market research consultant in 2015 and has since become an in-demand public speaker, whose reputation and industry expertise has earned her speaking engagements with organizations such as SelectUSA Canada. ​

​Amber’s passions for development go beyond her work, she is also a founding board member and Director of Marketing and Media Relations of not-for-profit, Dēmoskratos, that promotes civic literacy and engagement to marginalized communities through interactive workshops. Since joining ResearchFDI, Amber has been able to grow her industry expertise managing contracts for EDOs throughout the U.S and Canada. Amber is an ambitious and result-driven Business Developer, who is able to deliver on any project to ensure that the job gets done. ​

Erika is an innate leader and market strategist bringing close to 20 years of experience in economic and business development to her role of EVP of Global Sales at ResearchFDI. In her role, she is responsible for managing our portfolio of business intelligence, lead generation and data services to ResearchFDI’s international clients. ​

​Born and raised in Quebec, Erika later received a Honors Bachelor of Commerce degree from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, specializing in marketing and international business. Her prior experience working as Director, Business Development at the world’s largest language services and related technologies company allowed her to gain experience working with Fortune 500 and fast-growing companies to provide language services and solutions to support their international growth initiatives. She later started her career as an Economic Development Specialist and spent 5 years acting as an in-market representative and lead generation consultant for the East and West Midland RDAs in the U.S. and Canada. ​

​Her experience in developing advanced research protocols and surveying techniques as well as her extensive knowledge of the software solutions (SaaS) market have made her an invaluable asset for ResearchFDIs International Business Development team in promoting our portfolio of business intelligence data products. ​

Robert Creamer has helped pioneer the use of innovative market research approaches and technologies since joining ResearchFDI in 2015. He brings his extensive background in policy analysis, online marketing, and service development to his role as EVP of Strategy and Business Intelligence at ResearchFDI. He has leveraged his expertise in market research to supply our team with the most promising business prospects across a wide variety of industries. ​

​Rob was born and raised in the United Kingdom, and having lived in Gloucestershire, Buckinghamshire and Norfolk he is familiar with the attributes of the UK. He earned his BA with honors in Philosophy and politics from the University of East Anglia and his MA in Political science from McGill University. His experience living and working in Sweden, Canada and Ghana, has given him tremendous skills for adapting to new situations with ease. ​

His versatility is the foundation of his ability to master an understanding of business sectors and adapt to client expectations quickly and effectively. Rob has been a valuable asset to Research since his joining, now managing the company’s Business Intelligence product portfolio, including FDI365 – the company’s premier custom business intelligence software tool that seeks out high value target companies for its clientele. ​

​

Adam Solomon brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his role of VP of Business Development at ResearchFDI. He has utilized his skills to oversee the implementation of company-wide research strategies and strict quality control measures for client deliverables.​

​Adam was born in Israel, and he later earned his degree in international business from Dawson College in Montréal, Québec and is now a proud member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). ​

Throughout his years in economic development consulting and research, Adam has worked across a wide range of industries including aerospace, renewable energy, software, and advanced manufacturing. Adam prides himself on understanding global business climates and knowing how to work with key decision makers from international companies. ​

​Adam has consistently demonstrated his knowledge and experience while working closely with ResearchFDI clients, having helped secure significant corporate investments and mandates with Fortune 500 companies worldwide. ​

​

Kimberly Calafatis serves as the Vice President of Human Resources, leveraging her extensive expertise in recruitment, administration, compensation and benefits, training and development, employee relations, and performance management to shape the organization’s culture and success. In her role, she is responsible for overseeing key HR functions and fostering an environment where employees thrive both personally and professionally.

With a commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive workplace, Kimberly focuses on empowering individuals to contribute their unique talents and skills, driving collaboration and collective achievement. Her passion for helping others reach their full potential is at the heart of her leadership style, cultivating a culture of growth and innovation.

Andrew joined Tractus in April 2021, managing Tractus’ global Economic Development activities including trade development, foreign direct investment attraction and economic development strategy.

Andrew has over 25 years of experience working internationally in economic development with a focus on trade and foreign direct investment attraction strategy and implementation with both growing companies and government agencies. Prior to joining Tractus, Andrew worked as the Director of Corporate Investment & Analytics within Conway Data’s Advisory Division with a focus on assisting locations around the world build competitive marketing and sales programs to attract foreign direct investment.

Prior to joining Conway, Andrew served as the Americas Director for Oxford Intelligence, overseeing sales and operations for trade and investment advisory services in the Americas for 12 years. Before joining Oxford Intelligence, he ran his own international business advisory practice focused on serving business expansion and inward investment attraction since 2000. Earlier, Andrew served as Vice President of Marketing with the Welsh Development Agency, where he oversaw North American marketing programs that integrated advertising, public relations, networking activities, special events, lead generation and business development. His work with the agency resulted in dramatic increases in industry relationships, the development of a robust project pipeline, and a record of investment success in Wales. Andrew also worked in economic development as a regional manager for business development with the Alsace Development Agency representing the Alsace Region of France.

Andrew has an MBA in International Business from Northeastern University in Boston and a Bachelor’s degree in European History from Hobart & William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. He has also done graduate course work at École Supérieure de Commerce in Reims, France and Concordia University in Montréal, Canada as well as undergraduate studies in Norway. Andrew is active with several national and international associations including as a member of the International Economic Development Council – International Advisory Committee.

Michael joined Tractus Asia in 2017 with a unique background combining entrepreneurial endeavors with Wall Street experience. He is based on the West Coast and serves as the Chief U.S.A. Representative and Manager. In this role, he works with U.S. based clients on projects in real time, bridging the time zones between North America and Asia in our Economic Development, Strategy and Execution, and Corporate Finance practice areas while also focusing on business development.

Prior to joining Tractus, Michael primarily worked for Green Technology start-ups and early-stage companies with applications in a wide range of industries. Most recently, he worked in the commercial solar energy sector, applied mesh-technology for energy efficiency lighting in commercial buildings, and in the transportation sector with an innovative start-up focused on new metal manufacturing processing to increase fuel efficiency and reduction of GHGs for airplanes, automobiles, and military vehicles.

Michael spent 13 years working on Wall Street for several well-respected firms. He began his career in 1994, working on the floor of the NYSE as part of Goldman Sachs’ two-year analyst program. He was hired on as a 3rd year analyst working on Goldman Sachs’ Institutional Equities Trading desk in New York. Afterward, he rejoined the Institutional Equities Division full time as Sales Trader, responsible for providing daily research and trading execution for some of the largest buy-side firms on Wall Street. In 2000, he relocated back to his native California where he worked for several boutique Investment Banks in Equity Sales and Trading including Thomas Weisel Partners, JMP Securities and Sandler O’Neil + Partners. Through his years of experience, Michael has become proficient at financial analysis for companies across industry sectors including: financial services, banks & money centers, energy, technology, retailers, industrials, financials, consumers, and REITS.

Michael graduated from Princeton University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American History with a concentration in Economics.

Nalin joined Tractus Asia as Country Manager in 2008 and established Tractus Asia’s India office. In addition to leading the India team and operations, he is also responsible for managing India-focused projects, client relationship, and partner network of Tractus within the country and overseas. Nalin is also actively engaged in developing new business opportunities and managing relationships with clients and partners in Europe and Asian markets.

During his time with the firm, Nalin has successfully executed several strategy and implementation projects for multinational corporations, as well as trade promotion and investment attraction assignments including trade and investment attraction missions from various countries. He has worked in a diverse range of sectors including manufacturing, ICT, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, renewable energy, aerospace, education and training, chemicals, textiles and garments among others. Nalin has been acknowledged for providing valuable contribution to the public and private sector clients with his extensive knowledge and expertise in these sectors, and his understanding of the Indian economy and business ecosystem.

Prior to joining Tractus, Nalin received international executive experience in Europe and Asia (especially India and China), which includes successful start-ups, M&A, manufacturing operations, as well as management of mid-size companies. He attended school at an international institute in India. His Business Administration studies were conducted under the guidance of professors and lecturers from the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia and India. Nalin is a German national of Indian origin and has lived in Germany, India and China. Nalin is fluent in English, German, French, Hindi and Gujarati.

Udai returned to Tractus Asia as the Country Manager for Singapore in 2018 after having spent four years earlier with Tractus in India (2011-2015). Udai brings with him a blend of consulting, tech start-up and B2B marketing and sales experience. Since taking over as Country Manager, Udai has been spearheading the firm’s business development mandate from Singapore and has grown the practice’s book of business, team strength and its brand in the market. Under his leadership, Tractus Asia Singapore has become one of the firm’s most profitable practices and helped add some marquee brands to the company’s roster of clients. Udai is currently leading, executing and supporting multiple projects and clients, across sectors ranging from manufacturing and chemicals to healthcare, technology and agri-foods. As Singapore Country Manager, Udai also helps oversee Tractus’ project execution in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Prior to re-joining Tractus, Udai spent three years in Singapore’s tech start-up space where he gained invaluable experience in brand building and generating revenue for technology firms offering Software-as-a-Service. This involved developing and leading Go-To-Market strategies for B2C user acquisition, prospecting revenue generating B2B partnerships/models and product management in a lean, agile environment, as well as B2B enterprise sales. During his previous four years with Tractus India, Udai honed his management consulting and research and analysis basics. He helped lead and deliver key projects across the entire spectrum of Tractus’ service lines and industries ranging from education and technology to manufacturing and finance. Through his years of experience in both the management consulting and start-up fields, Udai has become proficient in multi-dimensional consulting roles, business origination/lead generation, pipeline management as well as developing/executing practical, results oriented Go-To-Market strategies.

Udai is a global citizen in the true sense of the word, having lived in eight countries. He graduated from Mount Allison University, Canada in 2007 with a Bachelor in Commerce. His interest in international commercial law and technology saw him complete his Master in Law (Commercial Law and IP) from the University of Nottingham in 2010. He is a native English and Hindi speaker and fluent in conversational French.

Mr. Kawazoe has more than thirty years of senior management experience, including international assignments across three continents: Asia, Europe, and N. America. He has deep experience working internationally and cross-culturally assembling technical teams.​

Most recently, Mr. Kawazoe headed the business planning division of a commercial aircraft development company, leading an operational improvement program for more than 500 multinational engineers and mechanics, including various contractors in North America, and was responsible for planning and executing measures to realize greater efficiency. From 2012 to 2017, he headed overall business and business investment management in the in the northwestern region of the United States as regional head of the Mitsubishi Corporation. From 2008 to 2012, he was responsible for establishing Japan’s first jet airliner development company, and directing the parent company’s investment in it.

Mr. Kawazoe holds a BA in Economics from Tohoku University in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.