Dylan Yeates

Global Trade Director

Dylan joined OCO Global 8 years ago as an International Trade and Foreign Direct Investment consultant. He has worked in partnership with Empire State Development for the past 5 years, before becoming the director of their European office in 2022, overseeing their trade portfolio and supporting New York State companies' expansion into the region.

With extensive experience in strategy development, Dylan supports both private companies, by working collaboratively with them to develop and realise their international growth plans, as well as assisting government entities to craft and implement various policy tools and initiatives.

Dylan has previously worked with a number of leading, Economic, Trade and Investment promotion agencies throughout Europe, the Middle East and the United States. This includes the UKs Department for Business and Trade, Germany Trade and Invest, Business France and Switzerland Global Enterprise, among others. In addition, he has also worked with developing economies in North Africa, on various aspects of strategy, capacity and sustainable development, as well as emerging organisations such as NEOM in Saudi Arabia.

Dylan is based in Belfast, the United Kingdom, and earned a first-class honours degree in Economics and Finance, from Queens University.

Marine L’Herrou

Global Invest Director

Marine is a dynamic investment consultant with over 10 years of proven experience helping companies break into new international markets and accelerate their global growth. With a strategic focus on driving expansion, she has also been instrumental in supporting Economic Development Organizations in executing successful global initiatives, positioning them for sustainable worldwide growth. Her expertise, honed through working with diverse industries, makes her a trusted partner for businesses looking to thrive in the global arena.

Currently based in London, Marine joined ESD in 2019 as the Representative for France, Italy, and Spain. She was appointed Deputy European Director in April 2021 and promoted to European Director in April 2022. She also serves as the Treasurer for the Council of American States in Europe (CASE), demonstrating her deep expertise in fostering transatlantic business development.

Marine possesses extensive international experience, having lived in Spain, China, and France. While in Paris, she worked with prestigious clients, including Invest Hong Kong, where she advised French companies on investment strategies and development projects. In Shanghai, she managed sales and business development operations for a leading Chinese e-commerce grocery store. Additionally, in Suzhou, she served as the EU representative for a regional Chinese investment promotion bureau, focusing on lead generation and providing support to private firms and research institutes investing in Mainland China.

French national, Marine holds a Master’s degree in “Europe-Asia International Business”, a Bachelor in Export and International Negotiation and a degree (HSK5) in Chinese language from Shanghai Jiaotong and Qingdao Universities. Marine is fluent in French, English, Spanish; she also speaks Chinese (mandarin – HSK5). 

Catherine Connolly

European Hub Director

Catherine is an Associate Consultant, having joined OCO Global 4 years ago, and specializes in international trade and foreign direct investment. She has worked with Empire State Development for the past 3 years and is now the director of their European Hub.

Catherine has extensive experience working with a range of private companies as well as government entities throughout Europe, APAC & North America, in order to support them in developing and executing their international growth programs and plans.

This includes working collaboratively the UK Department for Business and Trade, as well as her experience within DBT's Investment Services Team. In addition, she has also worked with EDOs such as the Thailand Board of Investment and Japan's External Trade Organization in Asia, and previously with various states, such as Maryland and Maine in North America.

Catherine is based in Belfast, in the United Kingdom. She holds a first-class honours degree in International Business Management with Spanish from Northumbria University, United Kingdom.

Nadia Smiley

Middle East Trade Director

Nadia is a trade and investment consultant specializing in international market entry and expansion strategy. At OCO Global, she has spent the past two years working with Empire State Development and now serves as the Middle Eastern Hub Director. Nadia has extensive experience delivering export accelerator programs and driving investment attraction initiatives for IPA and EDO clients such as NEOM, Atlantic Canada, the UK Department for Business and Trade, and the Italian Trade Agency.

Prior to joining OCO Global, Nadia worked in the investment banking and financial services industry, where she tracked economic trends, ISG markets, competitor activity, and talent movement across the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region.

Nadia is based in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates and covers the wider GCC region. She holds a Master’s degree with Distinction in International Business and Data Analytics, as well as a BSc in Social Policy and Data Modelling.

Gerry Stoch

Israel Director

For the past 28 years, Mr. Stoch has been a business and economic development consultant based in Israel. Since 1998, he has been the Director of the New York State Representative & Trade Office to Israel promoting exports from New York State to Israel and investment of Israeli individuals and corporations to New York.

In this capacity, Mr. Stoch initiated and consummated several Technology Cooperation Agreements between the State of New York and Israel. He has led several delegations of Israeli companies to New York and hosted many delegations visiting Israel, including Governor trade missions. Most recently, Mr. Stoch hosted a GlobalNY delegation of 10 companies in Israel, identifying potential distributors and importers to partner with them. Most of the ten companies signed agreements within 6 months.

Since 2018, Mr. Stoch also serves as the State of Iowa representative in Israel, primarily for FDI and inter-government relations. In parallel, from 2003-2010, Mr. Stoch managed the Back Office of a major Private Equity Fund in Israel.

Mr. Stoch also works closely with foreign investors, consulting on investment and trade opportunities in Israel. Mr. Stoch serves as an Executive Board member of the Israel-America Chamber of Commerce in Tel Aviv and on the Board of the Orthodox Chamber of Commerce in Israel. He also served on the International Board of the Volcani Institute, the Israeli Government’s arm for Agricultural Research and Development and International cooperation. Previously, Mr. Stoch worked for the Israeli Government Ministry of Finance, among vaiorus other positions.

He received a M.S. in Agricultural Economics and Management from the Hebrew University at Rehovot and a BA in Economics and Psychology from the University of Cape Town in South Africa.

Richard Zurba

Africa & Caribbean Director

Richard Zurba has over 25 years of experience assisting companies into the African and Caribbean markets. Richard has represented New York export trade since 1999. He is the Director of Zurcom International (Pty) Ltd, which presently is the contracted representative for nine US state governments in Africa and eight US states in the Caribbean Zurcom also represents all four multi-state State Regional Trade Groups (SRTGs) providing support for all 50 US state government departments of agriculture in Africa to support US agricultural exports.

Richard came to Africa in 1993, working in the D. R. Congo for World Vision Relief. He moved to South Africa in 1996, as an export manager for a South African firm, selling into 20 African countries. 

In January 1999, Richard opened the Great Lakes St Lawrence Governors & Premiers Africa Trade Office in Johannesburg representing several US state government economic development organizations assisting exporters entering emerging markets. He has been working with companies since inception in 1999. The team assists in areas such as locating distributors/buyers for products, trade missions and market research.  Zurcom International has worked with over 4,500 different company projects in relation to international trade entering Africa and the Caribbean.  The team has staff persons in seventeen countries covering Africa and now including coverage in the Caribbean through staff in the Caribbean.

Richard has a B.A. (Alberta, International Relations), an M.A. (London School of Economics, International History) and an M.B.A. (Western Ontario, International Business). 

Ziyi Zhao

Asia Hub & China Director

Ziyi has over 8 years of consulting experience in project development and management, assisting international clients with business development and market expansion. With working experience in both China and abroad, Ziyi has gained invaluable experience in managing cross-cultural relationships helping foreign companies to build lasting partnerships in China.

At OCO, Ziyi is responsible for strategic partnership among APAC, has supported multiple international IPAs and companies with market insight and entry strategies such as the State of Lower Saxony, VEDP, Missouri DED, Nova Scotia Business Inc. DBT, and Invest Northern Ireland.

Ziyi has a Bachelor’s degree of German and English studies from Beijing Foreign Studies University, China, and a Master’s degree in Comparative Linguistics and Transcultural Studies from Heidelberg University, Germany.

Viraj Pangam

India Director

Viraj is a seasoned economist specializing in Trade, India market entry, and expansion strategies across diverse sectors, including automotive, e-commerce, and healthcare. With experience working in India, Middle East, and South Asian markets, Viraj possesses a strong understanding of regional market dynamics and opportunities for global exporters in the Indian sub-continent.

While working as an OCO Global India partner and an executive Director of Maeflower Consulting, Viraj has undertaken various assignments involving B2B matchmaking, distributor searches, organizing high-impact webinars among other tasks, thereby assisting foreign companies in winning clients and navigating the complexities of the Indian market.

Among other clients, Viraj has worked with the Department of Business and Trade, UK, and Enterprise Ireland, and his commitment to fostering international business collaborations has been instrumental in facilitating successful India expansion strategies for many global companies.

Viraj holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics with Honors from Christ University, Bangalore, and has further specialized in financial economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam.  

Kazuyo Tsuneizumi

Japan Director

Based in Tokyo, Japan, Kazuyo supports market presence as a trade and investment partner of choice working with both US HQ'd companies and Japanese existing and prospective investors.

She is an experienced marketing and brands professional specializing in business development, marketing strategy, PR and communications. In addition to her economic development work she has supported a range of global brands to successfully position, partner, launch and build communities in one of the world’s most valuable, significant and sophisticated markets.

She supports SME’s in their efforts engaging importer and distributor networks to build and enhance sales and marketing strategies for success in Japan.

She has successfully delivered a wide range of project assignments including Governor led delegations making significant contributions many involving management of high level relationships with key channel partners and multiple stakeholders.

Jerome Balucan

Taiwan Director

Jerome is the CEO and founder of IMMORTA Corp. a leading technology firm with a particular focus on Taiwan and the Philippines. His experience spans Software & Hardware Development, Renewable Energy, Semiconductors, and IT solutions, with a strong network, direct to Founders and CEOs of the largest and most upcoming tech companies. 

With strong connections in Taiwan’s private and government sectors, Jerome is collaborating with and supporting Taiwanese conglomerates, tech unicorns, and scale-ups in their market expansion into SE Asia.  Jerome is also active in ecosystem development.  Recent examples have been hosting the Philippine’s 1st International Tech Summit with the Taiwan government, and developing an International Tech & Innovation Hub with a leading Taiwanese conglomerate, and planned development of over 1GW of renewable energies with publicly-listed FDI partners.  

Jerome has played a pivotal role in the development and acclimation of companies to the Asia market with an efficient and hands-on attitude that prioritizes growth with cultural presence.

Tra Le

ASEAN Director

Tra has over a decade of experience in private and public consulting, project development and business expansion. She has supported international clients across diverse sectors, helping them enter and grow in ASEAN markets. With professional experience in both Vietnam and abroad, Tra brings strong cross-cultural communication skills and a proven ability to build lasting partnerships across the region.

In her role as ASEAN Trade Director, she assists ASEAN companies in exploring export and partnership opportunities with New York-based businesses. Her hands-on approach helps companies identify U.S. trade partners, navigate regulations, and access the market effectively.

Tra currently serves as the Market Expansion Director at Source of Asia, where she oversees the Market Approach, Sales, and Trading departments, and plays a key role in M&A advisory projects. Tra leads a team of 14 professionals in delivering tailored strategies to drive growth and regional expansion for her clients.

Tra holds a Master degree in Marketing of Services from Toulouse Business School in France.

Christophe Muser

South Korea Director

Christophe Muser first arrived in Korea in the early 1990s and began his career at the Economic Department of the French Embassy in Seoul in 2000. There, he developed deep expertise in trade and investment for international relations with Korea.

He later served as Managing Director of the Korea Liaison Office of Toda Mode, overseeing licensing operations for European brands such as Marie Claire, Club Med, and Figaro. He then joined Lacoste Korea as Marketing Director, leading brand strategy and consumer engagement campaigns.

In 2005, he founded his own company in Seoul to support the growth of foreign brands in Korea. Since then, he has successfully led over 50 cross-border market entry and expansion projects, covering legal setup, distribution, regulatory compliance, and strategic partnerships.

Christophe holds a Master's Degree in Foreign Languages and Civilizations Korean Studies from the Université Paris Diderot. Christophe is fluent in English, French, and Korean.

Jane McCann

Australia Director

Based in Melbourne, Jane specializes in lead generation for FDI attraction and international trade. She joined OCO Global, a technology-enabled advisory firm focused on trade, investment, and economic development, seven years ago as a consultant in international trade and foreign direct investment. Jane now serves as the Director of ESD’s Australia office.

Her previous experience includes working with economic development organizations such as the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, where she supported SMEs in assessing, entering, and expanding into international markets.

Jane has successfully attracted foreign investors in the UK and Irish markets on behalf of Invest Stockholm and Switzerland Global Enterprise. She has also facilitated foreign investment for the Malaysian Investment Development Authority and the UK Department for Business and Trade in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.

Ludovic Ortuno

Canada Trade Director

Ludovic is a specialized economic development professional with a strong focus on export development services, territorial marketing, investment attraction strategy, site selection, analysis for industry & cluster development. He possesses a strong understanding of companies’ development & investment cycles across various industries, namely, knowledge industries, business & professional services, IT, aerospace, agribusiness, machinery, energy automotive, and life sciences.

Ludovic is is in charge of the delivery of CIDEP’s State Clients Trade services. Over the past 19 years Ludovic has managed and supervised the delivery of hundreds International Trade Projects, led International Trade Missions and presented to many events, including ExporTech, SBD Centers, US Commercial Services Market Briefs and Export workshops. Ludovic is involved since 2015 in State International Development Organization (SIDO), the premiere U.S. organization dedicated to supporting state international trade agencies and focuses exclusively on state international trade development. He is actively involved in their export training program and best practices workshops delivered to International Trade Managers of over 42 US States.

Ludovic has worked closely with the Economic Development Offices (EDOs) in Europe & North America: Business France, the Invest in Andalucía, the Missouri Department of Economic Development, and the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Maryland Department of Commerce, Rhode Island Commerce, Business Oregon. Every year he oversees the delivery of 200+ Trade projects for US exporters in Canada. As a Canadian and French national with Spanish origins, Ludovic is fluent in French, English and Spanish.

Gloria Garcia

Latin America Director

Gloria Garcia is a distinguished International Trade and Business Development expert with a prolific career spanning over two decades. She has a remarkable track record of managing and executing over 200 projects for 15 governments across Latin America, the USA, Europe, and Asia. As the founder and Director of BMT, Gloria has pioneered methodologies for trade missions and facilitated numerous successful partnerships. Her expertise has been particularly influential in fostering business developments for sectors such as agri-food, textiles, and manufacturing, among others. Gloria's role as Mexico’s Latin-American Trade Representative for Manitoba Trade and Investment, Enterprise Ireland, and other prestigious institutions has solidified her reputation as a key player in the international trade arena.

A significant highlight of Gloria Garcia’s career is her exceptional contribution to the trade relations between Brazil and the United States. She has played a pivotal role as a speaker at the US Commercial Service in Brazil, developing business plans for Brazilian companies aspiring to enter the US market. Her deep understanding of both US and Brazilian business cultures has enabled her to effectively guide Brazilian companies in textiles, ready-made garments, and food sectors, ensuring their successful market entry. Gloria’s efforts in organizing trade missions and buyers' missions have facilitated over 1,000 B2B meetings, establishing robust trade networks and fostering international collaboration.

In addition to her practical experience, Gloria's academic background is impressive, with a master’s degree in Economic Development and International Trade from the University of Reading, UK, and management studies from Harvard Business School. Fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, she has leveraged her multilingual capabilities to navigate complex international trade environments. Gloria's extensive professional network includes collaborations with the World Bank, InterAmerican Development Bank, and the International Trade Center. Her dedication to enhancing global trade initiatives, strategic planning, and business matchmaking activities has made her an invaluable asset in the field of international trade and business development.

Elizabeth Gallardo

Mexico Director

Ms. Elizabeth Gallardo has 32 years of experience assisting individual companies with doing business in Latin America. She is an expert in international trade and export promotion for Mexico, Argentina, Belize, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay.

Her experience includes market research, B2B individual agendas, distributor identification for the following markets: advanced manufacturing, aeronautic, agriculture, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, construction, electro mobility, environmental, electronics, food & beverage, life sciences, plastic & rubber, medical, among other sectors.

Ms. Gallardo served as a consultant for the U.S. Commercial Service at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico for 16 years, and for two years with Casa San Antonio. During her career, she has assisted more than 5,000 companies in exporting to Mexico and Latin America. She has also coordinated inbound and outbound buyer and trade missions for other agencies. 

Over the past 17 years at Global BMT. She has forged strong connections with government entities and private companies to facilitate the import and export of products and services to Mexico. Also, she has been coordinating Agricultural and Commercial trade missions with government ministries and secretariat through Latin America.

Elizabeth received a Bachelor of Science in Communication and a Master’s Degree in Foreign Trade, International Business, and Commerce from Intercontinental University. She also completed a diploma program in Foreign Direct Investment and Exporting from the International Economic Development Council.