Richie Santosdiaz
Adjunct Faculty
Linkedin ProfileEducation
- Advanced Certificate of International Trade (Professional Certificate – Distinction), Institute of Export and International Trade, UK (2014)
- Masters of Globalisation and Multinational Corporations, Centre for International Studies & Diplomacy (CISD), School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS): University of London, UK (2012)
- Masters of International Business Administration, Foro Europeo Escuela de Negocios de Navarra, Spain (2009)
- Bachelors of International Business (Honors), University of Scranton, USA (2004-2008)
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
- Economics
- Marketing & Strategy
- Family Business Management
- Innovation, Decision-Making & Leadership
- World Cultures & Communication
- Logistics & Supply Chain Management
- E-Commerce & Technology
SUBJECTS TAUGHT / STUDENT PROJECT MENTOR
- International Business
- British Business in a European Context
- Brexit and its Business and Economic Impact
- International Management
- Negotiation Skills
- Presentation Skills and Wider Interpersonal Skills
- Thought Leadership
EXPERIENCE
Academic experience
- Council for International Educational Exchange (CIEE) (2015-2017; 2021 – Present)
Adjunct lecturer, both course design and delivery for courses such as British Business in a European Context - Various guest lecturer opportunities (primarily in London) (2015 – Present)
Both business-related and interpersonal skill set courses
Corporate Experience
- +15 years professional experience – including 8 years in management consulting (ex-PA Consulting in London)
- Recent executive management role overseeing strategy based in Dubai; clients primarily in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
- Strategy, implementation and managed services; cross-sector; economic development and diversification
- Geographical experience across Americas, Europe (primarily UK and Spain) and MENA (KSA, UAE and Bahrain)
- Comment occasionally as an expert via media opinion-eds/interviews; lecturing and events
Consulting Experience
- Ex-PA Consulting based in London as an economic development advisor (one of the world’s oldest management consulting houses)
- Clients have included government entities in the UK, Canada, and the Middle East in the international trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) context, across strategy to implementation and managed services
- Sector specialisation within economic development include agriculture/tech, tech, financial services and fintech, creative industries (such as film and television), and transportation
- Last job role was Head of Strategy for a Dubai-based company called RISE which focused on commercialisation across the consulting lifecycle
- Architected alongside the team on high-profile projects which included the OOH strategy of an entire country and boosting a fresh produce profile for a country – to name a few
- +5,000 hours of capability development training as part of strategy implementation work
Research Interests
- Economic development
- International trade and FDI
- Fintech
- Agritech and agriculture
- Tech
- Emerging economies (Middle East, Africa, Latin America and South and SE Asia)
Conference Presentations
- Various conferences as either moderator, panel or speaker (recently around fintech and in the wider economic development context)
Chapters in Books
- Fintech: Middle East and Africa Report 2021 – Main Author
Editorial and Reviewer Activities
- The Fintech Times (ongoing)
Conferences & Workshops
- Various internal client-specific workshops and training
Awards & Recognition
- Distinction and Cum-laude across academic degrees
Memberships
- Institute of Export & International Trade UK (previous)
Media Appearances & Coverage
- The Fintech Times (2020-ongoing)
Various as the Head of the Middle East and Africa | Contributor - Forbes.com (2016-17)
Various as a guest author - Fruitnet.com (2018-ongoing)
Various as a regular contributor - Entrepreneur.com (2018-2020)
Various across the geographical franchise, mainly en Espanol, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East - Financial Express (India) (2019-2020)
Two co-authored guest pieces - More in print:
Various including Arab News, The National (UAE), Muscat Daily and NBC News - TV/Video:
Various including The Fintech Times, Fruitnet.com and Sky News (UK)
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