Edward De Valle II has built his reputation on results throughout his career. An entrepreneur at heart, Edward has successfully navigated multiple industries, always focusing on the value he can generate for those around him. As Managing Partner of The Agency Dominican Republic, Edward brings a dynamic combination of diligence and foresight. Edward’s talent for planning and managing his projects with exactness has led him to oversee many high-end real estate deals throughout the Dominican Republic.

Currently, Edward is developing La Quinta Puerto Plata, Wyndham Pedernales, Wyndham Grand Santo Domingo, Super 8 Manzanillo, Super 8 Monte Cristi, Super 8 Miches, Super 8 Airport Santo Domingo, Dazzler Santo Domingo, Dazzler Juan Dolio, & Wyndham Garden Punta Cana.

His existing portfolio of 3-5 star hotel and condo hotels is valued at over USD 200MM, all of which are in the Dominican Republic.

Immediately after earning his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management from Nova South Eastern University Edward immersed himself in the business world. His first role was as Marketing Manager at GE Power Systems Latina America. From there, he climbed the corporate ladder rapidly, eventually coming to manage sales and marketing for several world-famous publications—including Newsweek, Vogue, Glamour, Discover, Men’s Fitness, Prevention, Teen, and Architectural Digest—shaping the narrative throughout the U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets. In 2013 Forbes entrusted him with publishing the magazine in Central America and the Caribbean, a distinct honor. Edward also completed his Master’s in Business Management and is completing his Doctor in Business Administration at the Swiss School of Business in Geneva, Switzerland.

Edward is an adept problem-solver and natural power player and is highly respected for his creative and analytical mind. Edward’s accolades and points of pride are many, and his mark on the Dominican Republic’s real estate realm is without compare. To date, he has devised and executed marketing campaigns on residential and vacation real estate properties totaling more than $15 billion in value. Thought leaders and dynamic brands such as Richard Meier, the late Zaha Hadid, and Armani have sought out Edward’s counsel. In 2012, he bought Douglas Elliman Real Estate for representation in the Dominican Republic. More recently, Wyndham signed an exclusive development agreement with Edward, Profusion Group, and Edward’s partners to develop their Dominican Republic La Quinta by Wyndham property. Likewise, Edward and Grupo Zagalo constructed the first-ever YOO Studio by Phillipe Starck in the Caribbean.

A devoted philanthropist, Edward pursues charity work through Fundación De Valle, which has touched lives throughout the Dominican Republic, serving children with special needs or HIV-positive/AIDS status.

Mrs. Tamayo has 20 years of experience in international business, management consulting, business development and investments with a proven track  record in various sectors including commercial real estate and hospitality. She has worked with institutional investors, private companies,  high-net-worth individuals and government agencies in the US and emerging markets. Mrs. Tamayo has directly participated in multiple transactions  with an aggregated value of over US $1.5BN.

She currently serves as a Senior Partner to Profusion Group completing the Team with the functions of Chief Investment Officer. She is also a Managing  Director to CNS Global Advisors, an international strategic advisory firm led by Francisco Sanchez, former Under Secretary of Commerce and head of  the International Trade Administration for the United States of America. There she helps increase value, develop business strategies, teams, corporate  structures and capital structuring as well as financial oversight in the Real Estate and Hospitality sector.

Prior to this, she served as Managing Director and Executive VP of Bricapital, a Miami-based private equity firm focused on the hospitality sector in  the Caribbean and Latin America. She was responsible for the investment affairs of the firm and managed the long-term development of the company  and its subsidiaries, playing a lead role in fund development and management, negotiation and structuring of strategic partnerships and project  development across the regional platform. She actively participated in the due diligence process and selection of potential assets for investment, as  well as being part of the Investment Committees of the funds.

Before Bricapital, Mrs. Tamayo served as the Director of Americas for Applied Business Intelligence, an international strategic consulting firm specializing  in real estate and infrastructure in Asia and Middle East. Prior to her role at Business Intelligence, Mrs. Tamayo served as the Chief Investment Officer  for Victory Management LLC, a real estate investment company focused on commercial real estate in the United States and India.

Mrs. Tamayo is an Advisory Board Member to the ILumno Foundation. Previously, she served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Eisenhower  Fellowships, and the Advisory Board of Knowledge @ Wharton, the online business journal of Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She  is also a former member of the Boards of the Colombian Association of Private Equity Funds (ColCapital), and the Venezuelan-American Chamber  of Commerce of the United States.

Mrs. Tamayo built her early career as a successful commercial real estate broker with Coldwell Banker Commercial NRT, and was recognized as one of the top 10 brokers  in the United States for six consecutive years. She received CoStar Group’s Power Broker Award, awarded to the best commercial brokers in South  Florida.

Mrs. Tamayo holds a Master of Science in Real Estate Development and a Master in Business Administration from the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship of Nova  Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She also holds post-graduate studies in Logistics and Trading from the Merchant Marine Institute of  Venezuela, and different designations and certifications, among them CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) and ICSC (International Council  of Shopping Centers).  Mrs. Tamayo has a Bachelor  of Arts in International Relations from the Universidad Central de Venezuela.

Jesus Ramírez is a Business Development and Operations professional, has forged his professional career in international marketing, operations in  multiple jurisdictions across Latinoamérica and the Caribbean.

In 2018, he joined the Profusion Group team as a Senior Partner. Mr. Ramirez brings to the company his unique  abilities of navigating process, critical routes and flawless execution to the day to day activities of the Group.

2017, Mr. Ramirez moved to the Dominican Republic were he served as an Senior Partner at LINKS World Group in charge of expanding LINKS  divisions and footprint in the country creating two new verticals LINKS Business Consulting and LINKS Studio Design, both ventures were and   immediate success among developers, and the real estate community.

Mr. Ramirez while in Venezuela, inspire by the success of his first entrepreneurial venture; acquire in 2008 Harmony Furniture a manufacturing facility  of innovative furniture, which still generates business under a professionally managed team. Prior to this acquisition, he founded  RECOVENCA, a  company focus on the execution of structural works for the public and private sector and supplier of construction products.

His professional career began to stand out in 2004 as the Marketing Director for Mi Plan a Venezuelan company dedicated to the system of  programmed purchases.

Mr. Ramirez has a Bachelors degree in Mass Communications from Universidad Santa Maria de Venezuela and a specialization degree in Advertising  and Marketing at CULTCA

Carlos Cortina is currently a Senior FInancial Consultant and the founder of Studio Financiero, a financial consulting firm in the Dominican Republic, whose objective is to provide the adequate tools and assist medium and large-sized corporations through their decision-making process and strategic planning. The firm provides single transaction solutions, or recurring outsourcing solutions on almost any area of strategic and financial management.

During 14 years, Mr. Cortina served as the Chief Financial Officer and was a board member of Grupo Metro in the Dominican Republic, where he designed and implemented various strategies that grew the company’s revenue in the last decade.

Overall, Carlos Coritna’s career spans almost 25 years and his professional experience embodies every aspect of the financial sector.

A 1997 graduate of Trinity University, Carlos received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a minor in Economics. Following his bachelor’s degree, he pursued a Professional Development Program in Hospitality Management and Administration at Cornell University in 1998.

With over two decades of experience in finance, management and real estate, Mr. McQuire is the founder of Pioneer Mutual Funds, The Dominican Republic’s first mutual fund corporation and largest of its kind with over USD $400 million in investments. Active assets include renowned brands such as Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda, The St. Regis Cap Cana Resort & Residences, and Roco KI, just to name a few.

Mr. McQuire has also founded On Demand Property Management – a development firm with an objective to seek opportunities and develop hotel properties in the Dominican Republic for Hilton, Marriott and Wyndham. Following U.S. standards, he and his team supervise construction sites and oversee every step of the process, from land acquisition through product delivery.

Prior to his current position, Crysler served as Sales Director at Fred Alger Mutual Funds for Latin American as well as for CHS Merisel in the Caribbean. Prudential Financial is also among the recognized financial companies he has worked for in the past.

Mr. McQuire graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Literature with minors in Economics, Ecology, and Italian.

Office Manager

Public Relations and Marketing Manager

Executive Assistant to the CEO

Asset Management

Managing Director at JPC Hospitality Advisors

Mr. Cotter is a 15-year veteran and 4th-generation hospitality executive with extensive experience in operations, acquisitions, development,  dispositions, product conceptualization, brand selection, contract negotiation and portfolio management.

In his role as Managing Director at JPC Hospitality Advisors, Mr. Cotter provides asset management and advisory services to clients, both nationally  and internationally.

Previously, Jason served as Senior Vice President of Hospitality at Bricapital. He managed the Hospitality portfolio and ensured performance and  returns were on par. He also managed Brilla’s local hospitality investment and asset management teams.

During his tenure, Mr. Cotter participated in the acquisitions, asset management, and divestments for the properties in Brilla’s portfolio, including the  acquisitions of the Viceroy Zihuatanejo in Mexico, Cap Juluca in Anguilla, and the Hyatt Regency in Colombia; as well as the successful exits of Hotel  Isle de France in St. Barts, the Raleigh hotel in Miami Beach, and One Bal Harbour in Bal Harbour, Florida.

Prior to Brilcapital, Mr. Cotter served as Director at RJC, a boutique hospitality management consulting firm. In this function, he worked on a number of  high-profile engagements, including the opening of The Hotel Arista in Chicago and its restaurant SugarToad, which received a four-star rating by the  Chicago Tribune. He also created luxury standard operating procedures and a dynamic training program for the HRH Tower at the Hard Rock Hotel in  Las Vegas, as well as assisting with the management transition of The Raleigh hotel in Miami following its acquisition by Brilla.

Mr. Cotter has a Bachelor of Science from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration and currently sits on the Dean’s Council (CYA). He previously  held numerous positions with the school’s alumni association including most recently Regional Vice President of the Cornell Hotel Society, South East  Region, overseeing four local chapters.

Legal – Hospitality

Partner – LOEB & LOEB LLP

Tara Gorman focuses her practice on hospitality law advising clients domestically and internationally on a broad spectrum of matters including hotel  acquisitions, financings, operations and development. She also handles a variety of management, licensing and branding agreements for hotels,  restaurants, water parks and casinos.

Tara maintains a diverse real estate practice, concentrating on commercial real estate acquisitions and sales, data center, office and retail leasing, and  telecommunication license agreements. She has represented a range of institutional investors in connection with their real estate investments, as well  as governmental and quasi-governmental agencies with respect to their real estate holdings.

In addition to her practice, Tara writes a column for Hotel Business Review, is a contributing writer to the textbook Hotel Law – Transactions,  Management and Franchising, and regularly speaks at conferences and seminars on real estate and hospitality topics. She is also a professor in  residence (adjunct) at the Washington College of Law of American University in Washington, D.C., as part of the Hospitality and Tourism Law Program,  and at the University of Maryland, where she teaches Hospitality Law.

Recognition & Affiliation

Recognition

James E. MacLennan Every Day Hero Award, Up With People International Alumni Association (2016)

Affiliations

Member, American Bar Association

Vice-Chair, Timesharing and Interval Use Committee, of the Hospitality Group of the Real Property and Probate Section of the American Bar Assocation  Member, Commercial Real Estate Women

Professor in Residence, Hospitality and Tourism Law Program, Washington College of Law of American University, Washington, D.C., (2013-Present)  Advisory Board, Drexel University’s Center for Hospitality and Sport Management, Philadelphia, PA, (2014-Present)

Board of Advisory, Georgetown Law Center’s Hotel & Lodging Legal Summit  Program Planning Committee, American Lodging Investment Summit  Honorary Member, Chief Executive Officers Club

Parent Educator/Leader, Parent Encouragement Program (PEP)  Scholarship Coordinator, We’ll Be There Foundation

Member, Up With People International Alumni Association  Member, Women in Film & Video of Washington

Financial Marketing

Mrs. Segovia brings 20 years of experience in Marketing and Investor Relations. Currently she serves as an independent adviser for different companies and organizations, capitalizing on her experience in strategic planning to lead teams through the creation and execution of projects that help clients achieve their investment goals.

As a Marketing & IR specialist, she advises on capital raising processes while maintaining effective communication with current and prospective investors for each client. Mrs. Segovia also manages capital calls and provides regular portfolio updates and financial reporting. She creates and maintains clients’ marketing materials and coordinates especial events, while being responsible for all aspects of clients’ communications and branding positioning. Mrs. Segovia works with clients to develop strategies in line with executing effective marketing and communications.

Previously, she served as VP of Marketing & Investor Relations at Bricapital, a Miami-based private equity firm focused on the hospitality sector in the Caribbean and Latin America. She was responsible for the planning and execution of the group’s marketing and PR strategy, coordinating all marketing, advertising, and promotional activities; in this capacity, she managed the productivity of the marketing strategy and budget. Mrs. Segovia was also the liaison for individual and institutional investors.

Prior to joining Bricapital, she worked in residential real estate sales where she developed an extensive international client portfolio of investors. She was also co-founder and Director of MATHEWS/SEGOVIA, a boutique marketing agency based in Los Angeles, specialized in branding and sponsorship marketing. She was also part of the team of Latino Directo, a marketing company specializing in the development of products and services specifically tailored to the U.S. Latino market.

Before Latino Directo, she served as Business Development Manager for Volando.com, a corporate and leisure travel organization with operations in Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina. She led the marketing department, implementing product, distribution, advertising, and marketing partnerships in the region to increase the company’s sales.

Mrs. Segovia has received a B.A. in International Affairs from the Universidad Central de Venezuela, and a graduate degree in Corporate Finance from the Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas, Venezuela. She received her MBA from The George Washington University in Washington D.C.

Legal Adviser

Mr. Coiscou is a lawyer with more than 25 years of experience, specializing in private consulting in matters of negotiations, contracts, privatizations and installation of projects in general. Also, Mr. Coiscou is skilled in team management and project development. He has great experience and has participated in negotiations that have taken place in the tourism, fuel and energy sector in the last twenty (20) years.

Mr. Coiscou is a member of the Bar Association of the Dominican Republic   since 1992 being his Alma Mater the prestigious Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña graduating Cum Laude.

Languages:

Spanish and English

Experience:

Mr. Coiscou is the legal representative of multinational companies in the field of tourism, pharmaceutical, and gas and oil.

Mr. Coiscou contributed as leading counsel for the Dominican Corporation of State Electrical Companies (Corporación Dominicana de Empresas Eléctricas Estatales, CDEEE), a public organization, property of the Dominican Government, in an international arbitration against one of the largest electrical corporations in the United States.
Mr. Coiscou was the leading legal advisor for the Secretariat of Public Works in a local arbitration against an international consortium.
He was also a member of the legal team that participated in the capitalization of electrical company Empresa Generadora Itabo, S.A. through a consortium composed in that time by the Chilean company GENER and with the Houston-based company, The Coastal Corporation.

He is currently the lawyer that represents AON in a multi-million lawsuit in the Dominican Republic.

Practice Area:

Corporate Law, Government Relations; Arbitration; Natural Resources; Business Litigation; Strategic Alliances; Business Organization; Corporate Contracts; Commercial Law; Business Transactions; International Joint Ventures; Electric Power Joint Ventures; Government Affairs; Energy Acquisitions; Oil and Gas Contracts; Travel and Tourism; Mediation; Contracts; Litigation; Commercial Arbitration; Commercial Transactions; Foreign Sales Corporations; Corporate Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Business Law; Government; Business Formation; Alternative Dispute Resolution; Corporate Organization; Offshore Corporations; Electric Power; International Law; Business Mediation; International Commercial Arbitration; Commercial Mediation; Oil and Gas Law; Energy; Investment Law; Joint Ventures; Resorts and Leisure; Energy Contracts; Foreign Investment

Legal Adviser

Miss Herrera is the Corporate Legal Director of Coiscou & Associados. Mrs. Herrera concentrates her practice in corporate counseling for all stages of a company’s development, provides mediations related to government disputes, commercial contract preparation and planning strategies for the adequate protection of companies. She has developed her practice in administrative, as well as consumer law.

Mr. Herrera is a graduate of the Pontificía Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), with a degree in Law. She completed her master’s degree in “Economic Law” at the Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. Also she is a member of the Bar Association of the Dominican Republic (CARD) since 2009.

Languages:

Spanish and English

Experience:

Before joining Coiscou & Asociados, Mrs Herrera served as an attorney in the legal department of the National Institute of Consumer Protection, in the areas of public law, resolution of conflicts through mediation and analysis and revision of the service contracts of the main suppliers of the country.

Practice Area:

Corporate Law, arbitration; Natural Resources; Business Organization; Intellectual Property, Corporate Contracts; Commercial Law; Business and commercial; public bidding and contracting, Commercial Transactions; Business Law; Government; Business Formation; Alternative Dispute Resolution; Corporate Organization; Offshore Corporations; Electric Power; authorizations for renewable energy processes, permits and authorization of the tourism sector, mining concessions,  investment Law; Joint Ventures;