William E. Kennard
Chairman, United States
Prior to joining Velocitas, Bill was the United States Ambassador to the European Union, appointed by President Obama. During his Ambassadorship, Bill was a key force behind President Obama’s 2013 decision to launch negotiations on an ambitious Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the US and the EU. In 2012, the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU awarded Bill its highest honor, the Transatlantic Business Award, for his contribution to improving transatlantic relations and removing trade barriers. Before serving as Ambassador, Bill was a Managing Director of The Carlyle Group, a global private equity firm with over $190 billion under management. Before that, he served as Chairman of the United States Federal Communications Commission, appointed by President Bill Clinton.
Bill is a member of the Boards of Directors of AT&T Inc., MetLife Inc., Ford Motor Co., and Duke Energy Corporation. Bill is also an Operating Executive Board member of Staple Street Capital, a US based private equity fund. Bill received his JD from Yale Law School and his BA from Stanford University where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He has also received honorary degrees from Howard, Gallaudet, and Long Island Universities. Bill is fluent in French and English.
Our Global Partners
Robert A. Mandell
United States
An industrialist at heart, Bobby has devoted his entire career to building and steering emerging enterprises to success in both the private and public sectors. After building a career as an attorney and becoming a law firm’s managing partner in Florida, Bobby chose to become a laborer in his father’s home building business, Greater Homes. He soon went on to become the Company’s Chairman and CEO, which, during its history built and sold 14,000 homes in over forty-five new communities in Central Florida. He eventually sold the company to Meritage Homes, one of the country’s largest home builders. In 2011, Bobby was appointed by President Obama to serve as the Ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg prior to which he was appointed to become a member of the President’s Export Council which aimed to double exports in five years. As the capital campaign co-chair for United Cerebral Policy in Florida, Bobby gave and raised over $6.5mm to build a new facility now serving over 450 disabled children. In 1986, he was selected by Republican Governor Bob Martinez to chair Florida’s Environmental Regulation Commission and was subsequently appointed to the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority where he served as Chairman.
Bobby serves on the Board of Trustees for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and on the Board of Directors of Human Rights First and the Woodrow Wilson Center. He has also served on the Board of Directors of Florida Hospital, a 2,000-bed acute care hospital that is part of the Adventist Health System, the Sanford-Burnham Institute for Medical Research, Orange Bank and the Vermont Studio Center. Bobby received his BS in Advertising and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida. He is also a graduate of the OPM Executive Program at Harvard Business School.
Arindam A. Bose
United Arab Emirates
Arindam brings over fifteen years of experience in capital raising, private equity, wealth management and client relationship management. He has successfully concluded over USD one billion in equity finance transactions over his investment banking and asset management career. As head of Etihad financial advisors, an Emirates Securities and Commodities Authority licensed financial advisory firm, Arindam has developed deep networks in the MENA region. Previously, Arindam was a Partner at Al Masah Capital, a UAE based investment fund with over one billion dollars under management. Before that, Arindam was a Director in the Global Banking and Markets Group at Royal Bank of Scotland, where he was responsible for originating and managing transactions for its investment banking business. His previous roles have included International Private banking at Coutts & Company, The National Investor and Government of Dubai and the World Bank Group.
Arindam is a member of the Board of Directors of Velocitas Partners, Gulf Pinnacle Logistics, Naturo Virgin Agro Farm, Agile Financial Tech, Carving Futures Pte, Karu Design & Marketing Pvt ltd. He completed his executive training at Manchester University and received his Bachelor's degree in Engineering from Barkatullah Vishwavidyalaya. Arindam is fluent in English, Hindi, and Bengali.
Oksana V. Tiedt
Germany
Oksana has over fifteen years of experience in global private equity, fund of funds and investment banking in diverse industries. Prior to founding Velocitas, she led Swift Capital’s European Private Equity Fund of Funds portfolio with over one billion euros of assets under management. Before that, she spent seven years at Bain Capital, a global investment firm managing over $65 billion in assets. Based in their Munich and London offices, Oksana originated and executed leveraged buyout transactions. During this time, she also served as a Director and Strategic and Financial Advisor for two private companies. Oksana has also worked at Goldman Sachs's mergers and acquisitions group, Nissho Iwai Trading Company and at the National Defense University.
Oksana is a member of the Board of Directors of ULURU Inc., a Velocitas portfolio company. Oksana received her MA in International Economics and International Relations with a focus on Japan Studies from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and completed her BA in Economics and Asian Studies from Willamette University. Oksana is fluent in German, Russian, and English.
Anish V. Shah
India
Anish is a serial entrepreneur, with over twenty-five years of experience in senior management positions in diverse industry sectors. Throughout his career, Anish has gained a strong reputation for making unviable products viable and has amassed significant experience in all aspects of business management ranging from manufacturing to marketing in various international markets. Prior to joining Velocitas, Anish served as the Director of International Expansion at SPPL Group, a generic drugs manufacturer with two manufacturing facilities with over 400 products. Under Anish's supervision, SPPL became an international, financially regulated export institution with a sale network in over twenty countries in Africa and Latin America. Prior to that, he served in senior management capacities providing support in various functional areas to a number of other small and medium sized companies including PCI and Shreeram Group of Companies.
Anish serves on the Board of Directors of ULURU Inc., a Velocitas portfolio company. He began his career at Arthur Anderson, after receiving his BCOM from Mumbai University and participating in the CFA and ICWA programs. Anish is fluent in English, Hindi, Gujarati, and Marathi.
Vaidehi A. Shah
United States, Austria
Vaidehi has over sixteen years of business management and public and private debt and equity investing experience in diverse industries. Prior to founding Velocitas, Vaidehi spent over a decade originating, structuring and monitoring investment transactions at leading financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs, The Carlyle Group, Eton Park and IFC, at The World Bank. During this time, she also helped accelerate growth at a number of her investee companies by devising and implementing new business strategies. Vaidehi also served as CEO of the Daotec Group of Companies, an Austrian technology business offering services in over sixty countries. During her three years at Daotec, she led its transformation from a telecom services provider into an international, financially regulated payment service institution.
Vaidehi is the Chairman and CEO of ULURU Inc., a Velocitas portfolio company. Vaidehi also serves as Director for the Harvard Business School Healthcare Alumni Association in Austria. She received her MBA with honors from Harvard Business School and graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in Mathematics and Economics from Wellesley College. Vaidehi is fluent in English, Hindi, and Gujarati.