David Sowells
Principal
David is an expert in international strategic communications. He has advised numerous governments, corporations and non-profits including HSBC on political engagement, Trafigura on grassroots and media relations, and the International Executive Service Corps on social media and corporate relations.
David was a senior executive at Bell Pottinger and Fleishman Hillard; served as Public Affairs Director of CNN International and AOL Time Warner Europe; and was Vice President of the UK Satellite and Cable Broadcasters Group. He began his career as an economic advisor in the House of Commons.
David studied at the London School of Economics and Harvard Business School, and has run successful businesses in Washington DC, London and Brussels.
Chuck Conconi
Chairman, Advisory Board
Veteran journalist and author, Chuck Conconi has more than 40 years' experience in TV, radio and print journalism.
Chuck was editor of the “Style” section and author of the daily “Personalities” (now “Reliable Source”) column at The Washington Post, and then editor-at-large of The Washingtonian. He has worked extensively on radio and TV on such networks as FOX, NBC and CNN International.
Chuck has written two books (The Energy Balloon and The Washington Sting), and was a Press Secretary in the US Senate. He has been as a visiting lecturer at numerous universities, and currently serves as Vice Chairman of Qorvis MSLGROUP.
Charles N. Andreae, III
Government Relations
Chip Andreae is a strategic business consultant with expertise in political affairs and political risk management. Chip has had extensive exposure to the Washington establishment, with particular focus on foreign policy. He worked for 15 years on Capitol Hill, including 4 years with the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and 5 years as Chief of Staff for Senator Richard Lugar, for whom he led numerous Senate staff delegations to the Near East, Latin America and Africa.
Working with the International Republican Institute, Chip helped train newly created political parties for two years in Bulgaria, two years in Romania, and two years in South Africa. He also has served on over a dozen election observer missions around the world on behalf of the U.S. Government.
Joey Nichols
Public Affairs, Events, Fundraising
Joey has 20 years' experience of public affairs, fund-raising, and event management, giving her a deep understanding of how the worlds of government, politics, non-profit and public opinion intersect.
Her fund-raising clients have including candidates for Governor, U.S. Senate and Congress. She was the lead fund-raising consultant for both U.S. Senate races of former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles. She was also a senior fund-raising and VIP management consultant for the Democratic National Committee convention.
Joey has managed hundreds of events ranging from small intimate meetings to major VIP fundraising dinners and multi-day conferences. She gives pro-bono support to InterAct, which provides services to victims of domestic violence.
Samantha Sault
Content and Strategic Communications
Based in Washington D.C. and Geneva, Samantha works at the intersection of trade, politics, and media, with extensive experience in apparel and retail, CSR and sustainability, tax and financial services, and travel and hospitality.
For almost a decade, Samantha was vice president of communications at the U.S. Fashion Industry Association, leading the organization’s rebranding and launching several new communications products.
She began her career as a journalist, working as deputy online editor at The Weekly Standard, columnist at The Washington Times, and editorial staff at The Hoover Institution’s Policy Review.
Her full-length travel guidebook, Moon Washington DC, was published by Hachette Book Group in 2018.
Samantha was named one of the most influential Washingtonians under 40 by Washington Life Magazine.
Sandra Charles
Government Relations and Foreign Policy
Sandra Charles advises foreign governments on their relations with the US Government. She served the US Government for many years as a member of the National Security Council (NSC) staff of the White House and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, International Security Affairs (OASD ISA).
Her many career highlights include advising the Reagan and Bush Administration on politico-military issues in North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, including Operation Desert Storm. She was also a key player in forging the Reagan Administration's policy toward the Iran-Iraq War, including the U.S. military operations to protect Kuwaiti shipping in the Gulf in 1987-1988.
Ms. Charles was presented with the Secretary of Defense Medal of Meritorious Civilian Service in 1988 for her service. She currently serves as Senior Advisor to Dentons and is a member of its Global Business Intelligence Unit.
Allen Mgaieth
Business Development, New York
Allen Mgaieth has over 15 years’ experience of business development, strategic communications and geopolitical research and analysis for governments, multinationals, investors, and individuals around the world.
Allen’s most recent clients have required his crisis and strategic communications support in Gabon, Ghana, Tunisia, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. His previous positions have included head of Public Relations for Cisco Middle East and Pakistan, consumer dispute affairs mediator at the Office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts, and investor relations advisor for the German American Chamber of Commerce in New York.
Allen speaks fluent Arabic and French, has a working knowledge of Spanish and Italian, and has lived and worked in the US, UK, Spain, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Tunisia, UAE and Australia.
Tricuro: Advisory Board
Bill McSweeny
Member, Advisory Board
Bill McSweeny has had a long and distinguished career, culminating in his appointment as President of Occidental International Corporation.
Bill started his career as an infantryman in the Korean War, becoming an award-winning war correspondent in Vietnam and Israel, and later joining the staff of President Lyndon Johnson.
Four Presidents have appointed Bill to numerous posts, inlcuding UNESCO, Special Envoy to the USSR, Special Ambassador to Bolivia, Special Ambassador to Oman, President's Representative to Korea for the 50th anniversary ceremonies, and Co-Chair of the NATO 50th Anniversary at the White House.
Bill has written three books and was recently awarded the title "Washingtonian of the Year."
Col. (Ret) Charles D. McFetridge
Member, Advisory Board
Charles McFetridge is a consultant in security, post-conflict reconciliation, corporate social responsibility and human rights. He has worked all over the world with such clients as Exxon-Mobil, BP, Noble Group and the World Bank (Indonesia); Chevron (Angola); Barrack Gold (Canada); Xstrata Mining (Tanzania); Freeport-MacMoRan (DR Congo, Peru); Goldcorp (Latin America); MIGA (Burkina Faso, Honduras); IFC (Honduras); Talisman Energy (Canada, Malaysia); Anvil Mining (Australia) and the US departments of State and Defense.
Commissioned as an Army officer in 1970, Colonel McFetridge was the US Defense and Army Attaché in Jakarta, Indonesia from 1994-98, for which his office received the US Intelligence Community Award from the Director of Central Intelligence.
Charles has written numerous papers, including “The Voluntary Principles on Human Rights – An Implementation Toolkit for Major Project Sites,” published by the World Bank in July 2008.