Advisory Team
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Eugenie Rives
Eugenie leads several early projects at X, Alphabet’s moonshot factory where uncomfortably ambitious, world-changing ideas are developed and taken out into the world. These early stage moonshot teams are exploring radical new ways to solve some of the world’s biggest problems using breakthrough technology. Prior to her work on early stage moonshots Eugenie led a robotics moonshot in logistics. Eugenie is passionate about bringing more diversity to the tech industry and co-leads the “Women@X” group –a community of women who aspire to improve women's representation and bolster their success and opportunities at X.
Before joining X, Eugenie led Operations for Google in France and Sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Francophone Africa). Before Google, Eugenie worked for Alcatel in Mexico city, managing projects to connect cities and public infrastructure online.
Eugenie grew up in Paris, and has a degree in applied mathematics, a Master in Business and Management, and graduated from Singularity University in 2010. She lives in San Francisco with her 2 Franco-English-American kids (Shan 7 years, Alma 5 years). Eugenie balances the fast pace of technology leadership by practicing meditation and yoga.
Eric Demirian
Mr. Demirian is a seasoned business executive with a unique blend of financial, operational and board governance experience. He is currently president of Parklea Capital, Inc., a boutique financial advisory firm and president of Demicap Inc., a private investment firm.
From 2000 to 2003, Mr. Demirian was Executive Vice President of Group Telecom, Inc. and for 17 years Mr. Demirian was with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP where he was a partner and head of the Information and Communication Practice. Mr. Demirian is Non-Executive Chair of The Descartes Systems Group Inc. (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX: DSG) and is a Director of Enghouse Systems Limited (TSX:ENGH), Redline Communications Group Inc. (TSX:RDL), and Imax Corporation (NYSE:IMAX).
Mr. Demirian is a former director of a number of public companies, including Menu Foods Income Fund (2005-2010) and Keystone North America Inc. (2007-2010). Mr. Demirian is a CPA, CGA and CA and received a Bachelor of Business Management from Ryerson University.
Ciro Echesortu
Ciro Echesortu served as Group CEO of the Louis Dreyfus Group (LDC), President, Group COO, Latam South CEO, Argentina CEO, Head of Global Oilseeds at Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) during a 30 year career.
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Ciro was Head of Development and Markets for Cresud (Soros/IRSA). He was also President of the Cereal Exporters Chamber (CEC) and the Oilseeds Industry Chamber (CIARA) in addition to the Argentine National Committee of the United World Colleges.
Ciro is Executive Director of TLG Investment Funds with interests in the Agricultural Industry, Pharma, Real Estate and Finance, and of CeibosGroup an agricultural company with operations in Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia. He is a member of the Executive Committees of Roagro and of Santa Clara Dairy.
He is a graduate in Agricultural Economics from the University of Guelph, Canada. Married, four children.
Nicholas Walker
Nicholas has been involved in international trade for over 30 years. He is a specialist in global trade, market access issues, and international finance. He has extensive experience in business and trade development on every continent of the globe and has concluded many multi-million dollar contracts.
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He has held management and board positions in several companies. Nicholas has advised governments and heads of state on trade issues related to market access.
Fluent in English and Spanish, Nicholas holds an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Western Ontario and is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School, Cambridge, MA.
Fred Eaton
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Fred Eaton is a director and President of White Raven Capital Corp, a privately held holding company investing primarily in publicly traded companies, real estate, and some privately held companies.
He has served in those positions since the founding of White Raven in 1998. Prior to joining White Raven, Fred worked at The T. Eaton Company Limited (a department store), and prior to that in Dillard’s Department Stores in various capacities.
He is also a director of Eaton Hudson, Limited, a retail liquidation company. Fred is also a director and the manager of the Catherine and Fredrik Eaton Charitable Foundation, which has focussed its support in the fields of medicine, education, museums, and the fine arts.
He majored in economics at Williams College in Massachusetts.
John Eckert
John has spent his entire career in the investment industry and is one of Canada’s most experienced
technology investors. Prior to Round 13, Mr. Eckert was co-founder and Managing Partner of McLean
Watson Capital. While at McLean Watson, Mr. Eckert was responsible for many of its most successful companies including FloNetwork, Fortiva, and Lavalife. In January 2015, Skywave, a portfolio company of McLean Watson of which John was Chairman, was sold to Orbcomm for $200 million. McLean Watson was also the majority investor in i4i and the driving force behind its successful $315million patent infringement victory against Microsoft in 2010.
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John has been chairman or held directorships in numerous early and development stage companies.
Prior to McLean Watson, Mr. Eckert was co-financier of Softimage, which quickly grew to become the world’s leading 3D animation company. After its successful IPO on NASDAQ in 1992, John became co-COO of Softimage, a position he held until shortly before its acquisition by Microsoft in 1994.