Blackrock Resources International's Investment Leaders Live Podcast

Tom Schapira has nearly 20 years of expertise in the financial services and fintech space in strategy, venture investing and fundraising. As founder of Imagine Capital Group, Tom focuses on buyside services (partnerships, acquisitions, go-to-market strategy), sell-side services (capital fundraising and M&A) and fintech investments with a focus on servicing European and Asian clientele with access to US markets. Tom has extensive hands-on experience in fundraising from institutional investors, private equity, family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals as well as from corporate venture capital and corporate development groups, globally. He’s knowledgeable in LP sourcing, qualifying, outreach and the subsequent LP roadshow with tailored messaging to get to an investment. Previously, Tom lead corporate & product strategy within FIS (formerly SunGard) and served financial services clients of A.T. Kearney and Accenture Financial Services Strategy Group. Tom has vast experience working with firms like BNP Paribas, ABN AMRO, ING, Wells Fargo, FIS, Fiserv, Envestnet, Vestmark, Tegra118 and consulting/system integration firms like Accenture, IBM, Deloitte and Luxoft. Tom received his MBA with honors from the IE Business School in Madrid, Spain and has diplomas in private equity and venture capital. He received his undergraduate degree with honors from The George Washington University in Washington D.C., where he majored in International Business. Tom has been a business advisor for over a decade and thoroughly enjoys helping companies grow. He speaks French, Spanish and Romanian and in his free time loves to sail, travel with his wife, and spend time with his one-year old daughter.

André Harrell is a cross-functional leader whose career has been a combination of leadership and corporate governance. Amassing close to 30 years of experience in corporate commercial leadership, André’s footprint has a planted presence in both domestic and international markets. Key executive leadership roles have included, commercial infrastructure management, venture capital/private equity, centers of process excellence, mergers & acquisitions and global business development. André has developed a vast portfolio of partnerships with Fortune 100 companies like Johnson & Johnson Inc, Hewlett Packard, BASF, SC Johnson, Bristol Myers Squibb, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Revlon, Twitter, and Novo Nordisk. Currently, André serves as a managing partner for Lab Me Analytics and Day Capital Partners, LLC. He operates a management consulting business that works with startups and mid-cap companies preparing them for capital fundraising, IPO or acquisition. He also serves on a number boards both profit and non-profit (iMetabolic Biopharma Corporation, Institute of Philanthropic Excellence, and National Blood Clot Alliance). André was the Board Chairman for ARTZ Philadelphia a nonprofit organization that helps those with various forms of dementia. He's also a key opinion leader and regular contributor to Harvard Business Review (cross functional leadership subject matter expert). André is a well-known keynote speaker and often facilitates leadership workshops and counsels C-Suite individuals in the international Fortune 500 space.