James F. Haft, Chairman and CEO, serves as Managing Partner of Pacific Alliance Limited, LLC. Mr. Haft has extensive experience in both investment banking and private equity investments, particularly in the areas of emerging markets, and digital, Internet and wireless digital media and communications businesses.

Prior to founding PAL, Mr. Haft was the Managing Director of Latin American Equity Capital Markets at ING Barings (U.S.) Securities, Inc. Previously, he was founder and Managing Director of Emerging Markets Investment Banking at Furman Selz, LLC, and Managing Director of Asian Investment Banking in Hong Kong for Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc. Prior to his three years in Hong Kong, Mr. Haft worked for six years as an investment banker at Bear Stearns in New York in the Mergers & Acquisitions and Latin American Corporate Finance Groups.  Mr. Haft has been responsible for the origination and closing of transactions in the U.S., Asia, Europe and Latin America with an aggregate value of over $20 billion and was responsible for the first listing of a Chinese company on the New York Stock Exchange. In 2007, Mr. Haft represented the leading Spanish language Internet advertising network in connection their acquisition by PUNTO FOX, a division of News Corp.

Mr. Haft received an A.B. in economics from Vassar College and a J.D./MBA from Emory University.  Mr. Haft is a member of the New York State Bar. Mr. Haft is a founder and board member emeritus of Urban Arts Partnership (www.UrbanArts.org), a not-for-profit that provides arts education to public schools in New York City.

Aaron Barnes has over 13 years experience as a project finance banker, lawyer and wind energy developer. Aaron joined the PAL from RNK Capital where he was brought in to help the hedge fund identify and structure carbon credit investment opportunities. Prior to working at RNK Capital, Mr. Barnes was a Senior Business Developer at PPM Energy, one of the largest wind developers in the United States. Mr. Barnes was in charge of developing the company’s New England wind assets by identifying green field opportunities, negotiating the terms of the development, securing the sites and coordinating all aspects of the projects through completion. Prior to working in wind development, Mr. Barnes worked as an attorney in London for the law firm of Freshfields, Bruckhaus, Deringer, and for the developer CMS Energy. He concentrated on international project development and finance, covering projects in Europe, West Africa and the Middle East with respect to oil and gas fired power generation and transportation infrastructure. In addition to his legal experience, Mr. Barnes was an Assistant Vice President in ABN AMRO’s Structured Trade Finance Group. At ABN, Mr. Barnes was responsible for lead arranging bi-lateral and multi-lateral institution backed senior project finance loans associated with independent power and petrochemicals projects in Latin America and South Asia. 

Mr. Barnes holds a BA from Howard University and a juris doctorate from the Georgetown Law Center.

Tiran Kiremidjian specializes in building early-stage media ventures. Prior to joining PAL, Mr. Kiremidjian consulted with and helped raise capital for several Internet start-ups in the advertising technology, video, photo-sharing and real estate verticals.

Mr. Kiremidjian started his career in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. and later became a partner in a $125 million European private equity group backed by the Estee Lauder Family.  The fund launched CETV, the largest TV network in Central Europe, and developed the American Business Center at Checkpoint Charlie comprising five blocks in central Berlin, among other investments.  Mr. Kiremidjian also played a significant role in launching Formasa TV, the first private TV broadcast channel in Taiwan.

Mr. Kiremidjian graduated the University of Chicago with a B.A. in Economics.

Eric Saucedo most recently served as a Principal of Tricap Partners LLC, a merchant banking firm that he co-founded in 2004 with three other partners. He has extensive experience in both investment banking and private equity investments and has many years of experience in the due diligence and execution of numerous public and private transactions, including many private equity investments in the United States, Europe and Latin America. He is skilled in working with issues facing early-stage companies, including business planning, strategy implementation, financial reporting and accounting, and the capital-raising process.

Mr. Saucedo previously served as a Director of Business Development with UBS, where he was responsible for business development of institutional and corporate clients in asset management and investment banking. In addition, he was involved with the firm’s Private Wealth Management group, where he was involved in portfolio management of institutional and ultra high net worth accounts based in the United States and Latin America, developing and managing investment strategies, including equity allocation strategies, portfolio analytics and alternative investments. Prior to UBS, Mr. Saucedo served as a Principal with Compass Capital LLC in New York, a private equity fund and affiliate of JP Morgan Partners, where he led private equity investments in start-up and early-stage companies in Latin America, including control situations, minority capital infusions, recapitalizations, and management-led buyouts. In addition, he was previously a Vice President in the Emerging Markets Group at Apax Partners & Co., a venture capital firm and merchant banking firm, where he was one of the original professionals in the firm’s Latin America group. Prior to Apax Partners, Mr. Saucedo was an Associate in the Emerging Markets Investment Banking and Mergers & Acquisitions groups at JP Morgan Chase & Co. Mr. Saucedo also served as an Associate with Kroll Associates, Inc., an international consulting firm with a specialization in due diligence research and corporate intelligence. Mr. Saucedo has experience in a wide range of transactions, including private equity, mergers and acquisitions and leveraged finance. He has completed numerous transactions both domestically and throughout Latin America in such industries as biotechnology, media, telecom, technology, retail, and manufacturing.

Mr. Saucedo holds a BA in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley and an MBA from The Georgetown University Graduate School of Business, where he was recipient of the Dean’s Citation Award. He is a Director and Executive Officer of the Miami Finance Forum and the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce (Florida Chapter) and is also active with the Florida Venture Forum and BioFlorida.