The IOC team is comprised of experts familiar with the rapid growth, complexity, and demands of offset policies that lead to the discharge of current and future obligations including tighter implementation timelines. Each member of the IOC team provide a foundational understanding of the make-up of offset criteria by providing strong transactional strategies and creativity in dealing with an increasingly sophisticated and demanding customer.
Team
Management Team
Matthew Talbert
Chief Executive Officer
Matthew Talbert is a senior corporate executive who has built his reputation by applying his management and creative skills to a variety of successful business ventures.
He founded International Trade Finance Corporation, an international extension of his previous successful business venture, ABS Worldwide, Inc., a U.S.-based corporate barter company serving the Fortune 500.
Mr. Talbert founded Flight Environments, the worldwide leader in aviation insulation and acoustics, Sunswept Pacific Communication which produces and manages special events throughout the U.S. for corporate and non-profit associations and other clients. Mr. Talbert founded Contract Publishing, a sponsored publishing firm publishing 23 titles. Titles included the Beverly Hills Telephone Book, BMW Magazine, PGA Directories, the Los Angeles Advertising Club Belding Awards program and several publications for the Economic Development Corporation of Los Angeles.
Mr. Talbert also founded Associated Outdoor Services which became the second largest Outdoor buying service in California. He has had a successful career in the jewelry industry graduating from the Gemological Institute of America, and has been a Senior Member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers. Mr. Talbert has a degree in business management from California State University Northridge and attended California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo with an accounting major.
He is owner of Pritchard Hill Vineyards in Paso Robles, California and was the owner of Veris Cellars. Veris is one of the area’s most prestigious wineries, producing high quality estate wines from 200 acres of various grape varietals.
Mr. Talbert has been featured in the Los Angeles Business Journal and quoted in such nationally respected publications such as Nation’s Business and Entrepreneur. He’s made appearances on numerous radio programs and CNN. He has sat on the boards of the Corporate Trade Council (CTC) and the International Reciprocal Trade Association (IRTA).
In the spirit of philanthropy he has seen the need and desperation of people in third world countries, and the devastating effects of what the lack of clean water create. In hopes of helping and leaving a legacy of giving back, he has pursued and developed the least expensive drilling equipment for retrieving water, specific for third world applications. As Chief Executive Officer, Matthew Talbert oversees all business operations, strategies, and partnerships at Aquafor. He funded and built Borelite which organizes and creates this wonderful tool to restore new life to these dire conditions and is proud to leave behind a footprint of hope.
Talbert is an avid pilot and flies a King Air airplane. He’s also a scuba enthusiast holding advanced levels of certification including deep diving, search and recovery and rescue diver. Further, Mr. Talbert is a semi-professional race car driver, owning race teams and driving in such prestigious events as the 24hrs of Daytona. He is also a student of martial arts and has been practicing for over 20 years.
Scott Nates
Chief Development Officer
Scott Nates is a proven leader, entrepreneur and dealmaker specializing in fostering profitable relationships with his clients that yield long-term growth and exceptional returns. At International Offset Corporation, Nates will be responsible for leading business development, trade fulfillment and creating and maintaining capital and strategic partnerships. Nates most recently founded a real estate consulting company in 2007 focused on the sourcing and structuring of distressed and performing whole loan transactions primarily in the United States. In recent years, his firm has gone on to exclusively represent two of the largest and most respected private equity groups in the world, closing on approximately $1 billion in note transactions representing over 700M in equity disbursed by his clients. He has been instrumental in creating and structuring large transactions by and between some of the largest institutions in the world. He remains very deeply connected to the finance and capital world with hundreds of relationships with key decision makers at the largest investment and commercial banks, as well as private equity and hedge funds around the globe. Nates graduated from the University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business with a B.S. in Marketing and Finance, where he also served as a mentor to inner city children. He now resides in Los Angeles with his wife and son. Nates is also a former nationally ranked tennis player who still enjoys playing competitive tennis and golf in his leisure time.
John Kneisel
Chief Financial Officer
John Kneisel brings more than three decades of business management experience to Aquafor. In 2009 he established a consulting firm to provide quality professional financial management for small to medium entrepreneurial concerns. He has served as CFO/Controller for several companies, including a software development and professional services company that delivers high-tech solutions and services to the US Military and other agencies, middle-market manufacturing entities, and the financial liaison between owners and their accounting departments. He focuses on business process, financial and operation efficiency.
As Regional Controller for a Fortune 500, company, he provided financial support to operational management while managing the monthly and quarterly close of four business units. He created a regional accounts payable department, and coordinated the consolidation of several subsidiaries into a regional accounting center. Kneisel also served as a general business consultant to his clients, assisting in the implementation of operational controls. His experience has benefited clients from several industries, including medium to high-technology manufacturing and distribution companies, software developers, professional service providers, automotive agencies, financial institutions and finance companies.
Kneisel graduated from California State University, Northridge with a B.S. in Business Administration. He was the founding President of a professional business fraternity and has served on the Boards of Directors of several non-profit.
Ana Mollinedo Mims
Chief Operating Officer
Originally born in Havana, Cuba, a commercially minded communications executive with global expertise in S&P 500 companies while working and living across Europe, Latin America, Asia and the US, with deep understanding of global cultures and business practices. C-Suite experience working closely with CEOs, senior leadership teams, and corporate boards to successfully strategize and execute complex, challenging communication and reputation issues.
Widely regarded for achieving exceptional business results through innovative storytelling, strategic internal and external communications, crisis communication, transformation, process re-engineering, and digital brand engagement.
A strong international leader recognized for building and directing diverse, multicultural, cross-functional teams who accomplish assignments to high standards of excellence. Repeated success developing and implementing strategic plans, creating and measuring value drivers, and streamlining processes that positively impact revenue.
Dana Rohrabacher
International Advisor
After 30 years in the House of Representatives, Dana is now using his knowledge of people and process to further projects and policies consistent with the freedom and liberties granted to us by the US Constitution.
He is especially interested in bringing new technologies to market that will make the future a better, safer, and more prosperous world.
While in Congress, he was a senior Member of the House Committee on Science and also the Committee on Foreign Affairs. He distinguished himself as Vice-Chairman of the House Science Committee, Chairman of the Space Subcommittee, and as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittees on Oversight and the Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats.
Prior to being elected to Congress Dana worked in the White House as a Senior Speechwriter and Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan where he was known for writing more speeches for the President than any other person. He was also known for playing a key role in launching the Reagan Doctrine and supporting pro-freedom/anti-Soviet insurgencies worldwide.
In Congress, Dana is recognized for authoring the Space Commercialization Act, being a key proponent of the X-37B Space Maneuvering Vehicle, his long-fought battle to protect the patent rights of inventors, engineering legislation signed into law establishing a Memorial for the Victims of Communism in Washington, DC, and successfully legislating for the right of States to legalize medical cannabis.
After being elected, but prior to being sworn into Congress Dana went inside Afghanistan with the Mujahedeen to see first-hand the practical workings of policy he had advocated. His experience in Afghanistan was consistent with earlier experiences witnessing conflicts in Vanuatu, Vietnam (1967) and Czechoslovakia (1968).
Before going into the White House, he worked on two Presidential campaigns for Ronald Reagan, as a reporter in Los Angeles for City News Service and as an Editorial page writer for the Orange County Register. Dana has written several screen plays and is working on his own personal memoir.
He earned a B.A. from California State University at Long Beach and his M.A. from the University of Southern California (USC).
Paul Behrends
International Advisor
From 2014 – 2019 Mr. Behrends worked in the House of Representatives initially as Staff Director of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats and then as Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA).
From 1990 – 1997 Mr. Behrends worked as Senior legislative Assistant for International Relations and National Security Affairs for Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and as a shared staff Member with the International Relations Committee (1995-7). Mr. Behrends participated in overseas policy development and investigative missions for Mr. Rohrabacher and the Committee on International Relations. He concurrently served as Legislative Director of the House Republican Task Force on the Balkan Crisis from 1992-95.
Leaving Capitol hill in 1997, he held senior positions with major public policy conculting law firms in Washington, D.C. where he specialized advising clients on issues concerning government contracting, international policy matters and security matters.
Mr. Behrends retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 2005. During his career after completing The Basic School and the Infantry Officer’s Course (1981-2) at Quantico, Virginia he was assigned to: Third Battalion, First Marine Regiment, First Marine Division; First Reconnaissance Battalion; Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR); First Battalion of the Tenth Special Forces Group; Third Force Reconnaissance Company, Third Marine Division; and the Plans, Policy and Operations (PP&O) Directorate at Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC).
Mr. Behrends is a former Member of the Inter-American Defense Board, has participated in exchange programs with the British Royal Marines, attended 20 formal military schools including Amphibious Warfare School, Command and Staff College, Navy Dive School and Airborne School. During the breakup of former Yugoslavia he served as Deputy Operations Officer (DJ-3) of Joint Task Force Provide Promise (Forward) based in Zagreb, Croatia where he was also assigned to the Disaster Area Response Team (DART) at the U.S. embassy (AMBEMB Zagreb) and was Liaison to the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR). Mr. Behrends has trained with over a dozen foreign militaries, been awarded the German military airborne insignia and the Defense Meritorious Medal among other awards. Mr. Behrends went inside Afghanistan with the Mujahedeen in 1985 and observed the Contras inside Nicaragua in 1987.
Mr. Behrends is an alumnus of the American-Swiss Foundation Young Leader Program and the French Foreign Ministry of Foreign Affair’s Future Leaders Invitation Program. He also participated in numerous election observation missions, including as a member of the International Republican institute’s delegation monitoring the 1993 election in Cambodia, the 2004 Afghan Presidential election, and the Organization of American States sponsored him as an observer to the 2009 Salvadoran Presidential elections.
Mr. Behrends holds a Master’s degree from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at the johns Hopkins university. He also attended Harvard University’s Senior Managers in Government Program and received his undergraduate degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. He also attended the University of Salamanca (Spain), Jagiellonian university in Warsaw (Poland), and the University of the Americas in Puebla, Mexico.
Gregory Tosi
Director – Caribbean and Latin America
Gregory Tosi is a campaign tested, Washington, DC attorney. Prior to joining IOC, Greg served as General and Legislative Counsel for Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Legislative Director for Puerto Rico’s Resident Commission, Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR). In advancing the legislative agendas of these lawmakers, Greg wrote new, original initiatives for reforming the U.S. Export-Import Bank, taxation, Iran sanctions, appropriations, combating human trafficking, interrupting ISIS financing, in addition to guiding U.S. District Court and Assistant U.S. Attorney nominees through committee their testimony, votes, and confirmations. In support of these efforts Greg organized supporting stakeholder coalitions and overcame the objections of Washington’s most powerful lobbying interests.
Greg transformed the Washington image of a 70 year old, 30,000 member engineering-technical society into a well-known, Capitol Hill force and a leading advocate for improving public and private infrastructure and delivered the association’s first legislative successes with first of its kind transportation legislation, which saved millions of taxpayer dollars. Further, Greg spearheaded the creation of a political action committee and provided legal advice regarding the PAC’s formation, fundraising, and strategy.
While working at the National Republican Campaign Committee, Greg advised 435 U.S. House of Representatives campaigns on laws pertaining to elections, voting rights, recounts, campaign advertising, campaign finance, and fund raising.
Prior to his coming to Washington, for fourteen years Greg operated a multi-office law practice, litigating securities, commercial investment, environmental, zoning, land use, and taxation issues. Additionally, Greg negotiated and drafted commercial contracts pertaining to business transactions, film financing, distribution, product merchandising, literary options, and employment.
Greg is a graduate of the University of San Diego School of Law, receiving both a J.D. (1989) and LL.M., in taxation (1990). Additionally, Greg has a M.A. from Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX 1986) and a B.A. from Calvin College (Grand Rapids, MI 1979).
Bradley Alden
Project Manager – Middle East Region
Bradley joined the IOC team summer of 2015 in order to assist the company with its ongoing development of projects in the Middle East region. Shortly thereafter, proving himself to be able to manage the existing contract to develop new relationships, Bradley was promoted to Project Manager
Bradley attended Pepperdine University graduating with a degree in International Business followed by a short stint at Thunderbird University in Arizona and then finally obtaining his Masters degree from San Diego University.
Bradley’s interest are that of scuba diving, motorcycle racing and developing “out-of-the- box” investment opportunities. He resides in San Diego California.
Evan M. Talbert
Domestic Business Development
Evan has traveled the globe extensively developing his skills in creative analysis. From refugee crisis discussions in Lebanon to military defense conferences in Spain, Evan has advanced his problem-solving skills with an array of global issues. He also spent a substantial amount of time in Washington D.C. and other Political capitals building relationships with global leaders varying from U.S. Congressman to Foreign Heads of state and International business principals.
Evan joined the IOC team in 2018 to launch its new ARTIS domestic Corporate Barter division. As head of domestic business development, Evan will drive the expansion efforts into the local Dallas metropolitan area and through to National accounts.
Evan attended the University of Southern California (USC) earning a degree in Business Management with a concentration in Finance and Entrepreneurship. During his tenure, Evan also invented and patented an invention in oral health care that he is currently pursuing to have acquired.
Some of Evan’s interests are that of golf, basketball, scuba diving, skiing and creative problem-solving. He currently resides in Dallas, TX.
Legal Team
Tim C. Bruinsma
Tim Bruinsma is a corporate and transactional attorney with extensive experience in international transactions. Tim has been a partner in the Los Angeles office since 1990. He has a broad legal practice which emphasizes corporate finance, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances and project finance matters. His practice also includes real estate, licensing, distributorships and other commercial transactions, particularly in an international context.
Tim has special knowledge and experience in cross-border transactions, particularly in developing countries. He has represented numerous clients in Russian trade matters, including Fortune 500 companies. Additionally, he has handled transactions in the European Union, Central and Eastern Europe, Turkey, the Middle East, Canada, China and other parts of Asia, and South and Central America.
Robert S. Rein
Robert Rein obtained his B.A. cum laude in economics in 1966 from Brandeis University. He attended Harvard Law School and received his J.D. cum laude in 1969. Following his graduation, he practiced law briefly with the law firm of Kaplan, Livingston, Goodwin, Berkowitz & Selvin in Beverly Hills and then returned to his home state of New Jersey for a clerkship with Judge Milton Conford, the senior judge of the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division.
During his last two years at Harvard Law School, Robert was involved in several special programs which were available in Massachusetts which allowed him to try cases as both a member of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau and as an assistant District Attorney. These programs enabled him to obtain an unusual amount of both civil and criminal litigation experience prior to his graduation.
In 1970, Robert returned to Los Angeles and became an associate with the law firm of McKenna and Fitting. He remained with this firm until 1974, when he joined several attorneys to become a partner in a predecessor of the current firm of Rein & Associates.
Robert’s practice involves all areas of transactional work, including a vast array of business, corporate and real estate matters, tax issues and estate planning. He has lectured on estate planning matters and counselled homeowners’ associations.
He has been involved in all types of business transactions, from acquisitions and sales, reorganizations and financings, to a vast array of corporate and tax planning. Because of his extensive business experience, his clients often contact him at the business planning level just to obtain a “second opinion” or to discuss business strategy. He is known as a problem solver who looks for creative solutions to resolve disputes without the necessity of litigation. His clients include all levels of the business community, from banks and savings and loan associations to smaller manufacturing and service businesses. He has represented many companies in the computer software field and has also been involved in complex real estate projects and environmental matters.