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ENTREPRENEUR, DIPLOMAT, AUTHOR
AUTHOR
Face to Face With War, Mallorca, Spain 2022
War affects all. Read about war through my personal experiences. Available at Amazon.com
Face to Face With The Global Economy, Mallorca, Spain 2019.
Learn about the Global Economy the easy way by reading my personal experiences in the Global Economy. Available at amazon.com.
ENTREPRENEUR
International Business – 30 years
Realtor, Ft Myers and Miami, Florida. Sell Florida properties to out of state and overseas buyers.
Wine Consultant, Betlem, Spain/Ft Myers Beach, Florida. Advise wine makers on entering the US market. Main clients are in Spain.
Tour Operator, Betlem, Spain. Owner of See Spain With Leo, offering unique tours of Spain. Most popular tour is “Running With The Bulls, ” Pamplona, Spain.
Wine Merchant, Miami, Florida, USA. Partner in new venture importing wine from Portugal to the USA. Created unique vehicle for placing this line of totally new to market wines on crowded shelves of US retailers.
Wine Merchant, Washington DC, USA. Director of wine importing business. Main tasks were to select wines to import, negotiate contracts with wineries, arrange financing, prepare marketing plans and oversee staff of seven. Remarkably successful in placing new to market wines in US shops.
Fashion Trade, London, UK. General Manager, clothing company catering to young women in England. Reorganized this business by moving production out of England to off-shore locations.
Stock Broker, New York City, USA. Provided financial services with Wall Street brokerage. Concentrated on currency trading accounts.
Export/Import, Orlando, FL, USA. General Manager, South African Trade Center, Orlando, Florida. Built platform for South African exporters to the US market.
Consultant, Windhoek, Namibia. Owner of business providing advice, assistance and guidance to American businessmen in Southern Africa. Obtained special government charter with unique privileges for American owned venture in Mozambique.
Public Relations, Ankara, Turkey. First Managing Director of Hill and Knowlton Turkey, a joint venture between the original American PR firm and Turkish partners. Led team of five PR professionals and other staff to establish this new business in three months through major contract with Turkish Ministry of Tourism.
DIPLOMAT
Foreign Service Officer, US Dept. of State – 25 years
POSTS
Deputy Principal Officer, Monterrey, Mexico. Second man at this very large consulate general with over 200 American and Mexican staff. Also headed post reporting plan which involved eight reporting officers.
Consul for Economic Affairs, Johannesburg, South Africa. Implemented the Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986, monitored disinvestment by US firms and kept Washington informed, assisted to establish new black owned enterprise.
Economic Officer, Washington, DC. Negotiated first American investment in Mozambique. Wrote part of Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986.
Commercial Attache, Madrid, Spain. Created innovative program for promoting and supporting US service industry exports to, and investment in, Spain. Major accomplishments were clear barriers to US insurance firms doing business in Spain, clear barriers to export of US entertainment products – films, videos, recorded music, and put on first American tourism show in Spain.
Counselor for Economic Affairs, Helsinki, Finland. Headed economic reporting program, monitored Finnish trade with Soviet Union, brokered major sale of US commercial aircraft.
Commercial Attache, Ankara, Turkey. Kept American business alive during worse economic slump for Turkey in the 20th Century. Brought first US investment mission to Turkey. Provided key assistance to new US investment in military aircraft manufacturer.
Economic Officer, Madrid, Spain. Wrote, negotiated and concluded new agreement with Spain for continued US participation in Spain’s nuclear power industry which at the time accounted for the largest exposure of US Eximbank financing in history. Arranged several trade missions and trade show participation’s.
Economic Officer, Washington, DC. Produced analysis of Chinese economy during President Nixon’s reopening of relations with that country. Produced analysis and current intelligence on worldwide petroleum trade during the “Oil Crisis” of the 1970s.
Development Officer, Saigon, Vietnam. Adviser to the central districts of the Saigon Municipal Government. Deputy commander of a US military advisory team.
Economic Officer, Panama, Panama. First tour diplomat, worked in all phases of mission. Brought exhibit on “Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy” to Panama, blocked an illegal export of US military aircraft, investigated and reported on local bank laundering funds from the USA.
PEACE CORPS
Peace Corps Volunteer, Asmara, Eritrea (then Ethiopia). Taught high school geography and coached the school soccer team to two league championships.
Ethiopia and Eritrea Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. Vice President.
National Peace Corps Association. Director Emeritus
MEMBERSHIPS
MENSA. Treasurer Southwest by South Florida Mensa.
Imperial Constantinian Order of St George, Madrid, Spain. Knight Officer of this oldest order of chivalry.
Diplomatic and Consular Officers Retired (DACOR), Washington DC. Board of Governors/Board of Trustees
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Who’s Who in America
Who’s Who in the World
Ruppe Award. Highest award given by the National Peace Corps Association. Given to E&E RPCV for project headed by me to help resolve the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea in 1998-2000.
Outstanding American, Madrid, Spain. Awarded by the American Club of Spain.
Special Achievement, Ankara, Turkey. Awarded by the Union of Turkish Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Navigation.
Special Achievement, Saigon, Vietnam. Awarded by City of Saigon
Outstanding Young Men of America
EDUCATION
Univ. of Maryland, BS Economics
LANGUAGES
English, Spanish, Turkish, Italian, Portuguese
TRAVEL
Lived in 18 countries and seen over 100 more, from Tromso, Norway to the Cape of Good Hope and around the world. Seen six of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, including climbed the Great Pyramid, and six of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World. Gazed at Machu Picchu, Taj Mahal, and Angkor Wat by moonlight. Drenched by the mightiest waterfalls of the world – Niagara, Victoria, Iguassu, Tissiset. Stared into the depths of the greatest cuts in the earth’s crust – Grand Canyon, Copper Canyon, Fish River Canyon. Swam in all the seas except for Antarctic. Ran with the bulls in Pamplona (30 times and counting) and climbed Mt Kilimanjaro (thank you Mr. Hemingway). Rode motorcycles from Panama City to Laredo, Texas, Florida to California and back (3 times), and Florida to Alaska and back (9000 miles). Latest big ride, Florida to California third time.
SINGER
Sang in musical productions in several countries, including on stage in New York City. Greatest role, Caiaphas in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Windhoek, Namibia. Latest performances, the bishop in “Tosca,” Naples Opera (Naples, Florida that is) and Herb in “Godspell,” St John 23rd Church Theater, Ft Myers, Florida.
JOB TITLES
In chronological order – bookkeeper, newsboy, iceman, carpenter, grocer, mailman, statistician, tutor, teacher, coach, diplomat, adviser, commander, spin doctor, consultant, manager, clothier, wine merchant, realtor, tour operator, medical services.
WEB SITES
www.leocecchini.com
ADDRESS
USA – 17264 San Carlos Blvd, Unit 302, Ft Myers Beach FL 33931
SPAIN – Paseo Arta 15, D-4, 07579 Betlem (Mallorca), Spain
PHONE
USA 239-810-4253
SPAIN 34-684419115