ADVISORY BOARD
James CARAFANO
James Jay Carafano is Senior Counselor to the President and E.W. Richardson Fellow at The Heritage Foundation. A leading expert in national security and foreign policy challenges, Carafano previously served as the Vice President of Heritage’s Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy. A graduate of West Point and a 25-year Army veteran with a master’s and doctorate from Georgetown University, Carafano joined Heritage in 2003 as a senior research fellow in homeland security and missile defense. He is an accomplished historian and teacher as well as a prolific writer and researcher. His recent research has focused on developing the national security required to secure the long-term interests of the United States. He is editor of a book series, The Changing Face of War, which examines how emerging political, social, economic and cultural trends will affect the nature of armed conflict.
Renata CASARO
Renata Casaro is Head of Global Risks and Macroeconomic Analysis at Schaeffler AG, and for over 30 years gained expertise on international capital markets and macroeconomics. Schaeffler Group, leader in motion technology for over 75 years, is a leading manufacturer of bearing solutions, linear guidance systems and power electronics for the automotive, rail, aerospace, off-road, mining, renewables, robotics and defense industries. During her tenure as Head of Investor Relations she served at Schaeffler AG, and previously at Henkel in Düsseldorf, at Bvlgari SpA in Rome, totaling 25 years of experience in strategic financial communication and treasury across the luxury, FMCG and industrial sectors. Before shifting her focus towards Corporates, Renata was in charge of Fixed Income Derivatives structuring at the AAA-vehicle of Sumitomo Bank, and Fixed Income Sales at Kidder Peabody, London. She had started her career in the Research Department of the French Futures Exchange, Euronext, in Paris. An economist by training, Renata graduated in Economics from Trieste University and later joined a leadership program at Harvard Business School.
Bill CORTESE
Bill Cortese is Senior Vice President at Mercury. Cortese recently served as a Senior Advisor to House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY). In that role, Bill spearheaded coalition building and outreach efforts on behalf of the House Republican Conference, and provided counsel on legislative and political strategy. During his career, Cortese has advised elected officials, trade associations, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 companies on formulating effective lobbying, strategic communications, and public affairs programs. Previously, Cortese has served in several capacities on the local, state, federal, and international levels, including the New York City Council, Connecticut General Assembly, House of Representatives, and the G20 Summit. Bill Cortese is an Operation Enduring Freedom veteran–serving six years in the United States Marine Corps and deploying as a member of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.