Ray Weston is a senior international business executive, start-up coach, and international lawyer who works at the juncture of business and law to help launch and grow businesses around the world.
His principal focus is creating and executing business and legal strategies designed to 1) take US brands abroad, 2) launch and grow start-ups in the US and overseas, and 3) expand established US and international businesses into new markets. He prefers businesses with which he can leverage IP through franchising, licensing, and other means.
Ray is an ardent internationalist who lived, studied, and worked abroad for 8+ years; traveled through some 60 countries on 6 continents; and developed a rare facility for seeing thru US or overseas eyes. He developed unique expertise launching U.S. brands in emerging countries, including in Latin America (e.g., Brasil, Venezuela, Colombia), Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russia), Asia (India, China, Thailand), and Africa (Nigeria, Angola, South Africa). He also gained extensive experience with developed markets such as Western Europe (e.g., England, Finland, Netherlands), Asia (Japan, Korea, Singapore), Australia/NZ, and North America (Canada, U.S.).
Ray spent almost 20 years in C-suite business and legal roles with a Fortune 500 multinational public company, where he collaborated with directors, CEOs, Presidents, and other executives from around the world; helped decide company vision, direction, strategy, and culture; coached and mentored business and legal colleagues; and excelled in crisis management and strategic PR. For nine years he simultaneously taught International Business Transactions as an Adjunct Law Professor at the University of California, Irvine School of Law.
Ray holds an LL.M. (Master of Laws) degree from the University of Cambridge and Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Science (Mechanical Engineering) degrees from the University of Oklahoma.
He regularly advises and consults with companies of all sizes and addresses groups on topics of international business growth, franchising, and international law.
Available For: Advising, Consulting, Speaking
Travels From: LAX
Speaking Topics: International Business & Legal Topics; Growing Businesses Abroad; Franchising
