The Repton Group - About Us

Agostino von Hassell spent his formative years in the United States, studying European History at Columbia University graduating with a B.A. in 1974. He then attended Columbia Journalism School, graduating with awards in 1975. He is the president of The Repton Group LLC.

Hassell has extensive expertise in national security matters, high-level investigations around the globe, terrorism and military issues and global trade problems.

He has worked a numerous high-profile issues such as:
• Export control issues in the 1980s and 1990s.

• Trade actions brought against the import of injection molding machines, machine tools and gears and gearing products.

• He has assisted clients in a wide range of fields such as political monitoring, presentation before the Federal Government, and defense sales.

• In addition to defense sales, he conducts political monitoring of military and political issues with a particular emphasis on weapons of mass destruction.

• He has assisted clients with major background investigations and due diligence work.

Teresa Caiado Ramirez attended Lisbon Technical University, obtaining an engineering degree and a masters degree in market research. She worked for Alcântara Group in Lisbon, Portugal, a leading vintner of Portuguese wines.

Ramirez moved to New York in 1994, where she worked as a product manager for The Portuguese Trade Commission (ICEP), with responsibility for promoting exports of Portuguese-made plastics molds, pharmaceutical and medical products, electric and electronic products and furniture into the United States. While at ICEP she organized the participation of the Portuguese manufacturers in U.S. international trade fairs and technical conferences, coordinated advertising campaigns of the Portuguese plastics molds, pharmaceutical and medical products in the U.S., and promoted and assisted in contacts between American companies and the Portuguese manufacturers. She also supervised the maintenance of updated contact databases, designed proposals for U.S. market studies, and was responsible for selecting the U.S. company to which the study would be commissioned. Ramirez also wrote industry profiles to be published in U.S. magazines, working closely with the trade press of the respective products.

Ramirez is a fully accredited engineer member of the "Ordem dos Engenheiros" (Portuguese Engineers Association), a member of the Society of Plastics Engineers and member of the Society of Plastics Industry.

Currently, Ramirez is the Director for Portugal Office of The Repton Group, LLC, a consulting company based in New York. She has managed the Portuguese office since her return to Portugal in 1998 and has been highly involved in the organization’s European activities. Ramirez continues to retain a close working relationship with the ICEP and has been involved with planning and executing virtually every molds industry project conducted for ICEP and Cefamol (the Portuguese Molds Association) related to the American and Canadian markets.

Additionally, she also leads the Repton Group in some of the related areas:
• Organization of trade missions for Portuguese manufacturers to visit American companies.
• Organization of visits of American manufacturers to Portuguese companies.
• Wine related projects in Portugal.
• Several real estate projects.
• Market research studies on information management companies, on-line business information companies and business intelligence companies.
• Reports on European mail services.
• Portuguese telecom market evaluation.

Lisa Pellegrino graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in English and a minor in American History in 1988 and from Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia with an M.B.A. in management in 1996. Pellegrino spent several years as a communications manager with Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water Works, placing stories in major media outlets including a feature on "Dateline NBC."

Pellegrino joined Business Intelligence Group, a Repton company, in June 1995. She has written articles for PLASPEC, PLASTICS Daily News and Automotive NewsWire. She edited In Honor of America (Howell Press, October 2003) written by The Repton Group President, Agostino von Hassell.

Pellegrino specializes in industry analysis, competitive ranking and customer retention. Her client list includes nineteen market research firms in the NAFTA region.

Eddie Repton heads The Repton Group offices in the United Kingdom. A former member of the British Army Intelligence Corp, Eddie has been trained in intelligence gathering, processing and dissemination. He has professional experience in Terrorism Awareness, Document Security, Counter Intelligence, Personnel Security & Vetting, Electronic Warfare, Tactical Questioning, Psychological Operation (Psy Ops) and ISTAR (Army Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance). Eddie held the DV security clearance while in the army. He has served as an investigative journalist for programs such as BBC’s Top Gear and ITV’s The Cook Report and is adept at covertly gaining evidence that is suitable for broadcast or admissible in law.

Since working for Repton he has benefited from the experience of our senior staff and had become one of our most useful surveillance operatives. He is adept in the use of our vehicle tracking system and has successfully used this in operations to gather intelligence on criminal gangs and individuals.

Eddie is a fitness fanatic and also plays football and attends the gym on a regular basis. His other hobbies include reading and computing.

Duggan is an expert in corporate security who brings over twenty years of experience to the table. His two decades with the New York City Police Department helped him develop and in-depth understanding of the security issues common in corporate environments today – computer security, fraud, executive protection, due diligence investigations, and terrorism preparedness.

His extensive skills also extend to investigating insurance fraud, credit card fraud, and money laundering and is well equipped in providing dignitary protection. He has developed a strong network among federal and other local law enforcement agencies such as FBI, DEA, U.S. Bureau of Customs and Immigration Services, IRS and local and federal district attorneys.

Duggan is familiar with all key computer operations and research tools and is fluent in Spanish.

Issa Michael Matalka-Al-Karadsheh
mid-east@nol.com.jo

Born and raised in Jordon, Matalka-Al-Karadsheh earned a B.S.c in Mechanical Engineering from Oxford University in Great Britain in 1980. After working several years as an engineer, Matalka-Al-Karadsheh spent over a decade managing a family-owned freight forwarding company and has used that experience to provide key management and consulting leadership since the mid-1990's.

Matalka-Al-Karadsheh presently serves as Vice Chairman of the board of Directors for Delta Food Industries, Public Relations Director for International Community of the Foundation of support of Aviation and Cosmonaut, and Office Director for E.C.C. International. He is Marketing Director of International projects for The Washington Times and serves as Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Canine Associates International.

Circle Trading Service Limited Harper Group - USA, Middle East Forum Amman Office (The Investigative Project), CYGEN Design, Orion International, SDH Global Source Ltd., and Japan Tobacco International are among his many consulting clients.

Matalka-Al-Karadsheh has been recognized for outstanding community service for his work both locally and with Rotary International.

Michael A. Rice
mrice@thereptongroup.com

Michael Rice is an accomplished law enforcement professional with a broad range of proficiency and notable track record including over 30 years of field experience. His career includes stints with the Anniston, Alabama Police Department, and Internal Revenue Service Intelligence Division.

For more than a quarter century Rice was with the U.S. Secret Service, serving as Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge for the Vice Presidential Protective Division in Washington DC (1993-1996), Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Nashville Field Office (1996-1998) and retiring as Special Agent in Charge in 2002.

As an established expert in all areas of protection including threat analysis, risk management, and advance preparation procedures, Rice was personally responsible for the security and protective arrangements for more than 100 presidential and vice presidential campaign visits. He was fundamentally involved in the personal protection of every first family and presidential candidate since the Ford presidency and every vice presidential family and candidate since the Rockefellers.

Rice has subsequently served as an Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of Homeland Security, Federal Air Marshal Service. As a supervisory Federal Air Marshal he was involved in all facets of criminal investigations to include interviews, evidence retrieval and analysis, and the training and development of Federal Air Marshals.

Rice is a decorated combat veteran of the Vietnam War having served in the Infantry with the 101st Airborne Division and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Jacksonville State University, where he graduated with honors.