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Meet the Rational Games Board
Dr. Mark Young
Negotiation Expert, RGI President
Dr. Mark Young, the founder of Rational Games, is an independent author, trainer and consultant with many years´ practical and academic experience in the area of negotiation, mediation and conflict management skills. His theoretical work is tempered by practical lessons learned as a negotiator in government (US Department of Commerce) and in the field of corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions in the US and Europe. Mark divides his time between Cambridge, Mass, Washington, DC and Berlin, Germany.
Raymond Cyr
Treasurer
Raymond is a finance professional active in the controllers division of an international bank. Raymond’s experiences in both the nonprofit and for-profit business sectors come together to support the mission of Rational Games, Inc. Eager to support initiatives locally and globally which further work being done in the fields of conflict management, negotiation and mediation, Raymond is delighted to be serving Rational Games, Inc. in his capacity as Treasurer of the organization.
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Ray is fluent in English and German.
Wayne Lifshitz
Grantee Relationships
Wayne Lifshitz is a 20-year professional with executive and senior-level management experience in the non-profit, start-up and Big 5 consulting industries, and has worked with several large and globally recognized brands which have including CARE, Booz Allen, Nike, and WorldShop. Wayne is an entrepreneur, inventor, and strategic connector. He began his career in international development focused on social change where he was the Founder and Director for CARE’s Sport for Social Change Network [grant program] and later led a large grant portfolio for Booz Allen. At present, Wayne is the CEO of Kennin Co,. an entrepreneur and small business consulting firm, that is focused on COO as a service, strategy, strategic connections, general business consulting, KPI and project management and new business development. The firm works with tech start-ups, consumer goods manufacturers and non-profits on projects that improve short and long-term growth and sustainability. He is also the inventor of the Piggyback Rider and other successful consumer products and works closely with LifecycleVC and Piranha Tank which help start-ups get seed funding.
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Wayne obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley and also holds a Master’s degree from Boston University. He has completed an MBA leadership certificate course at Cornell University and is a PMP and Certified Partnership Broker. In his free time, he’s a sailor, father, jujitsu blackbelt and USA National and World Team Judo competitor.
Norm Thomas
Negotiation Trainer, Strategic Partnerships
Norm Thomas is a recognized industry leader in technology for professional services firms. He spent 8 years with Microsoft as Director of Industry Market Development for the Legal and Professional Services solutions business, focusing on customer engagement and channel-building in the services sector globally. Before joining Microsoft, Thomas was a Client Partner for Cambridge Technology Partners in enterprise-scale project management and client development, and before that was President of Softec Solutions, Inc., a systems integrator for small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies.
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He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from USC and an MBA in Finance from the University of Washington and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Washington.
Antonia Simon
Strategic Partnerships
Antonia Simon has an extensive career spanning over three decades in various roles related to marketing, cultural management, and editing. She has been engaged with the Green Party (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) since 2008 and has been a member of the Green Party's think tank for culture (LAG / BAG Kultur) since 2011. Antonia is adept at bringing people together and enjoys working in an international environment.
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Antonia Simon holds a Diploma in economics (Diplom Volkswirtin) from Freie Universität Berlin. She also studied Romance Languages (Spanish, French) at Universität Heidelberg.
Henk van der Wath
Gamification
Henk van der Wath is a lifestyle gamification coach with a strong belief in the power of play. He brings a unique perspective to Rational Games by integrating game-based methodologies alongside his technical know-how.
His background encompasses various roles in IT Consulting and Behavioral Science. Henk holds an Honors B.Sc. in Information Technology and Management from the University of the Free State. He also possesses certifications in Gamification, Design Thinking and Coaching.
Henk is based in Cape Town, South Africa and speaks English and Afrikaans.
Meet the Associate Trainers
Jake Darbandi
Associate Trainer
Jake is a trained legal advisor, his expertise comes from advising clients in high-stakes criminal defence situations. Jake has represented clients for the most serious of offences including cases attracting national interest.
Jake has a deep understanding of negotiation theory, having won both national and international negotiation competitions. He has coached students in negotiation at the University of York and BPP University.
Jake has a diverse academic background with degrees in Philosophy & Economics (BAHons) and Law (PGDL / LLM). Jake is based in London and committed to commercial law working for a leading global law firm, Hogan Lovells.
Paul Emtsev
Negotiation Consultant
Paul Emtsev studied social sciences at LMU Munich, Université de Montréal, University College London and Higher School of Economics Moscow with a focus on international relations, conflict research and discourse analysis.
Today, Paul works as an independent team facilitator, workplace mediator and communication consultant with individuals, groups and organizations. He regularly accompanies change processes and conflicts both in the public and private sectors.
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Paul speaks German, French, English, Russian and Italian.
Jan Friedrichs
Negotiation Consultant
Jan Friedrichs studied business administration with a particular focus on management and human resource development at the Hochschule für Wirtschaft near Hamburg and in Boston. After spending four years in international sales for a global consumer products company, and seven years in total in industry, in 2005 Jan founded his own company as an entrepreneur, trainer and consultant. He coaches, advises and trains middle and senior management and their teams, working for clients such as Airbus, HanseWerk and HELM.
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Jan also teaches at the Leuphana Universität Lüneburg and the NORDAKADEMIE in Elmshorn. His company Adventure Learning (www.adventure-learning.de) offers innovative approaches to HR development for management and emerging leaders through original learning experiences training communication and leadership skills as well as personality development.
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Jan is a German citizen and lives in Hamburg.
Philippe Gruca
Negotiation Consultant
Philippe Gruca holds degrees in Philosophy (Sorbonne) and Sociology (EHESS), and today
teaches these disciplines at university, as well as Negotiation with Rational Games and
Psychology – in particular at the Sigmund Freud University in Paris.
He is also the founder of the atelier français, a French language school combining linguistic,
rhetorical, and intercultural dimensions. He teaches these disciplines to cultural and political
figures in Paris, Berlin and Warsaw.
As a specialist in the thought of Günther Anders, Philippe Gruca has taken part in numerous
publications and conferences on the ethics of responsibility, the question of scale and
technology.
He co-directed the interdisciplinary journal Entropia (dealing with the Anthropocene,
degrowth and transhumanism), and is currently Director of Editorial Board of the
interdisciplinary journal Inter-Nord and a member of the Malaurie Institute of Arctic Research
Monaco-UVSQ.
Philippe Gruca speaks French, English, German and Polish.
Felix Herrmann
Negotiation Consultant
Felix has a background in strategy consulting in the analytics space in the finance, banking, airline, and retail space. He currently leads a team of Data Scientists at Meta, where he supports the cross-functional development of new commerce products. Felix’ negotiation specialty is cross-functional collaboration and conflict resolution in large, interdependent organizational structures. He holds a bachelor degree in industrial engineering and a Master in Management from the École Supérieure de Commerce in Paris. Felix lives and works in London.
He is fluent in German, English and Spanish.
Ziad Holaihel
Coach and Trainer
Ziad Holaihel is a Beirut-based Coach and Trainer with over 15 years of experience in management, consulting, and sales. Specializing in strategic growth, he has a proven track record of transforming start-ups, SMEs, and public sector organizations across the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe. A Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering with a minor in Mathematics equips him with a strong analytical foundation.
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Fluent in English, French, and Arabic, Ziad is a trilingual advisor who leverages his certifications in Design Thinking, Life Coaching, NLP, and Time Line Therapy to offer holistic business solutions.
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His multidisciplinary approach focuses on team-building, operational excellence, and profit maximization.
Janne Krippl
Negotiation Consultant
Janne is an organizational psychologist with a focus on transformation and change management. He is passionate about enabling organizations, teams and leadership to navigate uncertain conditions. Janne has several years of professional experience as a researcher and consultant in international organizations, such as the United Nations, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and the Center for Social Innovation and Investment (CSI). He is currently working as a consultant in German development cooperation.
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He holds a Master's degree in Psychology from the University of Heidelberg and the University of Vienna. He also obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Political Economy. With his PhD at the University of Heidelberg, Janne is currently further specializing in the topics of organizational decision-making under uncertainty.
Janne is a German citizen and speaks German, English, French and Russian.
Joana Matos
Negotiation Consultant
Joana has conducted training on topics such as negotiation, gender and culture in negotiations, conflict management, and emotional intelligence and has wide international experience. Through her work at Rational Games Inc, she has had the opportunity to teach at several prestigious companies and government institutions such as the German Foreign Ministry, the BBC, Mercator Kollege, University of Zurich, Xing, and EU International Communication Union, to name a few.
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Besides Mediation and Advanced Negotiations training from the Harvard Program on Negotiations, she holds an MBA from Reykjavik University, a Master's in Humanitarian Action and Conflict from Uppsala University as well and a diploma in Protocol and Diplomacy from the International School of Diplomacy of Brussels. Furthermore, she has specialized in Humanitarian Negotiations at the Clingendael Institute of International Relations of the Netherlands and is a PhD candidate at the Twente University in Negotiations.
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Joana is a Portuguese and Icelandic citizen and is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, English and Icelandic.
Catherine Mehrtens
Negotiation Consultant & Coach
Catherine Mehrtens started her career in the Paris headquarters of the insurance company AXA. There she helped guide the strategic internationalization of the HR department which included negotiating and advising on the ensuing career paths for AXA executives and expatriates.
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Since 2012 Catherine has worked as a freelance negotiation consultant, coach and trainer, serving both the private and public sectors. Her primary focus is the support of international change projects and strategic negotiations, particularly in the banking and insurance business, as well as healthcare and IT.
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Catherine is a German citizen and is fluent in German, English, and French.
Felix Miller
Negotiation Expert
Felix Miller is a Negotiation specialist with a focus on Entrepreneurship, Banking & Finance as well as Negotiation education, currently working at Deutsche Bank AG as Vice President Deal Expert.
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During his career, Felix has created several ventures, worked in Startups & co-founded Deutsche Bank's Office for Negotiation, providing him ample opportunities to work in different contexts & cultures including Africa, the US, Asia & Europe. In 2018, he joined Rational Games Inc., as a Negotiation trainer & advisor to our clients, grantees & board members.
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Felix is a Harvard-trained negotiator, holds an MSc. in International Business Negotiation from IÉSEG School of Management in Paris & a BA. in Business Administration from the Munich University of Applied Sciences. He speaks German (native), English, French & Italian.
Hami Neisari
Negotiation Consultant
Hami is a consultant specialising in negotiation training, alliance partnerships, and coaching for young professionals. He is an experienced entrepreneur and worked with strategic management consulting companies, such as Bain and BCG, to deliver primary research data for commercial due diligence projects. Hami currently leads an alliance partnership team of a French software company, which is part of the French Tech Association.
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Hami holds a master's degree in International Business Negotiation from IÉSEG School of Management in Paris as well as a BA in Business Administration from Munich University of Applied Science. He speaks English, German, French, and Farsi.
Alberto Restuccia
Associate Consultant, Photographer
Holding a background in Chemical and Process Engineering, Alberto has built a diverse career across the chemical and energy sectors, working in roles ranging from back-office to front-office positions. In addition to his keen eye for photography, particularly for RGI, he holds a Master of Science in Chemical and Bioengineering. Alberto also has a strong interest in the fields of negotiation and communication.
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His interactions are characterized by a genuine interest in connecting with people, learning their stories, and sharing moments of laughter.
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Alberto is a native Italian speaker, fluent in English, with intermediate skills in German and basic knowledge of French.
Living in Zurich area (Switzerland)
Julia Romanova
Body Language and Voice Coach
As a professional actress, linguist, educator, and voice coach, Julia strives for conscious communication and cross-cultural dialogue. With ten years of expertise in adult education and her acting background, Julia developed her own Know-How in the field of public speaking and communication in a foreign language.
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Stage fright, self-confidence, and female leadership are her favourite topics.
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The first collaboration with Rational Games happened in 2011.
Since then Julia has been taking part in seminars on negotiation both as an actress and a coach. Sentences you could hear from her often:
"HOW is at least as important as WHAT" and "We are talking bodies, not talking heads"
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Since October 2022 she has also working as a consultant for communication and multimedia at DER MITTELSTANDSVERBUND – ZGV e.V. (SME Groups Germany)
Sebastian M. Schäfer
Negotiation Consultant
Sebastian Schaefer is a strategic consultant working primarily in the banking and financial services industry with a particular focus on marketing, pricing and negotiation. He also advises clients from the public and private sectors with regard to negotiation and communication skills as an Associate Consultant for the nonprofit training and coaching company Rational Games Inc.
Sebastian holds a degree in Industrial Engineering with majors in mechanical engineering and strategic management. He also studied International Business Negotiation at IÉSEG in Paris.
Sebastian is fluent in German and English, with a working knowledge of French.
Antonia Tomasta
Negotiation Consultant
Antonia is a negotiation consultant and trainer specializing in cross-cultural communication and international collaborations.
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Throughout her career, Antonia has developed proficiency in adult education, sales, marketing, and strategic partnership development. She has negotiated sales contracts, managed stakeholder relations, and established multifaceted partnerships in both the private and public sectors.
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Antonia holds an MSc in International Business Negotiation as well as a Key Account Management certification from IÉSEG School of Management in Paris. She also holds a BA in Modern Languages from the University of Lethbridge, Canada. She speaks English, Spanish, and French.
Julian Wittkamp
Negotiation Consultant
With an academic background in Diplomacy, International Relations, Political Science, and History, Julian provides interdisciplinary expertise on political negotiations. He has been part of the German delegation to a United Nations assembly in Nairobi, worked with high-level clients ranging from diplomats to politicians and businesspeople, and studied in three different countries, winning scholarships and awards. He is passionate about intercultural communication and intensifying global cooperation on the pressing political and environmental issues of our time.
Julian is currently finalising his Adv. MSc. degree in International Relations and Diplomacy at Leiden University and holds a BA in History and Political Science from the University of Bonn. He is fluent in German and English.
Teodor Wolk
Associate Trainer
Teodor Wolk currently works as a sales associate in international banking and trade finance at ODDO BHF in Frankfurt, Germany. He joined RGI as an associate trainer in 2024 and is particularly passionate about cross-cultural business negotiations and negotiation in the context of social businesses and impact. In November 2023 Teodor released his first article on negotiating for impact (Access Link).
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In the past years, Teodor has worked as a business consultant for international expansion, market entry and export and accompanied companies in their business development and market operations overseas. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Human and Economic Geography and has previously lived in Germany, Sweden, Taiwan and China. Teodor speaks four languages with high proficiency: Swedish (C2), German (C2), Chinese (C1-C2), English (C1).
Meet the Administrative Support Team
Jill Tanamal Blackbyrn
Board Member, Negotiation Consultant
Jill Tanamal has been a Research Fellow of the Robert Bosch Academy Berlin - an institution of the Robert Bosch Stiftung in 2016. Her field of research was Mega Trends in South East Asia with the vision to enhance an informed and holistic understanding of the Southeast Asian region in Europe.
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Since 2016, Jill Tanamal is part of the Board of Directors of the South East Asia Leadership Academy (SEALA) which is an initiative launched by the Society of International Business Fellows (SIBF). Prior to that, she was Corporate Communications Manager at Bosch Indonesia for three and a half years succeeding in increasing brand awareness in Indonesia by opening up communication channels from traditional media to digital.
Preceding that, she worked for the German Federal Foreign Office as Liaison Coordinator for the second International Conference on Afghanistan. In this capacity, she was responsible for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. She performed similar roles for conferences at the Head-of-State and Ministerial level during Germany’s presidency of the G8 Summit, EU-ASEM and EU-ASEAN. Besides being the point of contact for the UN delegation, she was also a key contact for all ASEAN countries during that time.
From 2008 to 2009 Jill Tanamal was Project Manager for the Corporate Division at MCI Berlin office, handling high-level symposiums for the German government as well as other event formats.
Jill Tanamal is a Certified Event Manager from the IHK (German Chambers of Industry and Commerce). She followed up with Chinese studies from 2009 to 2011 at Beijing Language and Culture University.
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Jill is fluent in German, English and Indonesian, and speaks some Chinese.