SGE Team

Our maverick team comes from four different continents, speaks eight languages and has a combined experience across 15 industries.
Within such diversity, we have one thing in common: a burning desire to succeed.

James Allen Gantt

Managing Director

Mr.Gantt has more than 17 years of experience living and working around the world - focused on entrepreneurial ventures, international business, channel partner development/management, and implementation of best practice methodologies. Prior to joining SGE, Mr. Gantt founded multiple international companies across a range of industries. In addition to his start up experience, Mr. Gantt understands the high demand corporate nuances having managed the Asia-Pacific region for a NASDAQ publicly traded company. Among his entrepreneurial ventures, Mr. Gantt founded and operated a Singapore-based consulting/trading company that bridged the gap between Asia and the rest of the world and co-founded a multinational construction and development company that has operated throughout Africa and the Middle East. Mr. Gantt's background is well suited to SGE's growing portfolio, specifically targeting growth opportunities in the IT, land development and associated sectors in emerging markets. Mr. Gantt graduated from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, with a BA in Political Science/International Affairs and a BA in French.

David Lacherade

Chief Operating Officer

David has worked as a business analyst for nearly two decades, advising companies primarily in the United States, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean on market entry and expansion strategy, crossborder merger and acquisitions, joint ventures, and alliances. He has provided M&A and strategic advisory services to clients in industries including private equity, energy, chemicals, telecommunication, technology, hospitality and retail. Along his career, David worked in several organizations involved with import-export, international trade consulting and economic development.
Prior to joining SGE, David was Managing Director for a leading strategic middle-market company advisory in Singapore, where he headed up the firm's M&A advisory services for Singapore, Southeast Asia and other emerging countries, advising foreign and domestic companies in international development strategy, cross-border M&A and investments.
David holds an MBA and a Master's degree in International Business. He is a fluent speaker at conferences on international trade related issues. He speaks fluent French, English, and Spanish and is currently working on his Arabic.

Maher Reefay

General Manager

Maher has more than 25 years of experience in multi-national company management, business development, construction management, and technical equipment sales and operation. Prior to joining SGE, Maher co-founded a consulting engineering and construction management firm with offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Lebanon. He has held positions focused on business development and sustainability and facility management at a major US construction firm and has been a regional manager for a US-based Fortune 500 firm with global reach. Maher's proven track record in business development, creating and implementing acquisition plans, developing and spearheading strategies in support of corporate goals and providing vision and setting goals for business development activities is an integral part of SGE's placement agent practice and investment diligence. Maher graduated with an MSc in Engineering from Stanford University and a BSc in Engineering from Syracuse University.