Mark Gross has over 20 years experience in the US, international and emerging markets as an international banker and leading M&A and corporate development as both a principal and an advisor. Much of this time was spent in the world’s most dynamic emerging markets including Brazil, China, India and other countries in Latin America, Asia and the Middle East.

At Knox & Co, he advises strategic, financial and principal investors (PEGs) interested in entering, expanding in or gaining exposure to the emerging markets. His particular focus is the large and growing trade and investment flows between Brazil and China/Asia. He also focuses on specialty financial services companies in the US and internationally.

Prior to joining Knox, he was Head of Strategy & Corporate Development for the Americas at Standard Chartered Bank, where he was responsible for strategy, M&A and business development for the Corporate & Investment Banking and Wealth Management businesses. He was also responsible for principal investment in the region.

Prior to this, Mr. Gross was Head of Origination & Client Coverage and Country CEO at Standard Chartered, Brazil where he led the bank’s expansion in the Brazilian market including the formation of its local bank subsidiary.

Previously, he spent 17 years at American Express Company in a variety of management, corporate finance and strategy roles. These included CEO of the US consumer banking, mortgage origination and trust businesses of Amex and its spin-off, Ameriprise Financial; President of Ameriprise Bank, FSB; Head of Strategy for the International Financial Services segment and Director, Corporate Development & Business Analysis.

Mr. Gross was CEO of American Express Bank, Brazil, with management responsibility for wholesale banking and wealth management in the market as well as consumer and SME lending & leasing regionally. He launched one of the first specialty finance businesses in the Brazilian market focusing on the emerging middle class as well as a family of Brazilian Real-denominated multi-market hedge funds.

He was also Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Banco Amex’ predecessor, a joint venture between American Express and Banco SRL, a Brazilian corporate and investment bank.

During his career, he has steered transactions valued at more than $10 billion. Among the more notable were the acquisition of Lehman Brothers Brazil by Standard Chartered Bank as well as a range of corporate transactions on behalf of American Express Company including the sale of Shearson to Citigroup, the IPO of First Data Corporation, the spinoff of Lehman Brothers and the acquisition of Banco SRL in Brazil.

He was a speaker at the World Economic Forum regional meeting in Rio de Janeiro on the subject of Asian-Latin American Trade and Investment linkages. He is currently a board director of the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Gross holds an MBA from the Stern School of Business of New York University and an undergraduate degree from Rutgers College.