Meet the Panama Experts
More than 50 experts will be on hand to make sure the conference is giving you what you need.
Here are just a few of the people who make up our staff for this groundbreaking conference. Remember: they’re not just presenting their topics. One of the primary conference benefits is that they’ll be available to spend time one-on-one discussing your own situation.
Margaret Summerfield – Panama real estate expert
Keeping far ahead of the pack when it comes to real estate markets, Margaret and her business partner, Ronan McMahon, have been the guiding force that led International Living readers to the explosive opportunities of recent years in Ecuador, Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil, Nicaragua, and of course, Panama. As Managing Director of Pathfinder, Ltd., Margaret will give her analysis of the real estate market situation in Panama, identifying the current hot spots…and the future opportunities.
Jessica Ramesch – your boots-on-the-ground guide
Jessica is International Living’s Panama editor. She live and works full-time in Panama, of course, and spends most of her time scouring the country and writing articles for International Living readers seeking a new life abroad. She’ll share her first-hand knowledge that will get your own transition off to a smooth start.
Robert E. Bauman — asset protection and privacy expert
Bob Bauman is one of the world’s leading authorities on offshore asset protection and privacy preservation. He is editor of the Sovereign Society’s Offshore A-letter, and a highly respected author of a wide range of publications including The Complete Guide to Offshore Residency, Dual Citizenship and Second Passports, the Offshore Money Manual, and the Oxford Club’s Wealth Protection Series.
Bob will give you the insider’s picture of the offshore landscape as no one else can, and unlock the mysteries of Panama as the world’s #1 financial haven.
Rainelda Mata-Kelly, Panama legal counsel
When it comes to residency, tax law, corporations, trusts, banking, and real estate, there is no better authority in Panama.
Rainelda will bring you up to speed with the practical information you need to know if you’re planning to retire, buy a property, or start up business. And if you’re setting up offshore accounts, corporations, or trusts, hearing what Rainelda has to say is indispensable.
Robert Kroesen – your guide to Panama investment/residency options
Robert is a Panamanian of Dutch origin. He spent many years in the U.S., where he obtained his marketing degree and worked as a consultant with a marketing research firm. Robert later returned to Panama full-time, where, for several years, he advised companies and Panama law firms on their global marketing and public relations strategies. He also became involved in one of the largest reforestation projects in the country, which, today, he manages full-time. Together with some of the most important legal firms and consultants from around the world, Robert advises individuals on how to take advantage of timber reforestation opportunities both for investment and as a means of obtaining full-time residency in Panama.
Winton Churchill – will teach you to make a living anywhere in the world
Winton Churchill is founder of Barefoot Consultants, an international training and consulting company that helps clients make a living from anywhere in the world by tapping into their own skills and career experience. “By taking charge of their earning power, rather than waiting for governments, financial institutions and employers to ‘right themselves,’ the baby boomer generation now has the power and access to put their skills and abilities on the global market regardless of where they live or work now,” he says.
Nick Hodges – the ultimate “taxpert”
With CPA/PFS, MBA, and CFP designations, Nick has a specialty niche tax and financial planning practice working with Americans who hold an international perspective. For over 20 years, he has helped his clients handle their tax and financial affairs Stateside and abroad, mitigating taxes and maximizing opportunity. He is well-versed in the matters of American expat tax and as an extensive traveler, he understands what American expats need as they manage their tax and financial worlds across multiple continents.
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The Most Qualified Experts on Overseas Lifestyles and Opportunities Our International Living experts have been quoted by The New York Times, USA Today, Forbes Personal Finance, The Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger’s, U.S. News and World Report, Market Watch, ABC News, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago Tribune, and many others |
International Living Editor Dan Prescher will be your emcee for this event. He and his wife (and fellow International Living editor) Suzan Haskins will be on hand to answer any questions you have about living abroad. More than a decade ago, they left Omaha, Nebraska, for the warmer climes of Latin America and they haven’t looked back since. They’ve traveled all over the world in search of the best lifestyle opportunities and have themselves lived in Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, and yes, Panama.
And what’s more, you’ll get firsthand information about:
- Panama ’s world-class health care
- The truth about residency visas – how to qualify and what your obligations are
- Financing real estate in Panama
- Insurance issues – car, home, life, and health. What you really need and how much it costs.
- Learning Spanish for enjoyment and business – you can get by in Panama without it but learning some important terms is helpful.
- And much, much more…
Our seasoned professional experts will deliver the on-target information you need to get the real picture about living, buying or starting up a business in Panama.
Note: Due to unforeseen circumstances, it’s possible the speakers may change. Other experts, however, will take their place covering the same topic.
To discover the real hidden Panama, you need to hear from people like yourself—those who have gone before you
At this International Living Fast-Track Panama: Lifestyle and Opportunity Conference we’ve invited an unprecedented number of expats who have bought second homes, retired, or started up a business in Panama. Men and women who just a short time ago, were in the same position that you are today.
You’ll meet people like:
Stephen Johnson: I’ve already told you a bit about Stephen and his wife, Linda Murdock. He’s a retired executive and she was an entrepreneur back home, but spends most of her free time now on a surfboard. They’ll tell you the unvarnished truth about life in Panama…the good, bad, and the in-between. “It’s always an adventure,” they say.
Jon Nickel graduated from Harvard Law School in 1973, and for 32 years was a partner at a corporate law firm in Portland, Oregon, specializing in taxation and employee benefits. In 2005, Jon and his wife, Gretchen, retired to Panama City where they spent two years renovating a penthouse apartment with expansive ocean views.
Rosalind Baitel moved to Panama in 1985 from New Orleans to teach science at a U.S. Department of Defense Dependents School. In 1999, she opened Promises—the first and only consignment boutique in Panama dedicated to charity fundraising. She had her husband, Allan, have raised two children in Panama. Allan is president of the Kol Shearith Israel Congregation and vice commodore of the Panama Canal Yacht Club. With a lifetime of experience in Panama, Rosalind will share her experiences there.
Albert Fine has been a retiree in Panama for the past seven years and takes full advantage of the Pensionado Program and its many benefits. He’ll share his experiences with you and give you the low down on what it’s really like to retire in paradise…
Harry Hunt is in love with his home in Boquete and with his Chiriqui beachfront home. A perpetual crowd pleaser at International Living events, Harry says “My garbage disposal has a tail and my dishwasher wears a dress.” He also says “There are two Panamas: the modern Panama and my Panama.” This April he’ll share his experiences with both.
And these successful expats are just the start. This conference will give center stage to more expat speakers than ever before. This firsthand information is worth its weight in gold.
I’ll be there, too, along with several other International Living staff members. We all look forward to telling your more about International Living and answering any questions you may have about beginning a new life abroad.