Talk:Joseph Sigelman

Major changes
Have been working in this one and would like to upload. Was advised to do this via talk first because of the major changes. Any feedback welcome.

Joseph Sigelman (born 6 February 1971) is an American businessman and co-founder of AG&P Group and ex-CEO of OfficeTiger.

Early life, family and education
Sigelman was born in New York in the United States. He is a graduate of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and he went on to receive his MBA from Harvard Business School, during which time he worked as a summer intern at Goldman Sachs in London. Sigelman is married to wife, Ayesha, and has two children, Maya Jessica and Daniel Cyrus, who were both born in the Philippines.

Career
Sigelman started his career in investment banking with Lazard Frères & Co and later the London Offices of Goldman Sachs, where he had summer interned during his studies. In 1999, he along with friend and business partner, Randy Altschuler started their first business, OfficeTiger.

Early career
In 2004, the company had over 2,000 employees and operated in both the US and the UK. In 2006 the company was arguably one of the first businesses worldwide to enter the business process outsourcing space in India and closed a US$250 million cash sale to RR Donnelley & Sons.

Sigelman further expanded the business operations, with the opening of a new company PetroTiger Ltd, a British Virgin Islands oil and gas company with operations in Colombia and offices in New Jersey. The company provided oil, gas, hydrocarbon, and infrastructure services in North and South America.

In 2013, legal proceedings against Sigelman in relation to dealings between PetroTiger and Columbian Officials were in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Proceedings were concluded in 2015, with Sigelman being fined $100,000. The Judge, Judge Joseph Irenas, criticized the prosecutors of the case, saying he felt he was “being played with” after they decided “not to complete the trial”. Irenas also pointed out that Sigelman has proven his ability to do great good in relation to the work he was doing in developing nations like Columbia. Bloomberg financial news also questioned the prosecution of Sigelman, suggesting he may have been a ‘Mark’ for others involved.

Atlantic Gulf & Pacific
In 2010, along with a group of shareholders, Sigelman led the acquisition of Philippines-based business, Atlantic Gulf & Pacific (AG&P). AG&P is a company that focuses on downstream Liquefied Natural Gas import and distribution as well as major engineering and construction operations.

Since the acquisition of AG&P in 2010, Sigelman has led the growth of over US$300 million in equity infusions and the expansion of the company across the Asia Pacific region, including the acquisition of Korean gas giant, Gas Entec.

In addition to his vast business career, Sigelman was a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, a Businessweek Star of Asia, and Asia CEO Expat Executive of the Year. Joe is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Philippine citizenship
Sigelman first came to the Philippines in 2004 and established a home in Manila, where his two children were later born. In 2019, 18th Congress of the Philippines House of Representatives member, Rosanna Vergara introduced legislation into the congress seeking to grant Sigelman Philippine Citizenship. Vergara said that Sigelman had embraced the local culture, tradition, and ideals of someone who deserved citizenship.

The legislation was referred to the Committee on Justice in September 2019 and following a lengthy debate within the Committee, members recommended that Sigelman's citizenship be granted by Congress in September 2020. The congress introduced a new Senate Bill that was subsequently passed into law, and Sigelman and his family were granted citizenship. Local media reported the legislation passed uncontroversial and without protest from congressional members.