Foreign Policy Research Institute A Nation Must Think Before it Acts FPRI Welcomes New Trustees

A nation must think before it acts.

Foreign Policy Research Institute Foreign Policy Research Institute
FPRI Welcomes New Trustees
FPRI News

FPRI Welcomes New Trustees

  • February 12, 2026
Home / News / FPRI Welcomes New Trustees

FPRI Welcomes New Trustees

  • February 12, 2026

PHILADELPHIA

The Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) is pleased to welcome six members to our Board of Trustees.

James Gagne has more than 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur and executive business leader in the global supply chain, transportation, and logistics industry. His career is distinguished by his ability to architect, design, and execute on a vision and strategic plan for ‘re-founding’ and transforming businesses, while keeping the client, people, and value creation front and center.

 

Michael Hochberg is the President of Periplous LLC, which provides advisory services on strategy, technology, policy, and organization design. Hochberg has been a physicist, an engineer, a professor, a startup founder, an executive at startup companies, an executive at a large multinational, and a freelance advisor and board member.

 

Leslie Lane held executive leadership roles as well as board roles across diverse industries, including CEO, President, Managing Director, CFO, and COO. He has expertise in strategy, marketing, operations, and finance, with a proven track record in new business development, mergers & acquisitions, and driving growth and strategic transformation in both for-profit and non-profit organizations.

 

Greg Otto is an operator–investor with over 15 years of experience at the intersection of national security, global trade, maritime operations, and critical infrastructure. His work spans industrials, logistics, shipping, and technology-enabled financial services, with a focus on how geopolitics, regulation, and capital shape real-asset operating systems. 

 

Bennet Scauzzo, CFA, is a Director and Senior Portfolio Manager at BlackRock. In this role, he partners with financial advisors and financial professionals to build and manage customized and model-based Fixed Income portfolios and wealth management solutions for high-net-worth and institutional clients.

 

Evan Skalski is a Senior Partner at Alpha Financial Markets Consulting based in Philadelphia with experience in leading global strategy and operations teams across the financial services and investment management industries. Evan joined Alpha from Vanguard, where he held Senior Manager roles in Corporate Strategy, Corporate Development, Innovation, and the Chief Technology Office.

 
FPRI President Aaron Stein looks forward to working with our new Trustees. “These new Trustees have been incredibly supportive of FPRI’s mission and of our work. They have also all been a valuable sounding board and mentor for me personally, always taking time to answer my questions, and helping me think about FPRI’s future. I look forward to working with these new Trustees long into the future.”
 
Partnerships provide invaluable support for FPRI’s research programs. Our partners connect with FPRI leadership, Senior Fellows, and other experts through a variety of curated in-person and virtual programming related to your personal and professional interests.

Learn more about partnerships with FPRI here. For questions about partnerships and memberships, please contact Christine Datesman at cdatesman@fpri.org or 215.732.3774 ext 109. 

FPRI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Memberships and gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.