Royal Development Consortium
RDC Team
Paul Danilov - Founder and Executive Director
Paul founded RDC in 2015, after more than 30 years in the private sector advising government and non-governmental clients in defense acquisitions, industrial development, and partner capacity build-up. Beginning in 2005, Paul shifted his focus to supporting international clients interested to invest in economic development and post-conflict rebuilding. With the creation of RDC, Paul formalized his work in enabling economic and capacity building investment projects in some of the most important emerging economies in the world. RDC has delivered measurable, tactical and strategic impact in countries across the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and south-central Asia. Supported by an executive team of experts across multiple investment fields, RDC enables projects ranging from humanitarian infrastructure establishment, to tailored expansion of local economies, to expansion and rebuilding of strategic military industrial investments to enable that economic development across RDC's client base. With a four-member executive team, a core team of more than 20 experts, and many more senior local advisers in the investment countries, RDC has grown since inception to support dozens of high-level clients and dozens more strategic, lasting investments that make a difference in these emerging economies.
Executive Team
Michel Martins
Chief Operating Officer
Michel joined RDC in 2017, bringing with him more than 20 years' experience in the United Nations and international NGO space. Michel leverages a background in post-conflict development and supply chain investment to guide the strategic direction of RDC projects and client management.
Sophia Stewart
Executive Director, Programs
With more than a decade of experience in advising governments and private sector executives on strategic development investments, Sophia joined RDC in 2021 to lead program management at the executive level. As director, Sophia enables the insights and advising RDC clients rely on to make smart, long-term investments in countries on the horizon of economic expansion. Leading the strategic and tactical vision of the executive team, Sophia leverages a unique background to engage local senior experts who can advise RDC clients on the projects that matter most.
Melanie Smith
Chief Financial Officer
After spending more than a decade in international private finance for the world's biggest banks, Melanie joined RDC in 2020 to lead RDC's financial portfolio and advise RDC clients on smart investments. With a specialization in risk analysis, Melanie is the final arbiter for clients on investments worth the chance, and ways forward to rework plans to ensure financial success.
