Golden Eagle Global (GEG) was the largest media company in Kurdistan, the semi-autonomous province in northeastern Iraq. I was hired to locate new business opportunities for the company. After several visits to Kurdistan, it became abundantly clear expansion into internet advertising was the next step for the company. There was one obstacle. The major cellular service providers did not offer data transferral through their networks (i.e. no mobile internet). In this was opportunity. Networking led to a Finnish company, NextMesh, who offered software that provided free wifi to consumers that could only be accessed by click-through advertising. The entire system was turnkey—perfect for GEG. After meetings with NextMesh in both Helsinki and Erbil (the provincial capital Kurdistan), the relationship was cemented and the decision was made to move forward. Erbil International Airport (EIA) was chosen as the site to launch the new business model. As the gateway to Kurdistan, the airport was the premiere advertising site in the region and GEG had a longstanding relationship with the facility. Next, Newroz, the sole provider of internet to Kurdistan was engaged. Wifi, itself, was astronomically more expensive than in the West. Intense negotiations were accompanied by endless rounds of spreadsheet calculations. Consultants in Austria and the United States were hired confirm all business and technical assumptions. Upon competition, contracts were signed and GEG Interactive was successfully launched.

NEW BUSINESS ACQUISITION • WIFI NETWORKS • MOBILE ADVERTISING