Leadership
Advisors
Palanca Bridge is led by two principals under one governance framework. Their work is contracted under U.S. law and delivered under our compliance operating system.
Tom Kayo
Managing Partner & Chief Compliance Officer
Tom Kayo is the Managing Partner of Palanca Bridge Corp and its Chief Compliance Officer. He founded the firm to help American companies, investors, and U.S. Government and development-finance partners enter and transact in African markets under U.S. governance and compliance standards.
He brings roughly two decades of enterprise commercial experience across American Express, DHL Express, Wolters Kluwer (Government & Public Sector), and Gartner — spanning international sales leadership, governance and regulatory-compliance solutions, and large-enterprise advisory. He holds the ACCPA Anti-Money-Laundering Compliance designation, a master’s in logistics and supply-chain management, and a bachelor’s in operations and supply-chain management. He works in English and French.
As Managing Partner, Tom leads engagement structuring and long-term execution. As Chief Compliance Officer, he holds ultimate authority over engagement acceptance, red-flag escalation, and walk-away decisions, and oversees the firm’s AML, FCPA, sanctions, and KYC operating system. His approach is straightforward: capital moves only when counterparties are clear, and every engagement is contracted under U.S. law. Compliance Clearance Letters carry Tom’s Tier 1 signature under a defined countersignature protocol with the Managing Partner Europe.
Related: Services · Compliance · Markets · Legal & Disclaimers
Michel C. Amaro
Managing Partner Europe
Michel C. Amaro is Managing Partner Europe of Palanca Bridge, where he leads the firm’s European engagement and the structuring of compliant, multi-jurisdiction transactions across Europe, Africa, and the United States. As Managing Partner Europe, Michel countersigns Compliance Clearance Letters under defined QA preconditions and conducts the mandatory second review on above-threshold declinations and European counterparty exposure.
He brings more than two decades of senior international-strategy experience. His earlier career was in French public service — including service in the French Navy and a former role as a French military attaché — where he specialized in complex cross-border cooperation across multiple jurisdictions. He now applies that experience in a private-sector advisory capacity, structuring and coordinating cross-border engagements for investors and multinational partners, with institutional and compliance discipline maintained throughout execution.
Michel holds a Doctorate in Public Law and Political Science (International Relations), a Master’s in Law, Economics and Management (Business Project Management), and a Master’s in Law (Public-Sector Careers). He works in French, Portuguese, and Italian.
Related: Services · Markets · Legal & Disclaimers
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