Eric Hontz leads CIPE’s Center for Accountable Investment which uses the lens of Corrosive and Constructive Capital to examine the impact of investment on democratic and market institutions. The CAI’s work sits at the confluence of corporate governance, the rule of law, and the business and investment climate, with patterns of trade and investment worldwide. Hontz is active in developing the capacity of business organizations to advocate on behalf of member interests and helping these organizations to foster a culture of inclusive business growth. In prior roles, Hontz was an associate at a law firm and a vice president at an investment bank, where he reviewed complex alternative investment products. He is frequently featured in media as an expert on economic reform and policy in Ukraine and other former Soviet states.
Hontz holds Bachelor’s degrees in Russian and Political Science from the University of Montana, a JD/MBA from the University of Maryland, and is licensed to practice law in Maryland. Hontz also spent time studying at the Russian State University for Humanities, holds a certificate from the Institute Organization Management for nonprofit management from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and served in the Peace Corps in Severodonetsk, Lugansk Oblast, Ukraine. Hontz sits on the board of the University of Maryland School of Law Alumni Association and is an active volunteer in various roles in Baltimore’s civil society organizations.