Program Agenda and Speakers

8:30 AM: Doors open for networking coffee

9:00 AM: Event start time

9:05 AM: Armchair Discussion

Ambassador Susan C. Schwab, Strategic Advisor, Mayer Brown; former United States Trade Representative

Ambassador Jovita Neliupšienė, Delegation of the European Union to the United States; former Vice Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania

9:35 AM: Panel on US-EU Trade & Investment

Marco Margheri, Head of US Relations, Eni; Chairman, Eni New Energies US Inc.

Penny Naas, Lead, GMF Allied Competitiveness, German Marshall Fund

Jonathan Samford, Incoming President & CEO, Global Business Alliance

Lisa Schroeter, Global Director of Trade & Investment Policy, Dow

10:30 AM: Event conclusion

Additional Speakers to be Announced…

Speaker Biographies

Ambassador Schwab served as U.S. Trade Representative (2006–09) and as deputy (2005–06). As USTR, she concluded free trade agreements with Peru, Colombia, South Korea and others; and launched the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. She pursued and/or settled trade disputes with various WTO members, including China, Canada, and the EU, and engaged in negotiations at the WTO, APEC and other regional or plurilateral settings.

In academia, she served as dean of the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland; and as vice chancellor of the University System of Maryland (USM) & CEO of the USM Foundation. She still teaches classes in international trade.

In the private sector, Schwab was director of corporate business development for Motorola, Inc., where she engaged in M&A and joint venture negotiations in Asia, including in China.

Earlier in government, she served as assistant secretary of Commerce and director-general of the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service, as a trade staffer and legislative director for Senator John C. Danforth (R-MO), and as a foreign service officer at the US Embassy in Tokyo. She began her career as an agricultural trade negotiator at USTR.

Ambassador Schwab serves on the boards of Caterpillar, FedEx and Marriott. She chairs the board of The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), and is on the boards of The Conference Board, Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), and Signature Theatre of Arlington, VA.

She holds a BA from Williams College; a Master’s from Stanford University; and a Ph.D. from The George Washington University.

Jovita Neliupšienė became the Ambassador of the European Union to the United States on January 1, 2024. Before that, she was a Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania from September 2022, where she was responsible for the coordination of European Affairs, European bilateral and regional issues, as well as national sanctions coordinator.

From 2020-2022, she was Vice Minister of Economy and Innovation of Lithuania, tasked with investment and export promotion, international cooperation, including policy coordination of state-owned enterprises, as well as chairing the interagency commission for export control.

In 2020, she held the post of Chancellor and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania. This position included responsibility for staff coordination, legal and consular affairs. Between 2015-2020, she served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the EU. These years were marked by the migration crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

From 2009-2015, she worked as an advisor and chief foreign policy advisor to the President of the Republic of Lithuania Ms. Dalia Grybauskaite. She was responsible for foreign policy coordination, inter-institutional relations, as well as the role of sherpa/EU advisor, and in this respect took a leading position in preparing and coordinating the Lithuanian presidency of the EU Council in 2013. In 2014, she was awarded the State Decoration Order “For Merit to Lithuania” Commander’s Cross.

Marco Margheri is the Head of Eni’s US Relations and Chairman of Eni New Energies US Inc. He oversees relations with US Authorities, US-based IFIs, and multilateral processes of interest for the company. Marco is also serving as Board Member for the Atlantic Council, a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations and Chair for Italy of the WEC – World Energy Council. Prior to joining Eni, he was Italy’s Edison Executive Vice-President for Sustainability, Institutions & Regulation overseeing activities in Rome and Brussels, and held positions with GE Oil & Gas and Cohn Wolfe. Marco is also a visiting professor at LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome, a member of the Italian press and an Honorary Member of the Milano per la Scala Foundation in Milan.

Penelope (Penny) Naas is Lead for GMF Allied Competitiveness at the German Marshall Fund. She is a global public policy leader who designs strategies on international economic issues that sit at the nexus of geopolitics, trade, and climate. She is an adviser for TradeExperettes, a global organization of women trade experts.

Naas has created innovative strategies and solutions for Citigroup and, more recently, for UPS as its president for international public affairs and global sustainability. She opened and was managing director of Citigroup’s first government affairs office in Brussels between 2007 and 2012 before leading UPS’s international team from 2012 to 2019. She started her career at the US Department of Commerce, where she worked for 13 years on international economic issues and advancing the commercial interests of US companies in Europe.

Naas holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She is on several boards and has co-chaired the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Trade and Investment.

Lisa Schroeter is the Global Director of Trade and Investment Policy for The Dow Chemical Company. As part of the corporate Government Affairs & Public Policy team, Lisa has direct responsibilities for defining and managing the company’s global trade agenda as well as developing strategy on the international aspects of key corporate issues. Based in Washington, DC, Lisa’s responsibilities focus on trade policy and legislation, trade negotiations, and investment issues that foster growth in Dow’s global businesses through identification of policies facilitating market access and reducing global distribution costs.

Before joining Dow, Lisa was the Executive Director of the TransAtlantic Business Dialogue (TABD). TABD is a unique trade-facilitation process by which American and European corporations work with the U.S. Administration and the European Commission to implement practical, detailed recommendations. Lisa was responsible for staffing the U.S. Chair CEO, working with the issue committees to develop and promote their recommendations, and facilitating business and government interaction. Ms. Schroeter joined TABD in 1999, and managed the process on behalf of the Boeing Company, PricewaterhouseCoopers, United Technologies Corporation and Xerox.

Lisa is currently a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR); President-Elect of Women in International Trade (WIIT) and a Board Member of the Washington International Trade Association, US Council for International Business the US-ASEAN Business Council and Cultural Tourism, DC. She serves as the Chair of the ICCA Trade Network and Global Regulatory Cooperation task forces as well as the US Business Committee of the Transatlantic Policy Network (TPN).

As a long-term DC resident, Lisa is also a Board Member of Cultural Tourism DC, celebrating the unique heritage and history of the U.S. Capital.

The post The Future of U.S.-EU Trade and Investment appeared first on WITA.

On Friday, May 13, WITA held a webinar previewing what we might expect from the second meeting of the U.S.-European Union Trade and Technology Council (TTC). Speakers discussed opportunities for the US and EU to work together on issues such as secure supply chains, semiconductors, rare earths, and critical minerals, which have taken on added importance in the midst of the war in Ukraine and Russia sanctions.

Featured Speakers: 

Tyson Barker, Head of the Technology and Global Affairs Program, German Council on Foreign Relations

Tony Fernandes, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Trade Policy and Negotiations, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Jordan M. Haas, Director, Trade Policy and Government Relations, Intel Corporation

Eva Maydell, Member of the European Parliament (Bulgaria)

Moderator: Former Congressman Bart Gordon, U.S. Director, Trans-Atlantic Business Council (TABC)

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Tyson Barker

Tyson Barker is the Head of the Technology and Global Affairs Program at the German Council on Foreign Relations. Tyson Barker joined DGAP in October 2020 as head of its Technology and Global Affairs Program. He previously worked at Aspen Germany where, as deputy executive director and fellow, he was responsible for the institute’s digital and transatlantic programs. Prior to that, Barker served in numerous positions including as senior advisor in the Bureau for European and Eurasian Affairs at the US State Department and director for transatlantic relations at the Bertelsmann Foundation. He has written for numerous publications on both sides of the Atlantic including Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Politico, The Atlantic, The National Interest, and Der Spiegel.

Barker was a Fulbright scholar in Austria and a Truman National Security Project Fellow. He was a recipient of the Taiwan Cultural Exchange Fellowship and a grant from the Starr Foundation to conduct research on Sino-European relations. Barker has a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). In addition to his native English, he speaks fluent German and Spanish.

Tony Fernandes

Tony Fernandes is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Trade Policy and Negotiations in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, after having served as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary since August 2021. Prior to that, Tony was Director of the Multilateral Trade Affairs Office in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.

Previously, Tony was Director for Regional Affairs in the Bureau of Legislative Affairs and Director for Africa and Middle East Programs in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. He also served in the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the Diplomatic Readiness Task Force, and the Operations Center. His overseas assignments include positions in Turkey, Nigeria, Russia, Canada, and China.

Tony joined the Foreign Service in 1997 and is a member of the Senior Foreing Service. He holds a B.A. from Boston College, a J.D. from the University of Minnesota School of Law, and a Master’s in National Security Strategy from the National War College. 

Bart Gordon

Bart Gordon is the U.S. Director of the Trans-Atlantic Business Council, and a former Congressman. Mr. Gordon joined K&L Gates as partner in the Washington D.C. office after 26 years representing the state of Tennessee in the United States House of Representatives. Mr. Gordon served as Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology from 2007 to 2012. Mr. Gordon was also a senior member of the House Committee on Science and Technology from 2007 to 2010. Mr. Gordon was also a senior member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and served on the House Committee on Financial Services and the House Committee on Rules, Transatlantic Parliamentary Dialogue, and NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Mr. Gordon is a member of the Tennessee bar and the District of Columbia bar. 

Jordan M. Haas is the Director of Trade Policy and Government Relations at Intel Corporation and has over 20 years of experience advocating for policies that foster economic growth for American businesses. 

Haas joined the Obama Administration during the first year of the first term and served until the last day of the Administration. He played a lead role in advancing the Obama Administration’s trade legislative agenda, including running the Department of Commerce’s Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) outreach and as an active member of the White House interagency trade team. He was centrally involved in the teams that stood up the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield framework and the SelectUSA Summit.  

Haas served as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Congressional and Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) where he facilitated the development and passage of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, a long-term reauthorization of the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program, and the implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

As Director of Trade Policy at Internet Association, Haas was an active player in the private sector push for the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) and the U.S.-Japan Digital Trade Agreement. Haas was the first person to represent the digital industry on the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (ITAC-13). 

Haas previously worked on Capitol Hill as Legislative Director for Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX), on the Senate Democratic Technology and Communications Committee, and for half a decade on the House Committee on Small Business. Haas has also worked for Polsinelli Shughart PC and at the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA). A native of Shaker Heights, Ohio, Haas holds a BA from American University. 

The post WITA’s Sanctions Series: The War, Sanctions, Supply Chains, and the U.S.-European Union Trade and Technology Council appeared first on WITA.

On Monday, January 31st, and Tuesday, February 1st, 2022, WITA hosted its fourth annual Washington International Trade Conference (WITC). This conference brought together leaders in international trade from across the U.S. and around the world to explore the trade landscape and look toward the future of trade.

 Secretary-General Mathias Cormann, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Moderator: Ambassador Kristen Silverberg, President & COO, Business Roundtable; former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union 

Aik Hoe Lim, Director, Trade and Environment Division, World Trade Organization

Kelly K. Milton, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, Environment and Natural Resources

Ambassador Gloria Abraham Peralta, Costa Rica’s Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization, Co-Chair, Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD), World Trade Organization

Moderator: Sarah Stewart, Executive Director, Silverado Policy Accelerator; former Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, Environment and Natural Resources

Angela Ellard, Deputy Director General, World Trade Organization

Moderator: Ambassador Rufus Yerxa, former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative; former Deputy Director General of the World Trade Organization

Amy P. Celico, Principal Albright Stonebridge Group | Dentons Global Advisors; former Senior Director for China Affairs, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

Wendy Cutler, Vice President, Asia Society Policy Institute; former Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative

Bonnie Glaser, Director of the Asia Program, German Marshall Fund of the United States

Samm Sacks, Senior Fellow, Paul Tsai China Center & New America, Yale Law School

Moderator: Erin Ennis, Vice President, Global Public Policy, Dell Technologies

Ambassador Kirsten Hillman, Canadian Ambassador to the United States

Ambassador Tomita Koji, Japanese Ambassador to the United States

Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, European Union Ambassador to the United States

Moderator: Ambassador Susan Schwab, Strategic Advisor, Mayer Brown LLP; former U.S. Trade Representative

Orit Frenkel, CEO, American Leadership Initiative

Ed Gresser, Vice President and Director for Trade and Global Markets, Progressive Policy Institute (PPI)

Jeffrey Kucik, Associate Professor, School of Government and Public Policy at University of Arizona

Chad Thompson, Executive Director for Legal Affairs & Trade, General Motors

Moderator: Sarah Thorn, Senior Director of Global Government Affairs, Walmart

Jon Gold, Vice President of Supply Chain and Customs Policy, National Retail Federation

Phil Levy, Chief Economist, Flexport

Penny Naas, President of International Public Affairs and Sustainability, UPS

Maria Zieba, Assistant Vice President of International Affairs, National Pork Producers Council

Moderator: Ana Swanson, Correspondent, New York Times

Ambassador Sarah Bianchi, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative

Moderator: Ambassador Robert Holleyman, Partner & President & CEO, Crowell & Moring LLP and C&M International; Former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative

The post 2022 Washington International Trade Conference Recap appeared first on WITA.

On Wednesday, June 23, WITA hosted Part 2 of our Two Part Series on the G7 and U.S. – EU Summits, in partnership with the Institute for International Economic Policy at The George Washington University.

WITA Webinar Featuring: 

Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, Ambassador of the European Union to the United States

Ambassador Karen Pierce DCMG, British Ambassador to the United States

Moderator: Daniel M. Price, Managing Director, Rock Creek Global Advisors; former Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis is the Ambassador of the European Union to the United States. From 2012 to February 2019, he served as the European Union Special Representative for Human Rights. In 2011, he was Foreign Affairs Minister of Greece.

Between 2004 and 2011, he was twice elected Member of the European Parliament (MEP) with the Greek Social Democratic Party (PASOK). He served as Vice-President of the European Parliament (2009-11), Vice-President of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (2004-09), and Head of the PASOK Delegation (2005-11). Between 2000 and 2004, he was Director-General of the International Olympic Truce Centre, an International Olympic Committee organization.

He served as Ambassador ad personam of the Hellenic Republic (1999-2004); Secretary-General of the Greek Foreign Ministry, responsible for Expatriate Greeks (1996-99); and Chief of Staff to the Greek Foreign Minister (1996). Between 1988 and 1993 he worked as an Attorney at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering in Washington, D.C., specializing in international trade, transactions, and arbitration.

Mr. Lambrinidis was born in Athens, Greece in 1962. He studied Economics and Political Science at Amherst College (Bachelor of Arts degree, 1984) and Law at Yale Law School (Juris Doctor degree, 1988), where he was also Managing Editor of The Yale Journal of International Law. He is a 1980 graduate of the Athens College High School in Greece. He is married and has a daughter.

Ambassador Karen Pierce DCMG is the British Ambassador to the United States. Before arriving in DC, Pierce was the United Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. Prior to this role, Karen served as the Director General for Political Affairs and Chief Operating Officer of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, from 2016.

Karen joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in 1981. Her first role was in Tokyo between 1984 and 1987, after which she returned to the UK to work in the Security Policy Department. Karen worked in Washington as the Private Secretary to the British Ambassador to the United States between 1992 and 1995. Between 1996 and 2006, Karen held several positions in London including Team Leader for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, Deputy Head of Eastern Adriatic (Balkans) Department, Head of Newsroom, Head of EU Department (Bilateral) and concurrently Head of Afghanistan Political Military Unit after 9/11 before returning to the Balkans as Balkans Coordinator from 2002 to 2006.

In 2006, Karen moved to New York for the first time to be the Deputy Permanent Representative and Ambassador at the UK Mission to the UN. In 2009, she returned to London to become the Director of South Asia and Afghanistan Department and the UK’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2012, Karen started her second multilateral role, this time in Geneva, where she was the Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UK Mission to the United Nations, World Trade Organization and Other International Organisations until 2015. Between 2015 and 2016 Karen was the UK’s Ambassador to Afghanistan.

Daniel M. Price is Managing Director and co-founder of Rock Creek Global Advisors, an international economic policy advisory firm, where he focuses on international regulatory and policy matters. Mr. Price advises multinational companies and financial institutions on trade policy, financial regulatory issues, geopolitical risk, and matters arising in global forums (G7, G20, and APEC).

Previously, Mr. Price served in the Administration of George W. Bush as the senior White House official responsible for international trade and investment, development assistance, and the international aspects of financial reform, energy security, and climate change.

Mr. Price was the President’s personal representative to the G8, the G20 Financial Summit, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum. He was US chair of cabinet-level economic dialogues with Brazil, India, and the European Union.

Before and after his White House service, Mr. Price was a partner with Sidley Austin LLP, having founded and chaired the firm’s 60-member International Trade & Dispute Resolution group. Mr. Price counseled multinational companies on trade, investment, national security, and sanctions issues, and represented companies and governments in WTO, investment treaty, and NAFTA disputes. Earlier, Mr. Price served as Principal Deputy General Counsel in the Office of the US Trade Representative and as Deputy Agent to the Iran-US Claims Tribunal in The Hague.

Mr. Price has appeared on BBC, CNBC, PBS, and Bloomberg TV. His articles have been published in the New York Times, Financial Times, Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal.

Mr. Price was educated at Haverford College, Cambridge University, and Harvard Law School, where he was an Articles Editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Kenneth Levinson is the Executive Director of the Washington International Trade Association (WITA). WITA is Washington’s largest non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to providing a neutral forum in the U.S. capital for the open and robust discussion of international trade policy and economic issues. WITA has over 4,500 members, and more than 170 corporate sponsors and group memberships.

Previously, Ken served as Senior Director for Global Government Affairs for AstraZeneca. Prior to joining AstraZeneca, Ken served as Senior Vice President and COO at the Washington, DC consulting firm of Fontheim International. Ken started his career on the staff of U.S. Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, where he served as the Senator’s chief advisor for international trade, tax, foreign policy, and national security.

Ken received a Master’s degree in European History from New York University after doing his undergraduate work at the University of Massachusetts, in Amherst. Ken also spent a year studying at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Ken and his wife, the Reverend Donna Marsh, live in Bethesda, MD, with their two daughters.

Michael Moore is Professor of Economics and International Affairs at the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs and Department of Economics. Professor Moore was the founding director for both the Elliott School’s International Trade and Investment Policy master’s program, and the Institute for International Economic Policy. Professor Moore received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and obtained a B.A. in Liberal Arts (Plan II) from the University of Texas at Austin.

Professor Moore’s main area of research is trade policy, especially WTO related issues. Recent worked has focused on antidumping use in the developing world, whether carbon tariffs are consistent with WTO rules, and whether trade liberalization has affected the patterns of government spending in developing countries.

He has had a joint appointment with the Elliott School of International Affairs and the Department of Economics at the George Washington University since receiving his doctorate in 1988. He served as associate dean of the Elliott School from 1995 through 1997. He also has taught international economics to US diplomats at the Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute.

Professor Moore served as Senior Economist for International Trade at the White House Council of Economic Advisers from July 2002 through July 2003.

He teaches courses at the undergraduate, masters and PhD courses on international economics. For a description of courses, please click here . Professor Moore has also developed a series of Quicktime videos for students wishing to review economics topics.

Professor Moore spent 1984-1985 as a graduate student at the Christian-Albrechts-Universität in Kiel, Germany. During 1994-1995, he was a Fulbright Scholar in Brussels at the Center for European Policy Studies and a German-Marshall Fellow at the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (“Sciences-Po”) in Paris. In summer 1998, he was a visiting professor at the National University of Singapore. Professor Moore frequently has taught a course on US Trade Policy to graduate students at Sciences-Po.

Professor Moore speaks German fluently and is proficient in French and Spanish.

He was born in Borger, Texas and later moved to Baytown, Texas. He graduated from Ross Sterling High School in 1975.

Co-Hosted with the Institute for International Economic Policy at The George Washington University 

The post WITA Webinar: What Was Achieved at the U.S.-EU and G7 Summits appeared first on WITA.

On Thursday, June 9, WITA discussed what we might expect to see at the upcoming US-EU summit, and whether two of the three largest economies in the world can find common ground on these and other critical trade issues.

WITA Webinar Featuring:

Dr. Sonat Birnecker, President, KOVAL Distillery

Ambassador David O’Sullivan, Senior Counsellor, Steptoe; former European Union (EU) Ambassador to the United States

Matthew Schruers, President, Computer & Communications Industry Association

Ambassador Dennis Shea, Principal, Shea Public Strategies LLC; Fellow, Bipartisan Policy Center; Adjunct Fellow (non-resident), Center for Strategic & International Studies; former Deputy United States Trade Representative

Moderator: Marjorie Chorlins, Senior Vice President, European Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Executive Director, U.S.-UK Business Council

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Dr. Sonat Birnecker is the President of KOVAL Distillery. Prior to opening KOVAL Distillery, one of the largest independent and female-owned craft distilleries in the US, Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart spent over a decade as a full professor in both the United States and Germany. In 2008, she gave up tenure in hopes of a different quality of life; one that would afford an opportunity for her to work with her husband, give up commuting, and return to the city she loved: Chicago.

As President of KOVAL, she has spearheaded product development, distribution, and marketing, turning her family business into an international presence with availability in over 55 export markets. In addition to her leadership at KOVAL, Sonat is also involved in a number of philanthropic and public service organizations, and serves on the board of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) of Chicago. She was recently named Illinois Business Person of the Year by the National Small Business Association, is a federally appointed member of the Illinois Export Council (DEC), and has been inducted into the prestigious Disciples d’Escoffier.

Matt Schruers is President of the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA). He represents the Association before Congress, courts, and the Administration and advises industry on matters including internet law, intellectual property, competition and international trade. He joined CCIA from private law practice in 2005 and has previously served as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He has also been an adjunct professor for over 10 years, teaching courses on intellectual property and internet law at the Georgetown University Law Center and Graduate School, and American University Washington College of Law.

Mr. Schruers received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served on the editorial board of the Virginia Law Review, and received his B.A. from Duke University.

David O’Sullivan is a Senior Counselor at Steptoe, and former European Union (EU) Ambassador to the United States. He advises clients on high-profile international trade matters with complex legal issues, policy dimensions, and political sensitivities. He also advises companies on the formulation and application of EU trade policy and offers clients effective advice on their trade interests in both the EU market and third country markets. In addition to his work on trade policy and advocacy matters, David advises companies on international regulatory and compliance matters.

As EU Ambassador to the United States, David oversaw the EU’s bilateral relationship with the United States including political, economic, and commercial affairs.

A long-time and distinguished EU official, David has served in several senior official posts in the European public service. In these roles, he developed a deep understanding of the trade and diplomatic relationships of the EU and its member countries and the full range of transatlantic business relationship issues, including trade policy, cybersecurity, and Brexit, among others.

Before his appointment as ambassador, David helped establish the EU’s European External Action Service, one of the largest diplomatic networks with 140 delegations across the globe. For his work with the EEAS, David was awarded the EU Transatlantic Business Award by the American Chamber of Commerce in 2014. Prior to his role with EEAS, David has held several notable, senior positions within the European Commission including director general for trade, secretary general of the European Commission and chief of staff to Commission President Romano Prodi.

Ambassador Dennis Shea is the Founder of Shea Public Strategies LLC, a consulting firm based in Arlington, Virginia. He is currently a fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center and an adjunct fellow (non-resident) at the Center for Strategic & International Studies. 

From 2018-2021, Dennis served as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and U.S. Ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland. At the WTO, Dennis led an interagency team charged with advancing U.S. interests on issues ranging from trade in goods and services to ecommerce, intellectual property protection and agriculture. He also spearheaded U.S. efforts to achieve meaningful WTO reform. As Deputy USTR, Dennis represented the U.S. as head of delegation at the G20 Trade Ministers meetings in Argentina (2018) and Japan (2019). 

During his career, Dennis has served as one of the top staffers in the United States Congress (deputy chief of staff and counsel to Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole), as a high-level presidential campaign aide (policy director for the 1996 Dole for President campaign), and as a leading member of a Cabinet department (Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research at HUD). Dennis also served as senior advisor to the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee during the 2006 election cycle and, in 1992, was the Republican and Conservative Party candidate for Congress from New York’s 7th Congressional District. 

For more than 10 years, Dennis was a member of the influential U.S.–China Economic and Security Review Commission and served as either Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Commission from 2012 to 2017. As a Commissioner, Dennis testified before Congress on issues ranging from China’s energy engagement with Central Asia, China’s maritime disputes in the East and South China Seas, the impact of international technology transfer on American research and development, and China’s space program. 

Dennis began his career in Washington, DC as a corporate associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.  

Dennis received a J.D., an M.A. in History, and a B.A. in Government, all from Harvard University. He is admitted to the bar in New York and currently resides in Arlington, Virginia with his wife Elizabeth and daughter Juliette.

Marjorie A. Chorlins is the Senior Vice President for European Affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and leads the organization’s policy development and advocacy related to trade and investment with Europe. She is also executive director of the U.S.-UK Business Council. 

With more than 30 years of experience in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, Chorlins has focused on forging consensus among competing points of view. She has represented the U.S. government in multilateral trade negotiations, advocated in support of global sales, consulted with multinational corporations on corporate responsibility, and helped foster a robust transatlantic relationship. 

Chorlins began her federal government service in the office of former Sen. John C. Danforth (R-MO), where she participated in drafting the 1988 Trade Act and the 1989 implementing legislation for the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement. She continued her government service as principal deputy assistant secretary for Import Administration at the Department of Commerce, representing the U.S. in the GATT Uruguay Round and NAFTA negotiations. 

Chorlins then became director for international trade relations at Motorola Inc. She played a leadership role in early business community efforts to normalize U.S.- China commercial relations and was an early proponent of a balanced approach in addressing commercial, human rights, and environmental priorities. 

Subsequently, Chorlins served as executive vice president of Business for Social Responsibility, which provides technical assistance on socially responsible business practices. 

She later rejoined Motorola’s government relations organization as senior director of advocacy & global strategy, leveraging political resources to support the company’s international sales and resolve matters of strategic importance to the corporation. 

Chorlins also served as director of government & regulatory affairs at Lockheed Martin, where she managed the international portfolio and focused on export control reform and defense trade policy. 

Chorlins holds an M.A. in international relations and economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a B.A. in French from Wellesley College.

Co-Hosted with the Institute for International Economic Policy at The George Washington University 

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With a new U.S. Administration promising to re-set transatlantic and global relations, and Europe in the midst of its own transitions, 2021 will be a year of change in trade and transatlantic relations.

On April 13, 2021, the Washington International Trade Association (WITA) and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation held a transatlantic dialogue of U.S., EU and global trade.

PROGRAM AGENDA

• Claus Gramckow, Head of Regional Office North America, Friedrich Naumann Foundation North America

• Prof. Karl-Heinz Paqué, Chairman of the Board of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation
• Kotryna Tamoševičienė, Acting Head of Economics department at the central Bank of Lithuania
• Marjorie Chorlins, Senior Vice President, European Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• Moderator: Kenneth Levinson, Executive Director, WITA

• Q & A with Audience – Webinar attendees are encouraged to use the Q&A function on the Zoom app to submit their questions in real time.

• Thomas Ilka, Regional Director of the European Dialogue, Friedrich Naumann Foundation Europe

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

EVENT PARTNER

The post WITA & Friedrich Naumann Foundation Webinar: Transatlantic Dialogue on U.S., EU and Global Trade appeared first on WITA.

Ambassadors Trade Roundtable

• Moderator: Ambassador Susan Schwab,Strategic Advisor, Mayer Brown LLP Professor Emerita, University of Maryland
• Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis,EU Ambassador to the United States of America
• Ambassador Arthur Sinodinos,Australia’s Ambassador to the United States of America
• Ambassador Nestor Forster,Brazil’s Ambassador to the United States of America
• Dame Karen Pierce DCMG,British Ambassador to the United States of America

To view more information on the event, please click here. 

The post WITC 2021: Ambassadors Trade Roundtable appeared first on WITA.

Finding a Way Forward on Digital Trade 

• Moderator: Arrow Augerot,Director, Americas Public Policy, Amazon
• Peter Swire,Holder Chair of of Law and Ethics, Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business; Senior Counsel, Alston & Bird, LLP
• Jason Oxman,President & CEO, Information Technology Industry Council
• Sahra English,Vice President, Public Policy, Mastercard

To view more information on the event, please click here. 

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9:00 AM: Revitalization and Reform of the WTO with WTO Deputy Director General Ambassador Alan Wm. Wolff

• Featured Remarks by Ambassador Alan Wm. Wolff,Deputy Director General of the WTO, and Co-Acting Director General
• Discussion with:
  • Kenneth Levinson,Executive Director, Washington International Trade Association
  • Terence Stewart,former Managing Partner, Law Offices of Stewart and Stewart, and author of the blog, Current Thoughts on Trade

9:30 AM-10:15 AM: Discussion: Revitalization and Reform of the WTO 

• Ambassador Rufus Yerxa,President of the National Foreign Trade Council and former Deputy Director General of the World Trade Organization
• Simon Evenett,Professor of International Trade and Economic Development and MBA Director, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland
• Jennifer Hillman,Senior Fellow for Trade and International Political Economy, Council on Foreign Relations
• Hiddo Houben,Deputy Permanent Representative, EU Mission to the WTO
•  

10:15 AM: What does a Neo-Progressive Trade Agenda look like? 

• Moderator: Catherine Novelli,President, Listening for America, former Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment
• Beth Baltzan,Founder, American Phoenix Trade Advisory Service and formerly with USTR and the House Ways & Means Committee
• Catherine Feingold,Director, AFL-CIO International Department
• Katrin Kuhlmann,President and Founder, New Markets Lab, and Visiting Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center
• Kimberley Botwright,Community Lead, Global Trade and Investment, World Economic Forum

11:15 AM: Closing Keynote and Discussion: Ways & Means Chairman Richard Neal

• Rep. Richard Neal,Chairman, House Ways & Means Committee
• Discussion with Steve Lamar,President and CEO of the American Apparel and Footwear Association, and President of the Board, Washington International Trade Association

12:00 PM: Conference Close

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On November 12th WITA looked at what the U.S. Presidential election might mean for American trade policy in the years to come, with a bipartisan panel of experts who served in senior roles in Congress and the Administration. Welcome and Opening Remarks 

PROGRAM AGENDA

Welcome and Opening Remarks

• Kenneth I. Levinson, Executive Director, Washington International Trade Association

Remarks and Discussion

• Nasim Fussell, Partner, Holland & Knight; and former Chief International Trade Counsel, Senate Finance Committee
• Ambassador Robert Holleyman, Partner, Crowell & Moring LLP and President & CEO, C&M International; and former Deputy USTR
• Brian Pomper, Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP; and former Chief International Trade Counsel, Senate Finance Committee
• Stephen P. Vaughn, Partner, King & Spalding; and former USTR General Counsel, and Acting USTR
• Moderator, Stephanie Lester, Senior Director, Government Affairs, Gap Inc.

Followed by:

• Q & A with Audience – Webinar attendees are encouraged to use the Q&A function on the Zoom app to submit their questions in real time.

Event Close

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