Megan Giblin Joins USCIB as Director of Customs Policy

GiblinWashington, D.C., October 19, 2015 Megan M. Giblin  has joined the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) as director of customs and trade facilitation. The move enhances the organization’s role as a leader in providing business views on U.S. and international customs policy at a time that reducing barriers to movement of goods and services at the border is increasingly vital to the competitiveness of our members.

“Megan brings strong customs experience, with nearly a decade in the field, at a time when we face a number of crucial business priorities demanding attention,” said Rob Mulligan, USCIB’s senior vice president for policy and government affairs. “These include urgently needed U.S. Customs reauthorization legislation, as well as entry into force and implementation of the landmark WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, which the United States has ratified but which still must be ratified and implemented by many other countries.”

In her new position, Giblin will manage USCIB’s work on customs policy, providing staff direction and support to USCIB’s Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee, chaired by Jerry Cook, vice president of government and trade relations with Hanes Brands. Additionally, she will serve as an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) representative to the World Customs Organization’s Harmonized Systems Committee.

Giblin previously served as business operations manager in Hewlett-Packard Company’s global trade department, working on customs, trade policy and trade facilitation. Additionally, Giblin has served as a cleared advisor to the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, serving on and co-chairing the Industry Trade Advisory Committee (ITAC) on Customs and Trade Facilitation Matters. She holds an MBA from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and a bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University.

Click here for more information on USCIB’s Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee. Click here to read Committee Chair Jerry Cook’s recent column on customs policy priorities in American Shipper magazine.

About USCIB:
USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and regulatory coherence. Its members include U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More at www.uscib.org.

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043, jhuneke@uscib.org

USCIB’s Meyerstein Reappointed to NAC for Labor Provisions of U.S. Free Trade Agreements

Ariel Meyerstein (USCIB)
Ariel Meyerstein (USCIB)

On August 25, U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez appointed Ariel Meyerstein to serve another term as member of the National Advisory Committee for Labor Provisions of U.S. Free Trade Agreements (NAC).

In this capacity, Meyerstein will serve on a multi-stakeholder Advisory Committee that advises the Secretary of Labor through the Bureau of International Labor Affairs on the implementation of labor provisions in existing U.S. free trade agreements with labor provisions (currently 19).

“I’m honored to continue serving in this important role,” said Meyerstein. As a member of the NAC, Meyerstein will help assure that the implementation of existing agreements help to level the playing field for global businesses by continuing to develop U.S. trade partners’ capacity for regulating their own labor markets by assuring for worker protections in line with the standards in U.S. law and policy.

 

USCIB Vice Chair Dennis Nally Begins ICC Leadership Term

Frederico Curado (Embraer) and Dennis Nally (PwC)
Dennis Nally (PwC)

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) announced the appointment of Dennis Nally, chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers International (PwC) and vice chairman of USCIB, and  Frederico Curado, president and CEO of Embraer, as ICC vice chairs.

Curado and Nally officially took up their positions on July 1 and join ICC Vice Chair Sunil Mittal following governance changes approved by the ICC World Council last month.

Nally has served as chairman of PwC since 2009. He is an expert on issues affecting the global capital markets and the professional services profession, and also leads many of PwC’s corporate responsibility efforts.

ICC Secretary General John Danilovich said: “We’re delighted to have Curado and Nally onboard and have no doubt that their leadership will further strengthen ICC’s governance and the ability to represent our members’ interests across the globe.”

As a result of governance changes, which included an extension to the serving terms of the ICC Chairmanship, current ICC Chairman Terry McGraw will now serve until 2016.

The ICC World Council meeting also saw five new appointments to the ICC Executive Board. They were: John Denton (Corrs Chambers Westgarth); Daniel Feffer (Suzano); Robert Gutsche (KPMG); Mari Pangestu (former Trade Minister of Indonesia); Yassin Saeed Al Suroor (Al Suroor United Group).

 

New Hires Boost USCIB’s Work on Policy, Business Development and Trade Services

uscib_logo_green_no_title-330We are delighted to welcome six new additions to our Policy, Membership and Business Development teams. Darren Maynard joins USCIB as the senior director for Carnet Product Development and Regulatory Affairs, who is responsible for relationships with ATA Carnet Service Providers and strengthening the operations for Carnet issuance, marketing, and compliance. Darren has a background in the export and trade services field, working at IBM for 12 years before moving on to run a number of start-up technology companies.

Also in Trade Services, Derek Leite has come aboard as USCIB’s director for Trade Services and Carnet Services Liason to help our Trade Services team develop the Carnet product. Derek graduated from North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC) with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. He has worked in sales and product development for 9 years at Cisco, IBM and A Plus Performance Computing. He has successfully run his own business for 12 years in New York.

In addition, David Murphy joined as a consultant with USCIB, serving as acting vice president of finance to support our accounting and finance teams. David is a certified public accountant with 23 years of experience. He has also worked as an auditor with Deloitte.

Also, Eric Robinson is USCIB’s new accounting and claims mitigation associate. Eric started out with USCIB in the summer of 2013 as an intern working closely with the accounting department, and returned again in June 2014 working with accounting and with the ATA Carnet team. He graduated from the University of Delaware in 2014 with a major in English and minors in Economics, Interactive Media and Design, and Journalism as well as a certificate of Business.

Christopher Olsen joined USCIB’s Washington, D.C. office in June as the new policy and program assistant. Chris comes to USCIB from the Atlantic Council, where he was first an intern, then a project assistant with the organization’s Millennium Leadership Program. Prior to the Atlantic Council, he was an economic security intern at the EastWest Institute after earning his Bachelor’s degree in international affairs and history at James Madison University in Virginia.

And Shertease Wheeler joined USCIB in May as our event planner. Shertease graduated from Hampton University in Virginia with a major in Print Journalism and has eight years of event planning experience. She will work with the policy department to support many upcoming programs scheduled throughout the year both in New York and Washington, D.C.

Welcome to all our new USCIB team members!

New USCIB Members

We are delighted to welcome the following companies and organizations as the latest additions to USCIB’s diverse membership:

Starbucks Coffee Company
American World Trade Chamber of Commerce
St. Louis Regional Chamber of Commerce

To learn more about how USCIB membership can benefit your organization, contact Alison Hoiem (202-682-1291 or ahoiem@uscib.org).

Disney’s Rubbo to Chair USCIB’s Corporate Responsibility Committee

Laura Chapman Rubbo (Disney)
Laura Chapman Rubbo (Disney)

USICB is pleased to announce the appointment of Laura Chapman Rubbo of The Walt Disney Company as the new chair of its Corporate Responsibility Committee. Rubbo has served as co-vice chair of the committee since 2013.

Rubbo, a director in Disney’s international labor standards department, brings 20 years of experience in corporate social responsibility, international labor standards, and business and human rights.

“USCIB has played a critical role in helping Disney understand and respond to evolving expectations of global business in the corporate responsibility and human rights arena,” Rubbo said. “We are honored to take a more active role in contributing to the corporate responsibility conversation with USCIB, its members, international institutions and the broader stakeholder community.”

Ariel Meyerstein, USCIB’s vice president for labor affairs, corporate responsibility and corporate governance, welcomed Rubbo’s leadership. “We are thrilled to have Laura take the helm of the Corporate Responsibility Committee,” he said. “Her years of experience in the CSR space and tremendous energy will help strengthen our committee’s work promoting the business perspective on corporate responsibility.”

Rubbo was part of the United States delegation to the International Labor Organization’s 2014 International Labor Conference, and she is a frequent speaker at CSR-related events.

The next meeting of USCIB’s Corporate Responsibility Committee takes place on April 15 in Washington, D.C. Please contact Rachel Spence (rspence@uscib.org) for more information or to register.

Coca-Cola’s Ed Potter Reflects on 33 Years at the ILO Conference

L-R: Ed Potter (Coca-Cola), Ronnie Goldberg (USCIB) and Ariel Meyerstein (USCIB)
L-R: Ed Potter (Coca-Cola), Ronnie Goldberg (USCIB) and Ariel Meyerstein (USCIB)

Ed Potter, chair of USCIB’s Labor and Employment Policy Committee and Coca-Cola’s director of global workplace rights, has spent nearly half his life representing U.S. businesses at the annual International Labor Organization (ILO) Conference. Last summer, Potter attended his 33rd and final ILO Conference in Geneva, more than any other American business representative. He will retire in June 2015.

Potter’s unparalleled leadership at the conference – and the relationships he has brokered and nurtured along the way – have had a positive impact on the global landscape of international labor standards.

“Ed Potter’s record of achievement at the ILO speaks for itself,” said Guy Rider, director general of the ILO. “He served 17 years as the U.S. Employers’ delegate to our annual Conference. During that time, he took on the responsibility of spokesperson of the world’s employers in several key discussions.”

Last June, USCIB honored Potter’s 33 years of ILO service with a special farewell dinner in Geneva.

“It’s a humbling validation of my work with the ILO,” Potter said. “I’ve left the conference every year feeling proud of the fact that, in some small way, we helped improve the lives of workers somewhere in the world.”

Staff Changes at ICC

The International Chamber of Commerce Secretariat has announced the appointments of Philip Kucharski as chief operating officer and Remi Faure as chief financial officer. Kucharski’s in-depth knowledge of ICC, and many of the
team at the ICC Secretariat, will ensure that he is able to hit the ground running when he begins his tenure in January. Faure has shown true leadership of the financial areas of ICC in the past few months. “I am pleased to be able to promote
internally for this position,” said ICC Secretary General John Danilovich.

New USCIB Members

We are delighted to welcome the following companies and organizations as the latest additions to USCIB’s diverse membership:

Business Alliance for Secure Commerce
Discovery Capital
Ericsson
United Technologies Corporation

To learn more about how USCIB membership can benefit your
organization, contact Alison Hoiem (202-682-1291 or ahoiem@uscib.org).

USCIB Elects New Officers, Trustees and Board Members

Frederico Curado (Embraer) and Dennis Nally (PwC)
Dennis Nally (PwC)

In August USCIB elected a new slate of officers, board members and trustees to govern and champion the organization over the next two years.

Among the highlights, Dennis Nally, chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Ltd., has been elected vice chairman of USCIB. Nally has extensive experience serving large multinational clients in a variety of industries, principally focusing on technology and life sciences.
He also serves as a member of the Executive Board of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Terry McGraw, chairman of McGraw Hill Financial [now S&P Global] and chairman of ICC, was re-elected USCIB’s chairman.

In addition, the following individuals were elected USCIB Trustees for the first time: Stephen Chipman, chief
executive officer, Grant Thornton LLP; and John Veihmeyer, global chairman of KPMG and chairman and chief executive officer of KPMG in the U.S. Chipman, in his more than 30 years with Grant Thornton, has held numerous leadership positions throughout Europe, North America and Asia, developing a unique combination of international and U.S. business experience. Veihmeyer, with more than 35 years of experience working with CEOs, senior executives and board members at many of the world’s leading companies, is a top global business leader and an influential and sought-after advisor on business and financial issues.

Finally, the following individuals have joined USCIB’s Board of Directors: Neal Goins, vice president, international government relations, Exxon Mobil Corporation; Barry Granger, vice president and general manager, governmental marketing and government affairs, DuPont; Steve Hilton, corporate vice president, global government affairs and public affairs, McDonald’s Corporation; Charles R. Johnston, senior vice president, international government affairs, Citigroup Inc.; Michael F. Quinn, managing director, global trade services, J.P. Morgan Chase & Company; Pilar Ramos, senior vice president, global public policy and regulatory counsel,
MasterCard Worldwide; and William Sample, corporate vice president, worldwide tax, Microsoft Corporation.

Trade Services Hire

Kristen Bauer joined USCIB’s Trade Services department as executive assistant. Kristen earned a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University where she double-majored in International Political Economy and Anthropology. She is familiar with USCIB’s work since she’d been working as an intern in Trade Services since October 2012.

New USCIB Members

We are delighted to welcome the following companies and organizations as the latest additions to USCIB’s diverse membership:

Koch Industries
Mead Johnson Nutrition Company

To learn more about how USCIB membership can benefit your organization, contact Alison Hoiem (202-682-1291 or ahoiem@uscib.org).

AT&T’s Loeb to Spearhead Internet Policy Work

Eric H. Loeb
Eric H. Loeb

Eric H. Loeb, vice president of international external affairs with AT&T, has been named the new chair of USCIB’s Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) Committee.

Loeb, whose term began July 1, will oversee the committee’s development and delivery of business views on information technology and Internet policy developments worldwide. He will succeed Ambassador David Gross, a partner with Wiley Rein, who is stepping down as chair of the USCIB committee to become president of the Federal Communications Bar Association.

“We are delighted that Eric Loeb will lead our ICT work at this
important juncture in global discussions about the digital economy,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. “As an active participant at bilateral and multilateral meetings every year, a frequent speaker at international ICT events and a practitioner with experience working in countries around the world, he brings hands-on experience shaping policy on the global stage.”

Loeb also chairs the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
Task Force on the Internet and Telecommunications. He is a m ember of the board of the U.S. Telecommunications Training Institute, and serves on the U.S. State Department Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy.

USCIB’s ICT Committee advocates sound international policy to ensure the continued growth of ICTs, emphasizing free and fair competition, minimal government intervention, free information flows and a user orientation. It works through USCIB’s overseas network of business groups, including ICC and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD, to secure strong industry representation and input to major multilateral discussions of ICT issues.

“I am eager for this new opportunity, especially to build on the positive contributions that U.S. business makes to the global digital economy,” said Loeb. “USCIB is the consensus voice of American business in international ICT policy forums, and colleagues around the world value the quality and balance of its contributions.”

New USCIB Members

We are delighted to welcome the following companies and organizations as the latest additions to USCIB’s diverse membership:

Eversheds
Foley & Lardner LLP
GoDaddy

To learn more about how USCIB membership can benefit your organization, contact Alison Hoiem (202-682-1291 or ahoiem@uscib.org).

USCIB’s Competition Committee Charts New Course

L-R: Jennifer Patterson (Kaye Scholer), John Talladay (Baker Botts), Michael Blechman (Kaye Scholer), Jim Rill (Baker Botts), Rob Mulligan (USCIB)
L-R: Jennifer Patterson
(Kaye Scholer), John Talladay (Baker Botts), Michael Blechman (Kaye Scholer), Jim Rill (Baker Botts), Rob Mulligan (USCIB)

It was the end of an era at the February meeting of USCIB’s Competition Committee in Washington, D.C., as longtime Chair Michael Blechman (Kaye Scholer) and Vice Chair Jim Rill (Baker Botts), stepped down and passed the baton to new Chair John Taladay (Baker Botts) and Vice Chair Jennifer Patterson (Kaye Scholer). Blechman and Rill, who have been esteemed and productive leaders of the committee for 20 years, said it has been a great pleasure to work together. Taladay is vice chair of the BIAC Competition Committee, while Patterson co-chairs the ICC Task Force on Due Process. Both also serve as non-governmental advisors to the International Competition Network. In 2014, the USCIB committee will focus on developments in procedural fairness (ICN, trade negotiations, China), due process (waivers and confidentiality), international antitrust cooperation, trade and competition linkages, and regulatory reform.

New Policy Hires Boost Work on Policy, Communications and Trade Services

We are delighted to welcome two new additions to our Policy
and Program team. Ariel Meyerstein has joined USCIB as Vice President for Labor Affairs, Corporate Responsibility and Corporate Governance, working out of our New York headquarters. With a law degree and PhD in jurisprudence and social policy from the University of California at Berkeley, Ariel has a background in sustainable development and human rights in the extractive and financial sectors, and has worked on issues related to corporate responsibility in the public and private sectors. He comes to us from the law firm of Chadbourne & Parke, LLP and before that Debevoise & Plimpton, LLP. He also has served as a legal adviser at the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal and a Judicial Clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

Eva Hampl has come aboard as USCIB’s Director for Investment, Trade and Financial Services, working out of our Washington, D.C. office. Eva has a master’s of law in international and comparative law from the George Washington University Law School and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School. She has worked on investment and trade issues, and done research on transparency in dispute settlement in the WTO and under investment treaties. Eva recently completed a one-year fellowship with GE’s Global Government Affairs and Policy division. Prior to that, she served as a trade associate with the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance and interned at the European Union’s delegation to the United States. She has also served as a law clerk to the Connecticut Superior Court.

In addition, Michael Sicangco has joined USCIB’s Trade Services department as a Carnet Claims Examiner. Michael earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Baruch College/CUNY and previously worked for Michael Page, the recruitment firm, and Quick Billing Service.

Also, Christopher Zoia has joined USCIB as Communications Manager, with responsibility for website content development and dissemination, production of USCIB’s e-newsletters as well as this magazine, and social media strategy. He recently earned dual master’s degrees in international affairs and journalism from Columbia University. Prior to graduate school, Chris worked in Washington, D.C. as a researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focused on international economics and American foreign policy, and coordinated Carnegie’s Economic Strategy Roundtable series. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and English from the University of Chicago.

Welcome to all our new USCIB team members!

New USCIB Members

We are delighted to welcome the following companies and organizations as the latest additions to USCIB’s diverse membership:

Brown-Forman Corporation
Eaton Corporation
Facebook
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
Johnson Controls
MasterCard
Semiconductor Industry Association
Sidley Austin LLP
Sorini, Samet & Associates, LLC
Troutman Sanders LLP

To learn more about how USCIB membership can benefit your organization, contact Alison Hoiem (202-682-1291 or ahoiem@uscib.org).

Duncan Is New Chair of Intellectual Property Committee

Dan Duncan, Senior Director of Government Affairs with McGraw Hill Financial [now S&P Global], has agreed to serve as Chair of USCIB’s Intellectual Property Committee. Dan is responsible for advising the company’s Standard & Poor’s unit on public policy initiatives and analyzing how changes in laws and regulations affect the company’s business. In addition, he chairs McGraw Hill Financial’s anti-piracy committee, and he has been an active member of the IP Committee. Congratulations, Dan, and thank you for your leadership!

We welcome Kristin Isabelli as USCIB’s Director of Customs and Trade Facilitation. In addition to staffing USCIB’s Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee, chaired by Jerry Cook (HanesBrands), Kristin will serve as the International Chamber of Commerce’s representative to the World Customs Organization’s Harmonized System Committee, and as a member of the APEC Customs Business Working Group. Kristin comes to USCIB from the House Committee on Ways and Means, where she worked as the trade legislative assistant for Committee Chairman Dave Camp. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Allegheny College and is currently working toward a master’s degree in international commerce at George Mason University.

In November, USCIB Vice President Shaun Donnelly was one of just a few business panelists at the annual conference of the Vale Columbia Center on Sustainable International Investment, which was held in New York. The annual Columbia University conference has become a major gathering place for investment policy experts.  In October, Helen Medina, USCIB’s Senior Director for Product Policy and Innovation, was the keynote speaker at a meeting of senior product stewardship executives organized by the Conference Board, at the headquarters of PPG Industries in Pittsburgh. Helen addressed emerging global discussions that will impact product stewardship.

New USCIB Members

We are delighted to welcome the following companies and organizations as the newest members of USCIB:

Amgen

Bechtel

Caplin & Drysdale

Institute of Scrap Metal Recycling Industries

K&L Gates

Miller & Chevalier

Mishcon de Reya

PPL Corporation

TD Bank

Wal-Mart

To learn more about the benefits of membership in USCIB, please contact Alison Hoiem, Director of Member Services, at 202-682-1291 or ahoiem@uscib.org.