Reach Out! 2012 USCIB Member-Get-a-Member Drive

For over 60 years, USCIB has been the voice for American multinationals around the world by working to shape a level playing field where trade and investment can flourish. You depend on USCIB to represent your interests, both through direct representations to the U.S. and foreign governments, and through our engagement in international policy-making and regulatory bodies. And we count on you, too!

We know our current members are the best possible source for new members who could benefit from all USCIB has to offer. Every time you recruit a new member, you strengthen USCIB. And a stronger, growing and vital USCIB means greater recognition of our mission and the advancement of our global advocacy to address international regulatory policies affecting your business.

This year, with our “Member-Get-a-Member” drive, we’re made referring a colleague to USCIB easier than ever. There are several ways you can help USCIB grow:

  • You can simply provide us with your colleagues’ names and contact information and we’ll send them a membership information package.
  • You can make a personal introduction, let them know why you support USCIB and ask them to talk with us about membership. Send us their name and contact information and we’ll contact them.
  • You can invite a colleague to join you at a USCIB event or committee meeting to experience USCIB in action. Let us know and we’ll be sure to flag this for follow up.
  • You can direct them to www.uscib.org to see what we offer. Again, let us know your colleagues’ name and contact information so we can follow up.

So help us Reach Out! And together we’ll make 2012 a banner year for membership in USCIB. For more information on how you can help, contact Alison Hoiem, manager of member services, at 202-682-1291, or e-mail her at ahoiem@uscib.org.

Contact Abby Shapiro at 212-703-5064 or ashapiro@uscib.org.

USCIB Staff News: Adam Greene, USCIB’s vice president for labor affairs and corporate responsibility, has been named by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis to serve on the National Advisory Committee for Labor Provisions of U.S. Free Trade Agreements. The recently reconstituted advisory committee provides advice to the Secretary of Labor on the implementation of labor rules in existing free trade agreements, and on the labor provisions of FTAs being negotiated. Adam joins other business representatives (all from USCIB’s membership): Darryl Knudsen of Gap Inc., Ed Potter of The Coca-Cola Company (chair of USCIB’s Labor and Employment Committee) and Anna Walker of Levi Strauss & Co. … In October, Charlene Flick, USCIB’s director of intellectual property and competition at USCIB, addressed the Silicon Valley Association of General Counsel in Santa Clara, California. Ms. Flick discussed emerging legal challenges for U.S. companies as they expand internationally, and specifically how USCIB helps American industry navigate an increasingly complex global marketplace… Justine Kharnak has joined USCIB as development assistant for our ATA Carnet department. Justine will support outreach to customers with the goal of growing the Carnet business across the United States. She comes to us from the law firm Jones Day, and is a graduate of Baruch College.

Member Staff News

Winter 2008/2009

USCIB Even More Valuable in Tough Times

By William Martin, USCIB Senior Vice President for Development

During these difficult economic times, the first instinct of many companies and organizations will be to cut costs and perhaps cut memberships in organizations such as USCIB.  However, our response, not surprisingly I suppose, is that your membership in USCIB is more relevant and important than ever because these are such difficult economic times.

As the economy struggles, and in response to the financial crisis, we will see a push for more regulation and most likely a backlash against free trade and open markets.  Given USCIB’s mission to promote open markets and help business flourish, the private sector will need USCIB’s unique advocacy platforms and coverage to ensure prudent regulation — not over-regulation.

New USCIB Members

We warmly welcome Kraft Foods and the law firm Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP as the newest members of USCIB. To learn how membership can benefit your company, contact Alison Hoiem at (202) 682-1291 or ahoiem@uscib.org.

Whatever the issue may be, whether it involves free trade agreements, foreign investment restrictions, tax regulation, climate change policy or regulation of the Internet, USCIB’s “one-stop-shop” policy coverage and its international affiliates provide its members with the information and access needed as the international regulatory landscape undergoes what will likely be a dramatic transformation.  In addition, as members see their travel budgets slashed, they will need to rely more on USCIB staff to attend critical international negotiations and represent their interests.

While we obviously believe USCIB membership is valuable, particularly in this environment, we do understand that many of our members are facing difficult economic times and thus we are even more appreciative of the record number of companies that have already paid their dues for 2009.  We believe that these payments to USCIB reflect the value that USCIB is providing.

If you have paid your dues for 2009, thank you.  If you have not, we strongly hope that you will continue to see how valuable your membership in USCIB is and that you will remain a member.  I would encourage you to contact me if you have questions or concerns about membership.  As always, thank you for your support.

Contact Alison Hoiem at (202) 682-1291 or ahoiem@uscib.org.

USCIB Member News

USCIB Chairman William G. Parrett and Bill Sterrett of Roanoke Trade Services.
USCIB Chairman William G. Parrett and Bill Sterrett of Roanoke Trade Services.

At the November meeting of USCIB’s Executive Committee, Bill Sterrett, president of Roanoke Trade Services, Inc., was presented with an award by USCIB Chairman William G. Parrett, in recognition of Roanoke’s 30 years as outstanding years of service as an ATA Carnet service provider.  The Carnet system itself marks its 40th anniversary in the United States this year … Ann Condon, director and counsel for environmental health and safety programs with General Electric Company, has taken on the chair’s duties for USCIB’s Environment Committee, succeeding Terry Cullem of General Motors.

Global Network NewsMarie-C. Psimènos, the longtime general delegate (executive director) of ICC’s French national committee, stepped down from her post at the end of 2008. She will continue to serve as advisor to the chairman of ICC France during 2009. Madame Psimènos was succeeded by François Georges, former senior executive in the international department of EDF, one of the world’s leading energy groups. …The chief executive of the South African Chamber of Mines, Mzolisi Diliza, was named chair of ICC’s South African national committee.  Mr. Diliza said he intended to strengthen the ties between ICC South Africa’s sister organizations in Southern Africa to the ICC secretariat in Paris.

USCIB Staff News

Congratulations to Lynda Walker, USCIB’s vice president and International Tax Counsel, who was recently named a vice chair of the BIAC Taxation Committee, as well as to Ronnie Goldberg, executive vice president for policy, who is a new vice chair of BIAC’s Employment, Labor and Social Affairs Committee.

Send your USCIB member news to news@uscib.org.

Member Staff News

USCIB Chairman William J. Parrett of Deloitte, (right) with Kurt Soderlund of the Safe Water Network, at January’s World Economic Forum in Davos.  They announced a joint project to develop small-scale, community-based solutions to bring safe water to neglected populations.
USCIB Chairman William J. Parrett of Deloitte, (right) with Kurt Soderlund of the Safe Water Network, at January’s World Economic Forum in Davos. They announced a joint project to develop small-scale, community-based solutions to bring safe water to neglected populations.

USCIB Chairman William G. Parrett will complete his term as Deloitte’s global chief executive officer on May 31, but he will continue as a senior partner at Deloitte and until his planned retirement in mid-2008.  He will also retain his USCIB chairmanship and continue to serve on ICC’s Executive Board through 2008.

Deloitte’s board has approved the nomination of James Quigley as Mr. Parrett’s successor.  “I look forward to the next 12 months, where I will be working to ensure a smooth transition to our leadership team,” said Mr. Parrett of his transition.  He plans to remain closely involved in Deloitte’s Chinese and European operations, advise many clients and contribute to the company’s corporate responsibility activities.

Under Mr. Parrett’s leadership, Deloitte has experienced five consecutive years of double-digit growth, and member firms were expected to finish fiscal year 2007 with some $23 billion in aggregate revenues.

In other member news, Christopher Kuner (Hunton & Williams) has been named  vice chair of the ICC Commission on E-Business, IT and Telecoms (EBITT).  He will also continue to chair ICC’s Task Force on Privacy and the Protection of Personal Data, which he has headed for the past four years.

USCIB Staff News

Chris Martin has joined USCIB’s Policy and Program Department as manager of marketing and advertising, and will share responsibility for information, communications and technology with Heather Shaw.

Gabriela Vera is the latest addition to USCIB’s ATA Carnet Export Service, where she will serve as an issuing representative.

Alison Kueffner has joined us as a spring intern, supporting USCIB’s Membership and Communications departments.

New Members – USCIB is proud to welcome the following new members: Council on Competitiveness, ElectronicIndustries Alliance, LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae LLP, and Mattel, Inc.

à Send your news to news@uscib.org.

Member and Staff News

Why Do Companies Join an Association?

By Abby Shapiro

Senior Vice President – Business Development, USCIB

In associations with renewal rates of 80 percent or higher, what do you think are the main reasons members join?  According to the 2012 Membership Marketing Benchmark Report conducted by Marketing General Inc., advocacy and access to specialized and/or current industry information are cited as the primary reasons members join an association.

That’s the heart of what USCIB does, which is why it’s not surprising that when we look at the major indicators of membership health  – total membership, new members acquired and membership renewals – USCIB continues to show improvement in all three areas.

This comes at a time when the economy has caused many people to reassess what’s important to them.  USCIB’s strength at recruiting and retaining members points to a growing recognition among globally engaged companies of the need to stay informed, and to have their views heard by national governments and at the multilateral forums that shape international regulatory policies.

That’s why we need to make sure companies know what a valuable resource they have in USCIB’s Policy team, which can provide expert guidance on the issues, along with access and advocacy to policy makers worldwide.

That’s why we need to make sure companies know that our Policy team can serve as an extension of their own resources, to provide an efficient and economical way to leverage their ability to cover the issues.

That’s why we need to make sure companies know we’re on the ground and cover more issues than any one company can do on its own.

And that’s why USCIB is experiencing membership growth even as the economy remains fragile, and as memberships in associations come under increased scrutiny to show real value.

As we look to 2013, we want to thank you, our members, for your continued support, and ask for your help to spread the word about USCIB to friends and colleagues.  Together we can make 2013 even better than 2012.

USCIB Member News

Dan Konigsburg, director of Deloitte’s Center for Corporate Governance in New York, was recently selected by the BIAC Executive Board as the new chairman of the BIAC Task Force on Corporate Governance. … The BIAC Executive Board has appointed John Sullivan, executive director of the Center for International Private Enterprise, as vice chair of the BIAC Development Task Force, to contribute expertise to the private-sector position in the Steering Committee of the newly-formed “Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation.”

USCIB Staff News

Barbara Wanner
Barbara Wanner

We welcome Barbara Wanner, who was named vice president for information, communications and technology (ICT) in September. Wanner comes to USCIB from the Coalition of Services Industries, where she was director of the Global Services Summit and played a leading role on ICT policy. As the lead staff member supporting USCIB’s Information, Communications and Technology Committee, Wanner will work closely with a diverse member base led by the committee’s chair, David Gross (Wiley Rein), and its vice chairs, Joseph Alhadeff (Oracle) and Leslie Martinkovics (Verizon). Recent policy initiatives falling under her and the committee’s remit include the UN’s Internet Governance Forum and December’s World Conference on International Telecommunications.

In addition to her work with the Coalition of Services Industries, Wanner has held positions at the U.S. Asia Pacific Council of the East-West Center, the International Electronics Manufacturers and Consumers of America, the Japan Economic Institute, and on Capitol Hill. She holds a master’s degree from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University.

New USCIB Members

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

  • Fenwick & West LLP
  • The Nickel Institute

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