New York, N.Y., February 01, 2021: The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) announced that Brian Lowry, a former executive in the agriculture and crop science industry, and longtime USCIB corporate member leader, has joined USCIB’s staff as senior vice president of innovation, regulation, and trade. Lowry will be replacing Mike Michener, vice president for product policy and innovation, who is departing USCIB to join the Biden Administration to coordinate international food security policy.

In addition, USCIB announced the promotion of Norine Kennedy to the position of senior vice president, policy and global strategy. With over 25 years’ experience as USCIB’s lead on environment, energy and climate change, Kennedy has been a forceful and respected voice for U.S. business at the UN Rio, Johannesburg, and Rio+20 sustainability conferences, at UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) meetings, all Conferences of the Parties of the UN Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and at the UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF). Kennedy also spearheaded USCIB’s strategic international engagement initiative to advance meaningful business engagement, partnership and regulatory diplomacy across the UN system.

Working from St. Louis and USCIB’s Washington, DC office, Lowry will lead the organization’s policy work on trade, health, food, agriculture, chemicals, and intellectual property. He will also coordinate USCIB’s engagement in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

“Brian brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to USCIB, especially his background in working within a multinational corporate entity and with international organizations, that will contribute greatly to our efforts on behalf of members,” said Peter Robinson, USCIB CEO and president. “We are excited to have him join our team at a time when the policy and regulatory issues facing American companies are complex and growing—but also when the innovative capacity of the private sector can contribute so much to solving the global challenges we face today.”

Lowry most recently served in St. Louis as deputy general counsel at Bayer U.S. – Crop Science Division (formerly Monsanto) and headed the Office of Law & Policy. He was responsible for key legal functions and public policy efforts including international trade policy, negotiations, and compliance; multi-lateral undertakings and conventions and UN-related matters; human rights, human resources, and immigration; business conduct, ethics, and anti-corruption; intellectual property policy; and stakeholder and socially responsible investor engagement. Lowry also co-chaired the USCIB working group on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Post-2015 Development Agenda and was the first board chair of the UN Global Compact Network USA.

In 2017, Lowry was recognized by the Financial Times as one of the six best leading in-house counsel specialists as “The Thought Leader.” In 2011, he was a finalist in the International Law Office Global Counsel Awards, and in 2014, he was recognized as the American Corporate Counsel International Lawyer of the Year. He is regularly engaged in university discussions on food security and business and human rights, and participates in a number of philanthropic, arts and community boards and activities. Lowry has taken advanced studies at Stanford University and Harvard University, and holds degrees from the University of Dayton, BS Education, and Washington University, Juris Doctorate.

Michener is a former administrator of the U.S. Foreign Agricultural Service who has also served as a U.S. diplomat in Rome and association executive in Brussels; he also worked with the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Agency for International Development, and he served with the United States Army for seven years in Europe.

Robinson said, “We are sorry to see Mike Michener leave us, but happy as always to see USCIB alumni going on to key corporate and governmental positions. And we are fortunate to be able to count on the collaborative leadership of Norine Kennedy and Brian Lowry in advancing opportunities for private sector solutions to critical global issues at a time when multilateralism matters to business.”

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.

As the U.S. affiliate of the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Organization of Employers and Business at OECD (BIAC), USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More at www.uscib.org.