To view the event video, click HERE.
Featuring
Panel 1
Gov. Matt Blunt, American Automotive Policy Council
Dennis Darby, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters
Kevin M. Dempsey, American Iron and Steel Institute
Panel 2
Christine Bliss, Coalition of Services Industries
Owen Herrnstadt, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
Mary Sophos, Grocery Manufacturers Association
Both Panels Moderated By: Bruce H. Andrews, Rock Creek Global Advisors & former Deputy Secretary of Commerce
Bruce H. Andrews is a Managing Director of Rock Creek Global Advisors, an international economic policy advisory firm, where he advises multinational companies, financial institutions and trade associations on US domestic political and economic policy issues, international trade and investment issues, technology policy issues and other regulatory and policy matters. Mr. Andrews previously served as the Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Commerce, under Secretary Penny Pritzker, where he was a key leader on a broad variety of issues, including digital economy and technology, cross border data flows, trade and investment, export controls, foreign direct investment in the U.S., cybersecurity and privacy. He was the Commerce Department’s representative on the National Security Council’s Deputies Committee, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and the President’s Management Council. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. He also served as the lead negotiator for the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade negotiations with China. He led trade missions on cybersecurity, smart cities and healthcare to many countries including Romania, Poland, India, China and Peru. He served as Chief Operating Officer for the department and oversaw its 12 bureaus, including overseeing stand up of SelectUSA and the Commerce Data Service. Prior to the Commerce Department, Mr. Andrews was the General Counsel of the Senate Commerce Committee, where he served as chief counsel, oversaw policy issues, nominations, and the committee’s oversight and investigations. Mr. Andrews also was the Vice President for Government Affairs for the Ford Motor Company, where he oversaw all federal and state government affairs and played a key role in the Chrysler-GM bailout. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Auto Alliance. Prior to Ford, he was one of the founding members of the firm Quinn Gillespie & Associates, where he worked for a variety of technology, trade and financial services clients. Additionally, he was an attorney at Arnold & Porter, Legislative Director to Congressman Tim Holden in the U.S. House of Representatives and worked for Senator Alan Cranston. Mr. Andrews was educated at Haverford College and Georgetown University Law Center.
Christine Bliss became CSI President in March 2016. Prior to CSI, Ms. Bliss was the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) for Services, Investment, Telecommunication, and E-Commerce, responsible for overseeing all multilateral, regional, and bilateral negotiations and policy issues in those areas for the agency. She also served as the lead U.S. negotiator in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Services Negotiations and in the WTO Bilateral Services Accession Negotiations for Russia and Saudi Arabia. Ms. Bliss oversaw the Services and Investment negotiations and was Co-Lead negotiator of the Financial Services negotiations in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiations and was a lead negotiator for Services and Financial Services in previous U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations. Ms. Bliss led the three-year Model Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) Review that resulted in the 2012 Model BIT. She also led the development of USTR’s digital services and investment trade agenda, including innovative new disciplines on cross-border data flows and local server requirements. Ms. Bliss has also served as Chief Counsel and Acting Assistant USTR for Monitoring and Enforcement, responsible for managing U.S. litigation in the WTO, NAFTA, and other multilateral and bilateral trade agreements. Before joining USTR in 2000, Ms. Bliss was Counsel to the Emergency Committee for American Trade (ECAT), an association representing U.S. Fortune 500 firms on international trade, investment, and tax issues. Prior to joining ECAT, Ms. Bliss had a wide range of experience in private practice representing foreign and domestic clients on international trade, regulatory, legislative, and policy issues as a partner in the firm of Mudge, Rose, Guthrie and Ferdon. She has also served on Capitol Hill as a legislative assistant. Ms. Bliss is admitted to the D.C. and California Bars and received her J.D. degree from the University of California at Davis and LLM from George Washington University. Governor Matt Blunt is President of the American Automotive Policy Council, a trade association representing the common public policy and trade interests of FCA US LLC, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Company. In 2004, Matt Blunt was elected the 54th Governor of Missouri, carrying 101 of the state’s 114 counties. As governor, he eliminated a $1.1 billion deficit and delivered balanced budgets, a surplus, tax relief and dramatic increases in education funding. He enacted economic growth measures to improve the state’s business climate leading to the creation of over 70,000 jobs. Prior to his election as governor, Matt served in the Missouri House of Representatives and as Missouri’s Secretary of State. As Secretary of State, he reformed state election laws and used technology to increase customer convenience while also reducing costs. Governor Blunt served 14 years in the Navy and Naval Reserve, which included assignments on the USS JACK WILLIAMS (FFG-24), and the USS PETERSON (DD-969). As a Reservist, he was mobilized after the September 11, 2001 attacks. LCDR Blunt received four Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals as well as numerous other awards while on active duty. Governor Blunt earned his bachelor’s degree in History from the U.S. Naval Academy. He, his wife Melanie, and their two sons, William Branch and Brooks currently reside in Delaplane, Virginia.
Dennis Darby was appointed President & CEO of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters in January 2017, and is charged with leading the continuing transformation of the manufacturing sector in Canada, which continues to represent 1.7 million jobs, and more than 11 per cent of Canada’s GDP. Given the recent developments both in the US, with the expected review of NAFTA and the recent ratification of CETA, the competitiveness and innovation of manufacturing as an engine for growth in Canada is clearly in the spotlight, and CME has defined a comprehensive approach to achieving growth and sustainability for manufacturing, as outlined in its Industrie 2030 initiative. Working with our members, partners and stakeholders, Dennis will be charged with bringing Industrie 2030 to life, as an achievable set of goals for Canada. Dennis joins after almost nine years as CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists’ Association. He led OPA, which is the largest member-based pharmacy association in Canada, representing the professional views of more than 20,000 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Ontario. His mandate included promoting the role of pharmacists as healthcare providers with expanded scope of practice, building member services at OPA (including education), and leading the Board’s strategic plan. Prior to OPA, Dennis had a 24 year-long career with Procter & Gamble where, as Director of North America External Relations, he led a team of senior professional charged with building and protecting the image and reputation of P&G and its brands. He has extensive experience working with a wide variety of stakeholders including governments and regulatory agencies, professional and trade associations, consumer advocacy organizations, and business media. Prior to that, Dennis led research and development groups for P&G in Europe and North America. He has served as Chair of Stewardship Ontario, the provincial body that oversees the Blue Box Program, the Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association and the Canadian Cosmetics Toiletries and Fragrances Association. Currently, Dennis also serves on the board of the Canadian Toiletry & Fragrances Association Charitable Foundation, and is Co-Chair of the Ontario Government’s Pharmacy Council. Dennis graduated from McMaster University in 1984 with a degree in Chemical Engineering and Management, and he is a registered Professional Engineer in Ontario. He achieved the ICD.D designation from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto in 2011.
Kevin M. Dempsey is the Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of the American Iron and Steel Institute. Mr. Dempsey leads the AISI public policy team representing the interests of North American steel producers and serves as Senior Vice President of Public Policy and General Counsel to the Institute. Before joining AISI, he was a partner at Dewey & LeBoeuf, a global law firm, and its predecessor Dewey Ballantine LLP. While in private practice, Dempsey litigated numerous international trade cases on behalf of U.S. steel producers and other U.S. industries before the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. courts. He served as counsel to several U.S. integrated steel producers in the Section 201 investigation on steel products in 2001-03. The unanimous finding by the ITC of injury to the domestic steel industry led to then President George W. Bush implementing tariffs on a variety of steel products, which at the time provided a breathing period during which the steel industry was able to achieve extensive restructuring and consolidation, which led to the revitalization of the domestic steel industry. Prior to joining Dewey Ballantine in 1995, Mr. Dempsey served as counsel to Senator John C. Danforth (R-MO) and the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. In 1989–90, while on the staff of the Senate Commerce Committee, he participated in the development of the acid rain cap-and-trade system established by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. Later, while serving on Senator Danforth’s personal staff and again on the staff of the Senate Commerce Committee, he played a key role in the drafting of the implementing legislation for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the GATT Uruguay Round Trade Agreements. During his years on Capitol Hill and in the private sector, Mr. Dempsey has worked extensively on international trade negotiations, including the Doha Development Agenda and the negotiations on the accession of China to the WTO. He also has considerable experience with U.S. and international law related to subsidies, trade remedies, market access, intellectual property rights, and product standards, as well as U.S. legislative procedures for authorizing and implementing trade agreements. He has also advised on matters related to trade and environment and the ongoing global climate change negotiations. Mr. Dempsey received his Juris Doctor Degree from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Washington University. He is a member of the District of Columbia bar and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of International Trade and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the D.C. Circuit.
Owen E. Herrnstadt serves as the Chief of Staff for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). He also serves as the IAM’s Director of Trade and Globalization, He previously served as the IAM’s Associate General Counsel. Owen teaches employment law at Georgetown University’s Law School and international labor and employment law at the American University’s Washington College of Law. He is a member of the U.S. State Department Advisory Committee on International Economics and the U.S. Export-Import Bank Advisory Committee. Owen is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the State Department’s Stakeholder Advisory Board on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. He is also the co-chair of the ABA’s Employment and Labor Section’s Committee on international labor and employment law. He serves on the International Labor Rights Forum Board of Directors, the Workers’ Rights Consortium Advisory Committee, and the Executive Committee of IndustriAll, a global union federation representing over 50 million workers throughout the world. He has served in the past as chair of the Board of Directors for the Federal Reserve Bank’s Baltimore Branch. He has authored numerous articles as well as given speeches, lectures and testified on a variety of matters at home and abroad including topics on trade, corporate social responsibility, human rights, international labor standards, child labor, globalization, manufacturing, aerospace, and U.S. and comparative labor law. His most recent publications include, TTIP: Time for a Change, Strengthening the Collective Bargaining Rights of Precarious Workers, and, Corporate Social Responsibility, International Framework Agreements and Changing Corporate Behavior in The Global Workplace.
Mary Sophos serves as Executive Vice President for Policy and Strategic Planning for GMA. She assumed this position in January 2010 after serving as GMA’s senior vice president and chief government affairs officer since 1993, with responsibilities for state, federal and international affairs. In her current role, Sophos coordinates strategic planning and policy development across the organization, oversees GMA’s Global Strategies Group and manages the GMA Board Committee on Health and Wellbeing. Before joining GMA, Sophos served as assistant secretary of legislative affairs and deputy assistant secretary for legislative affairs for the U.S. Treasury. Sophos also was assistant minority counsel to the House Ways and Means Committee, budget associate staff, and legislative director to Rep. Tom Loeffler, and legislative assistant to the director of the Office of Management and Budget. Sophos earned a Bachelor of Science at Pitzer College, one of the Claremont Colleges.