Global Business @ Meridian Downtown: Export Import Bank of the United States
Overview
The Meridian Corporate Council held its Annual Meeting on September 30th and welcomed EXIM Bank Chairman and President Fred Hochberg to deliver remarks on the state of global trade. The event was hosted by Ambassador Stuart Holliday, President and CEO of the Meridian International Center and Meridian Corporate Council Chair Mr. Eric Loeb, Senior Vice President of AT&T. The roundtable was convened to discuss the opportunities for the Council in the year ahead, as well as engage with Mr. Hochberg on his views of the current investment and business climate.
In Attendance
Corporate Council Members:
Guests: Boeing, Beacon Strategies, Toyota
Meridian International Center: Ambassador Stuart Holliday, Lee Satterfield, Bonnie Glick, Terry Harvey, Amy Selco, Frank Justice, Puru Trivedi, Olivia Dorieux
Annual Meeting Featured Speaker: EXIM Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg
EXIM Bank Representative: Caroline Scullin, Senior Vice President, Communications
Featured Remarks:
Corporate Council chair, Mr. Eric Loeb, laid out the vision for the council, including the need to engage both the diplomatic corps and the United States Government. He outlined that the Council, now more than ever, has an important place in Washington, DC. During a time of turbulent global headwinds, Council members are better equipped to face international challenges and engage with stakeholders important to their businesses.
Ambassador Holliday presented some of the key strengths of Meridian and progress of the council, as well as the value proposition to the private sector. This included the engagement with the diplomatic community, along with key members of the US Government and civil society. Ambassador Holliday went on to describe the various ways in which council members have utilized Meridian and called upon council members to share their companies experiences.Ms. Valderrama from Chevron discussed training modules Meridian had helped execute for Chevron executives from Latin America and Africa. These training exercises and seminars focused on doing business in different cultures, understanding Washington, DC, and cultural sensitivity. Ms. Padgett from Caterpillar remarked on the various forums that Caterpillar and Meridian have partnered on, including the Cuba Cultural Forum, which was a great way for Caterpillar to make a soft entry into a new market. She also highlighted how Caterpillar partners with Meridian when they have an event they want to elevate to a higher level.
This was followed by Ms. Irvin from The Coca Cola Company described the long history of Meridian and Coca Cola, from its early beginnings over 30 years ago. Since then, The Coca Cola Company has been an instrumental partner of Meridian in promoting global leadership and international understanding in business. Coca Cola partnered with Meridian on the Global Leadership Summit in 2015 as the international introduction of their new President and COO James Quincey, as well as numerous other convening opportunities, such as the Global Dialogue Series, Salon Dinners, the Meridian Ball, and Global Business@Meridian Downtown breakfasts.
Key Discussion Highlights
Summary of Featured Remarks – Fred P. Hochberg, Chairman, EXIM
- State of Global Trade: One of the most important characteristics of global trade is that three countries—the US, India, and China—are driving global growth. Looking to the future, the current economic leaders need to adopt policies that continue to grow their own economies, while ensuring that the rest of the world bears more of the burden. Such an approach would foster greater opportunity worldwide and better protect against a global economic crisis.
- Increased Sovereign Competition: With the rise of the Asia Infrastructure Development Bank and increased competition from official export banks in Asia, the United States can enhance its competitiveness in the infrastructure lending space. In the case of EXIM, some foreign buyers are weary of the political nature of our nation’s lending mechanisms.
- Making Trade More Favorable: Hochberg urged the companies in the room to be more vocal and demonstrative to their employees about the importance of global trade to American jobs and job growth. Broadening the narrative on trade may help foster an attitude of engagement in a time of increased anti-globalization.
Meridian looks forward to working with the Netherlands on a number of upcoming initiatives and remaining engaged with the Embassy of the Netherlands in Washington.
Project summary
| Global Business @ Meridian Downtown: Export Import Bank of the United States | September 2016 | |
|---|---|
| Number of Attendees: | 24 |
| Regions: | Western Hemisphere |
| Impact Areas: | Business and Trade |
| Program Areas: | Diplomatic Engagement |