This summer, GBA launched the CEO Leadership Council, a new initiative to raise the collective voice of international companies to the highest levels of government. The biannual invitation-only event seeks to ensure that policymakers do not overlook the pressing issues faced by U.S. subsidiaries. For its two-day inaugural event, GBA brought together 12 executives from various industries that are globally headquartered in seven countries. The council parlayed the top operational and policy matters impacting the United States’ ability to attract new investment and jobs to lawmakers in Washington, D.C. These executives, representing the broader GBA membership, shared their rich insight with Biden-Harris Administration cabinet secretaries and senior-level congressional leadership.
The CEO Leadership Council met with:
- Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo
- Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
- White House Senior Advisor & Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu
- Senator John Barrasso (R-WY)
- Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE)
The council’s meetings with Biden-Harris Administration officials and Republican congressional leaders focused on increasing global investment in America, addressing supply chain challenges, passing the CHIPS for America Act, implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, opportunities for public-private partnerships and advanced manufacturing workforce development initiatives.
Those participating in the 2022 GBA Leadership Council are:
- Pedro Azagra - Chief Executive Officer, AVANGRID
- Jean-Yves Fillion - CEO, BNP Paribas USA
- Hugh Welsh - President, DSM North America
- Anthony Allard - Head of North America, Hitachi Energy
- Robert LeFort - President, Infineon Technologies Americas Corp.
- Viren Popli - President & CEO, Mahindra Group
- Megan Myungwon Lee - Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer, Panasonic North America
- Karen Fichuk - CEO, Randstad North America
- Barbara Humpton - President and CEO, Siemens USA
- Tom Doll - President and Chief Executive Officer, Subaru of America
- Alan Pellegrini - Chief Executive Officer, Thales North America
- Marc Merrill - President & CEO, Uniper North America
In addition to meetings with policymakers, participating executives attended an evening reception and dinner with special guests Stephen Twitty, Retired Lieutenant General US Army, and Former Deputy Commander of United States European Command (USEUCOM), and Michael Chertoff, Former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Executives also took part in a breakfast and supply chain resiliency briefing sponsored by EY and featuring Craig A Hillier, EY Americas International Tax and Transaction Tax Services Leader,Al Paul, EY Americas Operating Model Effectiveness Leader, and Sean Harapko, EY Americas Supply Chain Transformation and Global Supply Chain RPA Leader.
GBA’s CEO Leadership Council will reconvene in December, with the addition of David Greenberg, CEO of L’Oréal USA, to continue its efforts to make the U.S. more competitive for international investment.
