USCIB Welcomes New Leadership at Business at OECD

USCIB extends its hearty congratulations to the newly appointed policy group leadership at Business at OECD (BIAC), including representatives from many USCIB member companies:

Sahra English from Citi will serve as vice chair of the Finance Committee at BIAC. At Citi, English is responsible for policy development and advocacy strategy on a broad range of international trade and investment issues, and has ample experience in strategic communications, public policy and global business administration.

The BIAC Finance Committee contributes private sector expertise and perspectives to OECD finance-related activities, including its work to support the G20, in order to develop a strong and sustainable global financial system.

Susan Wilson from Intel Corp. will serve as a vice chair of the BIAC Anti-Illicit Trade Expert Group (AITEG). At Intel, Wilson serves as director for Intellectual Property Policy. Wilson has extensive experience in intellectual property policy in both the public and private sectors, having had a 31-year career in public service.

Also appointed as a vice chair of the AITEG is Monica Ramirez from AB In-Bev. At AB In-Bev, Ramirez serves as global director for Corporate Affairs. Ramirez’s work in fighting illicit trade spans more than twelve years and she has played a key role in developing and promoting markets globally.

The AITEG, which is composed of BIAC and BIAC network participants, supports the evidence-based work of the OECD on countering illicit trade. Previously, this work was under the Task Force for Countering Illicit Trade (TF-CIT), which is transitioning to a Working Party of the OECD Trade Committee. The Group provides business leadership and market insights on OECD policy drafts in order to address illicit activities.

Finally, USCIB Vice President for International Investment and Trade Policy Alice Slayton Clark will serve as vice chair of the BIAC Trade Committee. Clark brings with her extensive experience in trade policy, having worked in a number of international law firms and consulting practices, as well as on Capitol Hill.

“We are thrilled that BIAC acknowledges the value and expertise of our members and staff and has recognized their commitment to global policy making and multilateralism by appointing them in these leadership positions,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson.

More information on Business at OECD (BIAC).

USCIB Welcomes New MTN Project Manageer, Policy Interns in New York and Washington Offices

USCIB has welcomed several new staff members in New York and Washington. Please join us in welcoming them to USCIB.

Carina Solling Damm

Carina Solling Damm, Project Manager, Moving the Needle Initiative (New York office)

Damm is an expert on the private sector and innovation, having worked with the Danish Foreign Ministry, including in support of the Danish Mission to the UN and Danish Consulate, and with Novo Nordisk.

She lives in NYC, and is supporting USCIB’s Moving the Needle initiative in its second phase, through the end of the year.

Katrina Sousounis

Katrina Sousounis, Summer Policy Intern, Climate and SDGs (New York office)

Sousounis is a recent graduate of Bryn Mawr College, having just completed her degree in Political Science and Environmental Studies.  She will be assisting with a Major Economies Business Forum (BizMEF) project in preparation for the Dubai Climate meetings, and supporting the Business and Industry delegation at the July UN  High Level Political Forum in NYC.

She is working with USCIB’s NYC team through the summer before she moves to Washington DC to begin a job on climate change in the Administration.

Daniel Zaretsky

Daniel Zaretsky, Summer Policy Intern, Trade, Chemicals, Customs and Tax (Washington office)

Zaretsky is a standing senior at American University where he is completing a degree in Political Science and International Business. He most recently completed a six-month study abroad opportunity in Italy where he worked as a United Nations FAO Press Intern at the Inter Press Service.

He will be assisting USCIB Washington DC staff across multiple policy areas including Trade, Chemicals, Customs and Tax, as well as Communications.

Robinson Presides Over His Final Board of Directors Meeting as President and CEO 

L-R: USCIB Chair Eric Loeb (Salesforce), Peter Robinson, Board member Emily Dickens (SHRM) and USCIB Secretary Robert DeLaMater (Sullivan & Cromwell)

Following a 40-year career at USCIB, President and CEO Peter Robinson presided over his final USCIB Board of Directors meeting on May 24.  

Robinson, who announced his retirement in December, expressed his appreciation to the USCIB Board, as well as his predecessors, in supporting the institutional advancement of USCIB into what it is today. USCIB Chair Eric Loeb led a champagne toast to Robinson in honor of his service. 

“Leading the work of USCIB has been a fulfilling and exciting career for me,” said Robinson in his remarks to the Board. “It has been a real privilege to work and form relationships with such a diverse and dedicated group of people over the years including staff colleagues, members and partners in our Global Affiliates. I am proud of what we have accomplished together for the benefit of our members, for business, and for society at large.” 

While a new President and CEO of USCIB is yet to be announced, Robinson did emphasize that looking forward, USCIB will need to continue to drive home the importance of “upstream” work in positioning business at the table with multilateral institutions to influence the international business landscape and to support USCIB’s Global Affiliates—ICC, Business at OECD and IOE—in that effort. 

Robinson has been President and CEO of USCIB for 18 years and will be stepping down at the end of the summer.  

Rick Minor Announces Appointment of ‘USCIB Big Four International Tax Policy Board’ 

Rick Minor, USCIB’s VP and International Tax Counsel, is pleased to announce the creation and appointment of the USCIB Big Four International Tax Policy Board. The four original board members include Barbara Angus (EY), Pat Brown (PwC), Danielle Rolfes (KPMG) and Bob Stack (Deloitte).   

“These four Board members all belong to a very small and distinguished group of tax practitioners who have served at the highest policy levels in private practice and public service,” said Minor. “The Board is expected to enhance the value of the tax committee structure and to complement the ten-member Tax Leadership Team in insuring USCIB remains on the cutting edge of international tax policy advocacy and programming.”

The Board will meet regularly with Minor and the Chair of the USCIB Tax Committee, John Stowell, head of global tax and international financial reporting at The Walt Disney Company, and quarterly with the USCIB Tax Leadership Team.   

Here are the abbreviated bios of the original Board Members: 

Barbara Angus, Principal and Global Tax Policy Leader, Ernst & Young LLP 

Barbara M. Angus is a Principal with Ernst & Young LLP and is EY’s Global Tax Policy Leader.  In addition to her 25 years of private-sector experience in international tax matters, she also has had tax policy roles on Capitol Hill and at the U.S. Treasury Department, including most recently serving as Chief Tax Counsel for the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means during the development and enactment of the 2017 tax reform legislation. Angus received the Pillar of Excellence Award from the Tax Council Policy Institute in 2022 and the Distinguished Service Award from the Tax Foundation in 2018. She is a graduate of Dartmouth College, Harvard Law School and the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. 

Pat Brown, Washington National Tax Services Co-Leader, PwC U.S. 

At PwC, Brown advises clients on all aspects of international and domestic tax policy. Prior to joining PwC, Brown was vice president and counsel, tax for GE Power and GE Renewables and a GE corporate officer. Brown joined GE in 2002 from the U.S. Treasury Department, where he served as attorney advisor and associate international tax counsel from 1998-2002. During his time at Treasury, Brown focused primarily on international tax analysis, negotiation of tax treaties, and representing the U.S. government at meetings of the OECD on various tax issues. Prior to joining the Treasury Department, Brown was an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York. Brown received a BS in Mechanical Engineering, with highest distinction, from the University of Virginia in 1991 and a JD from Georgetown University, magna cum laude, in 1995. 

Danielle Rolfes, Co-Leader, Washington National Tax – International Tax, KPMG LLP 

Rolfes co-leads the international tax group within KPMG’s Washington National Tax office. She joined KPMG in 2017, following her tenure as the international tax counsel at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.  Rolfes advises clients on issues related to international tax policy, tax treaties, the character and source of income, subpart F, foreign tax credits, and the regimes for Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income, the Foreign-Derived Intangible Income and the Base Erosion Anti-Abuse Tax. Rolfes is a frequent speaker and writer on a variety of international tax topics. In addition to numerous articles, she is the author of An Analysis of FIN 48 – Accounting for Uncertain Income Tax Positions (Matthew Bender, 3d ed. 2009). 

Bob Stack, Managing Director, Deloitte Tax LLP 

Stack joined Deloitte Tax from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he was the deputy assistant secretary for international tax affairs in the Office of Tax Policy in the Obama administration. At Treasury, he worked directly with the assistant secretary of tax policy and the international tax counsel in developing and implementing all aspects of U.S. international tax policy, including treaties, regulations and legislative proposals and served as the U.S. representative at the OECD during this time on the BEPS projects.  Stack earned his Bachelor of Arts in English education from State University of New York at Albany and his Master of Arts in French language and literature from New York University. He went on to obtain his Master of Science in foreign service from Georgetown University and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center, where he was editor-in-chief of the Georgetown Law Journal. 

USCIB Announces Appointment of Five New Tax Leadership Team Members (Vice-Chairs, USCIB Tax Committee)  

Rick Minor, USCIB VP and International Tax Counsel, is happy to announce five new appointments to the Tax Committee Leadership Team (Vice-Chairs). Leadership team members serve a two-year term with an option to renew for a second, consecutive term.

“These appointments resulted from several retirements from the Tax Committee Leadership Team at the end of last year and the creation of a Big Four International Tax Policy Board as part of our Tax Committee governing structure,” said Minor. “Being part of the Tax Committee Leadership Team is a significant commitment by the team members who are all senior tax executives at leading member companies. I look forward to enjoying their support and counsel along with that of our legacy members.”

The new Vice-Chairs:

Lennaert ten Cate, SVP Tax, PepsiCo Inc. Lennaert has over 28 years of tax experience of which 25 with PepsiCo Inc. Prior to serving as SVP Tax, Lennaert served as SVP, International Tax, leading the corporate tax agenda for PepsiCo’s international operations and partnered with the business and other corporate functions on various business initiatives and M&A transactions. Lennaert has worked in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and in the US, where he is currently based. Prior to joining PepsiCo in 1996, Lennaert spent three years at Ernst & Young Tax Advisory in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Lennaert holds a Master of Law degree from Leiden University, the Netherlands.

Carolina Perez-Lopez, VP Global Tax Planning and Tax Counsel, Johnson & Johnson. In her role, Carolina is responsible for driving the tax strategy and execution for acquisitions, divestitures, licensing deals, and restructurings for the enterprise, as well as the tax planning for the Pharm and MedTech businesses worldwide.  Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, Carolina was Vice President, Transfer Pricing and Senior Tax Counsel at Pfizer. Before that, Carolina worked as a counsel at Clifford Chance LLP, spending time both in New York and London. Carolina holds a JD and Master of Laws (LLM) in Spanish Taxation from the Universidad de Navarra, Spain, and an LLM in International Taxation from New York University, School of Law.

Erik Rosenfeld, VP Taxes, North America, Procter & Gamble. Erik leads the North America Tax Operations Team of The Procter & Gamble Company.  In this role, Erik’s responsibilities cover US GAAP external reporting on tax matters, North America direct and indirect tax compliance, M&A and cross-border tax issues, global tax technology and various global tax policy matters.  From 2018 – 2021, Erik led P&G’s European Tax organization from P&G’s international headquarter location in Geneva, Switzerland.  Prior to joining P&G, Erik spent 18 years in public accounting, including six years as an international tax partner with PwC.

Wendy Unglaub, VP, Chief Tax Officer, and Principal Tax Counsel, General Mills. Wendy leads the global tax function at General Mills, with responsibility for managing all aspects of the company’s tax profile from compliance to litigation to identifying solutions to business needs. Prior to joining General Mills, Wendy served in a variety of leadership positions at Microsoft Corporation, Ecolab and Cargill where she was responsible for a wide range of U.S. and international tax matters related to legislative policy, joint ventures, divestitures, mergers, acquisitions, capital market transactions, audits, litigation, intellectual property and strategic corporate tax planning. Before her in-house roles, Unglaub practiced law at the firms of Davis Polk & Wardwell (New York), and Morgan Lewis & Bockius (Philadelphia). Wendy holds her A.B. from Harvard University, JD from Georgetown University Law Center and post-doctorate LLM (Taxation) from New York University School of Law.

Jason Weinstein, Vice President, Tax, North America, Amazon. He and his teams are responsible for all U.S. federal and state as well as Canadian tax planning and tax policy, sales and property tax compliance, and tax-business partnering for Amazon’s North American Stores. Jason and his team also cover worldwide M&A, investments, debt offerings, internal structuring, and other special project areas. Prior to joining Amazon, Jason worked at the law firm Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson in New York, where he specialized in tax planning for M&A as well as private equity fund formation and strategic joint ventures. Jason has taught tax law at the University of Washington Law School and is a frequent speaker at the usual tax conferences. Jason received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and his JD, cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School. Prior to law school, Jason served as briefings director for the Governor of New Jersey.

The Tax Committee and the Leadership Team are chaired by John Stowell, SVP of Tax, Incentives and International Financial Reporting at Disney. The 10-member leadership team, among other things, advises the International Tax Counsel on setting Tax Committee priorities, supports tax committee projects and programming, and helps to grow the tax committee network globally. The Tax Committee presently has 450 members. The new members join the other legacy members of the Tax Leadership Team: Daniel Smith, director, international tax planning and policy at Google, Chad Withers, chief tax officer of Caterpillar, Jocelyn Krabbenschmidt, international tax director of Apple, and Tom Roesser, tax policy counsel at Microsoft.

USCIB Welcomes New Director of Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs

Ewa Staworzynska
Ewa Staworzynska

USCIB welcomed a new Director of Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs, Ewa Staworzynska on January 24. 

 

Staworzynska is a policy professional with experience from both public and private sectors. Prior to joining USCIB, she led DoorDash’s policy efforts in international markets and was in charge of diplomatic relations. Before her position at DoorDash, Staworzynska was an officer at the International Labor Organization (ILO), where she worked multilaterally to advance support for decent work and related policies at UN headquarters. Staworzynska began her career in New York working for a real estate start-up.  

 

Staworzynska will be based in USCIB’s New York office and will work with Jose Arroyo, USCIB policy associate on corporate responsibility and labor affairs, on a wide range of issues, including human rights and industrial policy, responsible business conduct, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

 

She was born and raised in Norway and has a B.A. in Economics and M.A. in International Relations, with a specialty in International Business, from New York University. 

ICC Appoints New Chair of Commission on Global Intellectual Property

Vishal Amin

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has appointed a new Chair for the ICC Global Intellectual Property Commission — Vishal Amin, who had previously served as vice chair of the commission.

Amin is currently Head of Intellectual Property Policy at USCIB member company Intel Corporation. He is an experienced executive leader and a globally-recognized expert on IP, trade and tech law and policy. For nearly twenty years, Amin has been at the center of U.S. federal intellectual property law and policy. In 2017, Amin was nominated by the President of the United States, and confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate, to serve as the White House Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator or “IP Czar”. In this key role, he directed U.S. IP Diplomacy, coordinated key policies among Cabinet departments, and advocated for IP interests in the U.S. and abroad.

Earlier in his career, Amin served as Senior Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary, and held positions at the U.S. Department of Commerce and the White House. During his service in Congress and under two Presidential Administrations, he wrote and helped enact major legislation in nearly all areas of intellectual property law, shaping the United States’ modern IP system to protect and grow entrepreneurship. Amin holds a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University and a law degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

A message from the ICC Commission Chair

Dear members of the ICC Global IP Commission,

Private sector innovation is the cornerstone of the global economy and will be necessary to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. At the same time, the success of individual businesses has never been more dependent on an interconnected global network of supply chains and the fair and open exchange of ideas. In this often unstable and uncertain worldwide innovation ecosystem, the global business community must be united in its advocacy for productive IP systems that promote innovation through stability, transparency, and collaboration.

As the leading voice for global business, ICC plays a key role in both giving businesses of all sizes the tools they need to grow and thrive and bring their perspective to policy discussions. ICC recognizes not only the importance of IP as a positive force for society, but also the necessity that it be protected from piracy, counterfeiting, trade secret theft, and litigation abuses. I’ve spent my career in the United States Federal Government and in the private sector advocating for IP systems that work for innovators, creators, and entrepreneurs and developing IP policy that helps groundbreaking ideas become a reality. I look forward to continuing this work as Chair of the ICC Global IP Commission.

Chairs of an ICC Commission are appointed for a period of three-years by the ICC Secretary General, renewable once. As Chair of the ICC Global IP Commission from January 2023 Amin will work closely with ICC Secretariat, and the members of this commission, to provide strategic leadership to our work, as well as chair meetings of the commission and ensure that ICC can be effective in bringing the voice of business to policy discussions on IP and innovation.

Amin is taking on this role after the successful leadership of Ingrid Baele, who steered the work of this commission for two full terms.

USCIB Welcomes New Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs Committee Vice Chairs

Left to right: Melissa Kopolow and Ryan Larsen

USCIB is pleased to announce two new Vice Chairs of the USCIB Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs (CRLA) Committee—Melissa Kopolow and Ryan Larsen.

Kopolow is vice president with Dentons Global Advisors—Albright Stonebridge Group’s (DGA-ASG) Sustainability Practice, where she advises corporations, nonprofits and foundations on sustainability and ESG initiatives and strategies. Prior to joining ASG, Kopolow was the global director of policy at Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI), where she developed global multilateral engagement strategies and advanced programs in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Before ABI, she was a senior advisor in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Organizations, where she orchestrated efforts to advance U.S. policies, interests, and goals on global health and labor issues at a range of international organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO). During her time at the State Department, Kopolow also served as an Alternate U.S. Representative with the U.S. Permanent Mission to the Organization of American States, a Foreign Affairs Fellow with Counterpart International, and a Regional Affairs Officer for Central America. She also served in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and began her career as a Presidential Management Fellow at the Department of Commerce.

Larsen is a senior director for International Labor Relations with Walmart, responsible for overseeing the company’s labor relations across global markets. During Larsen’s career with Walmart Inc., he has been posted to Mexico, Argentina, and Puerto Rico. Since returning to the U.S. in 2017, he has become increasingly engaged in work related to international labor policy issues, including supporting implementation of the company’s Human Rights Statement. Larsen has participated in the U.S. Employer Delegation to the ILO International Labor Conference as a member of various Committees dealing with Skills and Lifelong Learning, and Apprenticeships. He also participated in the ILO Tripartite Working Group on Decent Work in Supply Chains, and most recently served as an expert in the October 2022 ILO Tripartite Meeting of Experts on Decent Work in the Platform Economy.

“Melissa and Ryan bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to USCIB’s Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs Committee,” said USCIB Policy & Program Associate Jose Arroyo. “Please join me in welcoming our new committee leadership.”

USCIB President and CEO Robinson Announces Retirement

Peter Robinson

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson has announced his retirement from USCIB. Robinson will be stepping down as of June 30, 2023, after many years in various positions at USCIB.

“It has been a great privilege to serve as President and CEO since 2005, and to have had the experience of working with such an exceptional team of members, staff and colleagues in our global affiliations ICC, IOE, and Business at OECD,” said Robinson in his Year-End Message to Members. “As I look back on my tenure, I believe USCIB has become an institution that is looked to and relied upon by our members, the wider business community, and policymakers around the world. We could not have done it without you.”

A search process has been initiated and will be led by USCIB Chair Eric Loeb (Salesforce) and other board members.

Vinblad Appointed as a Young Business Expert for Business at OECD’s Youth Network 

Agnes Vinblad

As the sole U.S. affiliate of Business at OECD (BIAC), USCIB has a long history of successful collaboration with the organization. Together with its members, USCIB is actively participating in BIAC’s policy committees pertaining to critical issue areas such as climate change, agriculture, labor and trade, with the goal of providing a constructive global business voice into OECD decision-making processes.  

USCIB Policy Manager for Environment and Sustainable Development Agnes Vinblad has been appointed as one of thirteen young business experts from across BIAC’s national business members and affiliated companies to join their pilot Business for Youth Network cohort. In line with the overall influence of youth across multilateral fora, BIAC states that, “integrating the voice of young people into core Business at OECD (BIAC) policymaking remains high on our agenda with the creation of our Business For Youth Network. This group of young business experts and youth coordinators from our global membership will contribute to our discussions and promote opportunities for youth and inclusion of youth in the labor markets while providing their perspective on new initiatives as appropriate.”  

The Business for Youth Network will be involved in selected BIAC policy groups and provide youth perspectives to key BIAC statements. During 2023, the Network will convene a Business for Youth Roundtable, develop a Business for Youth Vision Paper, and close the year with a joint BIAC-TUAC-OECD Youth networks event on global youth priorities.  

“I welcome and commend BIAC’s leadership on meaningful youth engagement and inclusion,” said Vinblad. “As we are seeing an increased influence of the youth constituency across UN bodies and elsewhere, it’s critical to ensure that youth is heard in the context of business and labor markets as well. After all, today’s youth represent both the employees and employers of tomorrow,” she added.  

To find out more about the Network, visit BIAC’s designated youth webpage.