Tuesday, April 24, 2012

7:30 – 8:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 8:35 a.m.

Welcome Remarks

Frank Neville, Vice President of Global Communications and Public Affairs, Thunderbird School of Global Management
Master of Ceremonies
Bryan Neff, Lever Performance Group

8:35 – 9:35 a.m.

Panel Discussion: Infrastructure, Transportation and Multimodal Opportunities

Moderator: Danny Sebright, President, U.S.-UAE Business Council
Panelists: Brian McCleary, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Pakistan
Faiza Gamoura, Senior Commercial Specialist, U.S. Embassy, Algeria
Judy Reinke, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, India
John Simmons, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, UAE

9:35 – 10:35 a.m.

Panel Discussion: Opportunities in the Oil & Gas Sector

Moderator: Dennis Baltzley, Ph.D., Thunderbird
Panelists: Bryan Larson, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Iraq
Jonathan Heimer, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Israel
Heather Byrnes, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Ghana

10:35 – 11:00 a.m.

Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Opportunities in Sub Saharan Africa

Moderator: Olufemi Babarinde, Ph.D., Professor, Thunderbird
Panelists: Tom Hastings, Econ Officer, U.S. Embassy, Angola
Katherine Dueholm, Econ Officer, U.S. Embassy, Botswana
Chris Ekom, Trade Specialist, U.S. Embassy, Cameroon
Heather Byrnes, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Ghana
Camille Richardson, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Kenya
Rebecca Armand, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Nigeria
Larry Farris, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, South Africa

12:30 p.m.

Lunch

Keynote Speaker – Dr. Ángel Cabrera, President, Thunderbird School of Global Management

1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

Panel Discussion: Safety and Security

Moderator: Steven Glenn Zylstra, President & CEO, Arizona Technology Council
Panelists: Faiza Gamoura, Senior Commercial Specialist, U.S. Embassy, Algeria
Fathi Hamidan, Senior Commercial Specialist, U.S. Embassy, Libya
Rebecca Armand, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Nigeria
Rick Whittington, Director of International Sales, SIRCHIE

2:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Panel Discussion: Franchising

Moderator: KL Fredericks, Director, Harlem Export Assistance Center
Panelists: Robert Dunn, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Qatar
Peggy Keshishian, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Egypt
Eddy Jimenez, Vice President, Kahala
Ray Hays, Envoy Investments

3:30 – 3:45 p.m.

Break

3:45 – 4:45 p.m.

Opportunities in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE

Moderator: Stephen Molina, Senior Advisor, Bilateral U.S. Arab Chamber of Commerce
Panelists: Isabella Cascarano, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Kuwait
Robert Dunn, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Qatar
Amer Kayani, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Saudi Arabia
John Simmons, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, UAE

4:45 – 5:30 p.m.

Opportunities in Iraq

Moderator: Bryan Larson, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Iraq
Panelists: Naufel Al Hassan, the Iraq Commercial Attache
Hussain Qaragholi, President, U.S. Business Council in Iraq

5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

Networking Reception

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

7:30 – 8:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 8:35 a.m.

Master of Ceremonies

Kevin O’Shea, Arizona Commerce Authority

8:35 – 10:00 a.m.

Special Panel: Middle East and North Africa in Transition

Moderator: Curtis Silvers, Executive Vice President, National U.S. Arab Chamber of Commerce
Panelists: Paul Kinsinger, Ph.D., Professor, Thunderbird
Faiza Gamoura, Senior Commercial Specialist, U.S. Embassy, Algeria
Fathi Hamidan, Senior Commercial Specialist, U.S. Embassy, Libya
Peggy Keshishian, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Egypt

10:00 – 10:30 a.m.

Break

10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Panel Discussion: Export Opportunities in Clean and Renewable Energy

Moderator: Rudy Vetter, Senior Vice President, Greater Phoenix Economic Council
Panelists: Sanford Owens, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Jordan
Larry Farris, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, South Africa
Jane Kitson, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Morocco
Lincoln Dahl, African Energy

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Opportunities in Israel, Jordan, Morocco

Moderator: Holly Vineyard, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Market Access and Compliance
Panelists: Jonathan Heimer, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Israel
Sanford Owens, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Jordan
Jane Kitson, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Morocco
Robert Starbuck, CEO, Migrate

12:40 – 1:40 p.m.

Lunch

Keynote Speaker – Chuck Ford, Acting Director General, U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service

1:40 – 2:40 p.m.

Panel Discussion: Africa Trade Links

Moderator: Camille Richardson, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Kenya
Panelists: Daniel Gitonga, Fed Ex
Jim Gerson, Executive Project Manager, GE
Scott Eisner, U.S. Chamber
Melissa Sanderson, Freeport- McMoran
Heather Pederson, Boeing

2:40 – 3:40 p.m.

Panel Discussion: Education Infrastructure Development

Moderator: Steve Taylor, Assistant Vice President, Thunderbird
Panelists: Judy Reinke, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, India
Amer Kayani, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Saudi Arabia
Isabella Cascarano, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Kuwait

3:40 – 3:55 p.m.

Break

3:55 – 4:55 p.m.

Opportunities in India and Pakistan

Moderator: Kishore Dash, Ph.D., Professor, Thunderbird
Panelists: Judy Reinke, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, India
Brian McCleary, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Pakistan

4:55 – 5:00 p.m.

Closing Remarks

Thomas Moore, Deputy Assistant Secretary, International Operations, U.S. Dept. of Commerce