Confirmed Speakers

Professor of International Trade and Economic Development
Director, SIAW-HSG

 

Simon J. Evenett is Professor of International Trade and Economic Development at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. In addition to his research into the determinants of international commercial flows, Professor Evenett is particularly interested in the relationships between international trade policy, national competition law and policy, and economic development. He obtained his Ph.D. in Economics from Yale University and a B.A.(Hons) from the University of Cambridge. Professor Evenett has been a (non-resident) Senior Fellow of the Economic Studies Programme in the Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C. Previously, he has taught at Oxford University and Rutgers University as well as serving twice as a World Bank official.

Source : Evenett.com.

 

Professor of International Political Economy at IMD

Founding Director of The Evian Group

 

Jean-Pierre Lehmann, founding director of the Evian Group, has been Professor of International Political Economy at IMD International Institute for Management Development since January 1997.

In 1995 Jean-Pierre Lehmann launched the Evian Group, which consists of high ranking officials, business executives, independent experts and opinion leaders from Europe, Asia and the Americas. The Evian Group's focus is on the international economic order in the global era, specifically the reciprocal impact and influence of international business and the WTO agenda.

He was (from 1992) the founding director of the European Institute of Japanese Studies (EIJS) at the Stockholm School of Economics and Professor of East Asian Political Economy and Business. From 1986 to 1992 he established and directed the East Asian operations of InterMatrix, a London based business strategy research and consulting organisation. He was Affiliated Professor of International Business at the London Business School as well.

Other previous positions include: Associate Professor of International Business at INSEAD (European Institute of Business Administration) in Fontainebleau, France, Visiting Professor at the Bologna Center (Italy) of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, twice in the 70s Visiting Professor and Japan Foundation Fellow at the University of Tohoku, Sendai (Japan), and Founding Director of the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of Stirling (Scotland), where he also taught East Asian history in the University's History Department. From 1981 to 1986 he directed the EC-ASEAN 'Transfer of Technology and Socio-Economic Development Programmes', held in Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala-Lumpur and Manila.

Jean-Pierre Lehmann obtained his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, Washington DC, and his doctorate from Oxford University (St Antony's College).

Source: Evian Group

 

Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation to the WTO and EFTA (European Free Trade Association)

Member of the Board, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)

 

Ambassador Luzius Wasescha (*1946), Dr. iur., from 1 April 2007, head of the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the WTO and EFTA (ECE/UN, UNCTAD, ITC) in Geneva, Federal Council Delegate for Trade Agreements and Switzerland's chief negotiator in WTO negotiations. Previously head of the World Trade Division in the Foreign Economic Affairs Directorate since 01.10.2003. Prior to that, head of Strategy and Coordination - WTO from 01.07.1999. From 1994 chief negotiator in the bilateral negotiations with the EU on public procurement. Vice-Director of the FOFEA (Swiss Federal Office for Foreign Economic Affairs) from 1995 to 1999 and head of the World Trade-GATT Division at the FOFEA. He entered the federal administration in 1980 as a legal officer in the FDEA/FDFA (Swiss Federal Department of Economic/Foreign Affairs) Integration Office.

Source : SECO

 

Senior Economist, World Bank

 

Carsten Fink is a Senior Economist in the Trade Team of the World Bank Institute--working out of the World Bank Office in Geneva, Switzerland. His current work program focuses on enhancing the capacity of developing countries to put in place sound national trade policies and to effectively participate in international trade negotiations. Previously, Dr. Fink was an Economist in the Trade Team of the World Bank's Development Research Group. He also has worked in Bank operations in the area of telecommunications policy reform. Dr. Fink's research work has focused on the economics of trade in services and the effects of intellectual property protection in the developing world. His research has been published in academic journals and books. Dr. Fink holds a doctorate degree in economics from the University of Heidelberg in Germany and a Master of Science degree in economics from the University of Oregon in the United States.

Source: World Intellectual Property Organization

 

Vice-President Learning & Organization Effectiveness, Royal Dutch Shell plc

 

Garmt Louw was born in Holland in 1952. He studied at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, where he graduated in Economics in 1977. He worked three years as a member and later co-chairman of the International Students' Committee, which organizes the St.Gallen Symposium, an industry-sponsored annual management symposium with participants from academia, industry, politics and society.

Mr. Louw joined the Human Resources Function of Shell in 1977 in Gabon and did several different jobs at Shell e.g. Director Natural Gas, Shell Companies in China & Hong Kong, HR Manager Exploration & Production in The Hague, and Head Executive Resourcing & Organization, Shell International, The Hague and London.

Garmt Louw works now as Vice-President Learning & Organization Effectiveness at Royal Dutch Shell plc in The Hague headquarters. Before returning back to Shell, Mr. Louw worked as Group HR Director at the ABN AMRO Bank.

Source: SHELL

 

Editor-in-Chief, Intellectual Property Watch (IPW)

 

William New has been on the reporting forefront of most major international intellectual property policy developments in the past decade. He joined IPW as Editor-in-Chief in January 2005, with primary responsibility for the writing, editing, publishing, management, and finances of the organisation. Prior to that, he spent nearly five years as a senior writer and editor for the National Journal Group in Washington, and three years as a senior reporter at Washington-based Inside U.S. Trade and managing editor of Americas Trade.
During that time, Mr. New covered developments at United Nations bodies such as the World Intellectual Property Organization, International Telecommunication Union, and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) as well as the World Trade Organization, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Hague Conference on Private International Law, and Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers as well as numerous regional bodies. William New has closely reported on the activities of the US Congress and key US administration agencies such as the Office of the US Trade Representative, the Commerce Department, Patent and Trademark Office, Copyright Office, State Department, and the White House.
Mr. New’s coverage has focused on global intellectual property concerns in areas such as international trade and the promulgation and enforcement of copyright, patent and trademark laws and agreements.
Mr. New holds a Master's degree in Latin American Economics and Political Science and an MBA in International Management from the University of New Mexico, as well as a BA in English from Oberlin College.

Source: Intellectual Property Watch