SPEAKER: Mr. Frank Lavin, Chairman of Public Affairs Practice, Asia-Pacific, Edelman Public Relations
DATE & TIME Wednesday, 17 August 2011, 12:00-14:00
VENUE Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Metro Suite (B1) / 台北遠東國際大飯店

With the Iowa Caucuses just 6-months away, the U.S. presidential race is already heating up. AmCham is honored to invite the Longtime “China Hand” and former White House Political Director Frank Lavin to offer his insight and analysis as to what we can expect in the 2012 presidential contest. During this special luncheon, Frank will address such topics including:

• Has President Obama stabilized? After a difficult first year, President Obama appears to have regained some lost ground.  Will he remain competitive through next year or will the economy pull him down?
• The Republican nominee: Much of the Republican field is unknown or appears unlikely to enjoy broad public support. Can Republicans pick a winner to go toe-to-toe with the President?
• Foreign policy: What will the impact of foreign policy be on the election?
• Charisma, money, and organization – how do the candidates stack up?

About the Speaker:
Frank Lavin is the Chairman of the Public Affairs Practice for Edelman Asia Pacific, working with companies across the region as they grapple with regulatory challenges and sensitive government relations issues.
 
In Government, Lavin served as Under Secretary for International Trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce 2005-2007.  In that capacity, Lavin served as lead trade negotiator for both China and India and was the senior policy official in the Department responsible for commercial policy, export promotion, and trade negotiations across the globe.  Lavin was U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore from 2001-05, where his duties included helping negotiate the landmark U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement.
 
In the private sector, Lavin served in senior finance and management positions in Hong Kong and Singapore with Cushman & Wakefield Investors Asia, Bank of America, and Citibank.
 
Earlier in his career, Lavin served in the George H.W. Bush and Reagan Administrations, working in the Department of Commerce, Department of State, National Security Council, and White House.  Lavin served as Director of the Office of Political Affairs in the White House 1987-89.

Lavin currently serves on the Board of Directors of Globe Specialty Metals, the world’s largest producer of silicon metal alloys, Consistel, the largest telecommunications firm for in-building services in Southeast Asia, UOB Bank a Singapore-based regional bank, and UTEX, a Houston-based energy services firm.  He also served as Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo USA Pavilion.

 081711 The American Political Scene by Frank Lavin (501.81 kB)