Event Calendar

Registration Open: 4:45
Program: 5:00 - 6:45 pm  

Christine McDaniel is a Senior Economist in the Macroeconomics, Trade & Investment Global Practice of the World Bank Group. Her area of expertise covers international trade, intellectual property rights and economic policy with a special focus on empirical analysis. She joined the World Bank in 2025. Prior to this she was a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, and has held several positions in the U.S. government, including the Treasury Department, U.S. Trade Representative, and U.S. International Trade Commission. She has published in the areas of international trade, intellectual property, and empirical trade analysis and modeling. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Colorado and received her B.A. in Economics and Japanese Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

 

Mary Cheng is a member of Ernst & Young LLP’s Global Trade practice in Washington, D.C., where she advises multinational companies on customs risk assessment, duty mitigation, and cross-border compliance strategies. She brings prior experience from the tech industry in Silicon Valley, focusing on tax planning. She is admitted to the bar in California and Texas. Mary earned her J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law  and her B.A. from Tufts University. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Asia Pacific Program at Women in International Trade.

Daniel Ciarcia is an account manager and carbon consultant at EcoEngineers, an LRQA company supporting hydrogen, electric vehicles, renewable electricity and renewable natural gas project development. Mr. Ciarcia has more than 20 years of experience in clean-technology product management, strategic planning, and business development. He contributes technical and regulatory knowledge to guide low-carbon fuel and energy producers through carbon markets and electrification. His winning record of accomplishment includes product management and development across a wide variety of energy and environmental sectors. Mr. Ciarcia holds a Bachelor of Science in computer and electronic engineering from the University of New Hampshire and a Master of Business Administration from Plymouth State University.

Bennett Caplan, President of Abridge™ for over 15 years, is a leading voice in the global alcohol beverage sector with three decades of experience. From 2003–2023, he headed FIVS, a trade association based in Paris [uniting stakeholders] representing 75% of the world’s wine production. Previously, he held senior roles at Allied Domecq, Seagram, and was a partner at McDermott, Will & Emery. An authority on regulatory and public policy issues, he serves on the board of the International Wine Law Association (AIDV) and has taught international trade policy at leading universities. He is a graduate of Columbia University, the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and Boston College Law School.
 

Jenny A. Kai is Senior Manager for Government and Public Affairs at the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), where she analyzes key trade policy and auto industry trends including supply chains, economic security, and geopolitics and leads outreach strategy and engagement with Congress, the federal government and third parties for the office. Prior to joining JAMA, she was Senior Program Officer at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) where she researched and led projects related to U.S.-Asia trade policy, investment, regional prosperity and women’s empowerment. Prior to that, she was policy consultant at a boutique consulting firm advising multinational clients with entry into emerging markets and worked with various multilateral institutions including Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). Jenny holds an MA in Public Policy Analysis from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, and a BA in English Literature and East Asian Studies from Bates College.

 

Ruth Schipper is Trade Counselor and Deputy Head of the Economics and Climate Department in the Netherlands Embassy in the USA . She works to help strengthen the economic ties between the Netherlands and the United States, focusing on trade policy and trade promotion / business development. She is seconded to the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate where she most recently served as team lead, industrial policy after having served there as an economic policy advisor in the Chief Economist’s Office.

Ruth Schipper has over 25 years experience in the public sector as a diplomat, economist and policy strategist focusing on issues pertaining to private sector-led economic growth and industry policy, privatization, regulation and market design, as well as sustainable development.

In 2018-19 she worked in the interagency Brexit Taskforce, where she coordinated national contingency planning and preparedness for the (trade) effects of Brexit, and in 2011-13 she served as liaison for the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean focusing on a.o. the functioning of the utilities sectors and SME development/acces to finance. She  served as Senior Advisor for The World Bank Board of Directors from 2001-2004 and started her career in the Netherlands Treasury.

Ruth Schipper holds a Master’s Degree in International Economics from the School for Policy and Management Sciences at Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. She is married with 2 teenagers.

Lisa Chase’s consultancy advises European and US clients on EU corporate and financial accountability (ESG) rules, with specialized focus on sustainable finance for global real estate development. Lisa has published extensively on corporate accountability and sustainable development, including for Harvard Business Review and Stanford Social Innovation Review, and presented to European and US audiences on climate resilient business and finance. She holds a Master of Laws in EU Law from King’s College London and a Master of Liberal Arts (International Relations) from Harvard University.