Francisco Sanchez, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, at NDN/NPI

Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sanchez at NDN/NPI
April 26, 12:30pm

On Tuesday, April 26, NDN hosted Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs Francisco J Sanchez. Sanchez was joined by NDN Globalization Initiative Chair and former Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs Dr. Robert Shapiro.

Sanchez discussed the administration-wide effort to promote exports and conduct commercial diplomacy at every level of the American government. With only one percent of American companies engaged in exporting, Sanchez argued that American business can no longer afford to focus on just the domestic market. Instead, Sanchez said business must think globally and look to export to some of the fastest growing markets in the world, as nearly 87 percent of the growth in the world over the next five years will happen outside the US.

In particular, Sanchez focused on how the administration is working to expand market access by reducing barriers for American companies. To that end, he cited recent progress on the Korea, Colombia, and Panama FTAs. He also engaged in dialogue with Dr. Shapiro on matters ranging from collecting data on best practices in exporting to the Doha Round.

As a senior policy advisor to President Obama during the 2008 campaign, Sánchez served as the Chairman of the National Hispanic Leadership Council and also provided policy support on issues pertaining to Latin America. Sánchez now brings his wide range of experience in both federal and state government as well as in the private sector to his leadership position at ITA.

Sánchez served as the Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation during the Clinton administration, where he developed aviation policy and oversaw international negotiations. Sánchez had previously served in the White House as a Special Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Special Envoy to the Americas, Kenneth MacKay, where he focused on economic integration and democracy issues throughout the Western Hemisphere. He began his career in government working as Director of Florida’s Caribbean Basin Initiative Program for then-Governor Bob Graham.

In addition to his public service, Sánchez spent more than 15 years working with several leading consulting companies on projects involving negotiation strategy, alliance management, labor-management negotiations, litigation settlement, facilitation, and training, most recently as a partner with CMPartners. Among his private-sector achievements, Sánchez directed a team in Medellín, Colombia, as part of the “Teaching Tolerance” program, an initiative designed to break the cycle of violence then threatening the country. Sánchez also served as a consultant to the President of Ecuador in negotiations that led to the resolution of a long-running border dispute with Peru. He began his career in complex negotiations as an attorney, specializing in corporate and administrative law at Steel, Hector, and Davis in Miami, Florida.

Sánchez was named one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics by Hispanic Business Magazine and also one of the top Hispanics nationwide by Poder Magazine. Sánchez is on the board of directors for the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). He has served on the Boards of numerous civic and community organizations including the Tampa Chamber of Commerce. He has been awarded the National Point of Light Award and the Governor’s Point of Light Award for Outstanding Community Service. In 2010, he was named to the National Hall of Fame for the Boys and Girls Club of America.

A native of Florida, Sánchez obtained his B.A. and J.D. from Florida State University. He also received a Masters in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Sánchez has published articles and taught negotiation and conflict resolution at the Program of Instruction at Harvard Law School as well as other institutions.