Download GE Africa President/CEO, Jay Ireland Appointed as

GE Africa President/CEO, Jay Ireland Appointed as Chair of President
Obama’s Advisory Council on Business Priorities for Africa
The appointments are announced in conjunction with the second U.S.-Africa Business
Forum
WASHINGTON D.C., United States of America, September 22, 2016/ -- Jay Ireland,
President & CEO of GE Africa (www.GE.com) was named as chair of the second
President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA) by U.S. Secretary
of Commerce Penny Pritzker. PAC-DBIA members – representing small, medium, and
large companies from a variety of industry sectors – advise the President, through the
Secretary of Commerce, on ways to strengthen commercial engagement between the United
States and Africa.
"Building stronger commercial relationships with some of the world's fastest growing
economies in Africa continues to be a top priority for the Obama administration," said
Secretary Pritzker. "Private sector engagement through initiatives like the PAC-DBIA is
driving our efforts to expand trade, speed investments, build new technologies, and grow
new and transformative industries across Africa."
The appointments are announced in conjunction with the second U.S.-Africa Business
Forum. This historic event connects hundreds of American and African chief executive
officers and business leaders, along with African heads of state, to discuss overall economic
growth and to stimulate additional trade and investment between the United States and
Africa.
The varied, diverse, and accomplished appointees of the 2016-2018 President’s Advisory
Council on Doing Business in Africa include:
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Jay Ireland, President and CEO, GE Africa* (Chair)
Laura Lane, President of Global Public Affairs, UPS (Vice Chair)
Walé Adeosun, Founder and Chief Investment Officer, Kuramo Capital Management*
Mimi Alemayehou, Managing Director, Black Rhino Group; and Executive Advisor and
Chair, Blackstone Africa Infrastructure LP
Kimberly Brown, CEO, Amethyst Technologies
Takreem El-Tohamy, General Manager of Middle East and Africa, IBM
Peter Grauer, Chairman, Bloomberg LP*
Diane Hoskins, Co-CEO, Gensler
Denise Johnson, President, Caterpillar Resource Industries
Kusum Kavia, President, Combustion Associates, Inc.
Barbara Keating, President, Computer Frontiers, Inc.
Bill Killeen, President and CEO, Acrow Bridge
Tom Klein, President and CEO, Sabre
Jack Leslie, Chairman, Weber Shandwick
Edward Mathias, Managing Director, Carlyle Group*
Ross McLean, President of Sub-Saharan Africa, Dow Chemical Company
Jehiel Oliver, Founder and CEO, Hello Tractor
Andrew Patterson, President for Africa, Bechtel
Martin Richenhagen, Chairman, President, and CEO, AGCO*
Fred Sisson, CEO, Synnove Energy
Andrew Torre, President of Sub-Saharan Africa, Visa
Dow Wilson, President and CEO, Varian Medical Systems*
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Rahama Wright, Founder and Chief Executive Director, Shea Yeleen*
*Denotes reappointed PAC-DBIA member
As part of his commitment to deepen engagement between the United States and Africa,
President Obama signed an Executive Order (E.O.) at the 2014 U.S.-Africa Business Forum
to establish PAC-DBIA. The PAC-DBIA has provided information, analysis, and
recommendations on U.S.-Africa trade and investment priorities. Such priorities include job
creation in both the United States and Africa, developing sustainable commercial
partnerships, building entrepreneur capacity, and keeping the private sector engaged in
developing policies and strategies on investment in Africa. Highlights of the previous PACDBIA’s recommendations include launching the institutional investor roadshow with
several African countries and convening an East Africa cold chain symposium.
U.S. merchandise exports to sub-Saharan Africa increased 19 percent from 2009 to 2015,
reaching more than $18 billion last year. Total U.S. exports of goods and services to the
continent of Africa reached $42 billion in 2015, representing total growth of 17 percent in
the same period. In addition, between 2009 and 2015, U.S. goods exports to five subSaharan African countries – Ethiopia, Togo, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, and South Sudan –
and U.S. goods exports to an additional five countries have increased more than 50 percent
– Mali, Swaziland, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Benin.
Speaking on the appointment, Jay Ireland said “I am truly honored to continue serving on
the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa. “I am delighted to chair
this group strengthening commercial links between Africa and U.S. for economic growth.
GE is proud to remain a steadfast partner in Africa's sustainable growth and will continue to
invest in people and infrastructure across Africa."