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Keith M. Curtis CV for Personal Services ContractAfrica Business Development Manager (Johannesburg, South Africa)

Solicitation Number: Rfp-Co201511028-1

Keith M. Curtis202 xxx-xxxx or 703 xxx xxxx

I am a Senior Foreign Commercial Officer in the Foreign and Commercial Service with 27 years in-depth experience assisting and advocating for US business internationally. This Trade

Development Agency regional position fits ideally with my current plan to retire but remain active and utilize my skills and experience to benefit US companies in SSA.

Background

Served in Japan, Brazil, Sweden, Iraq and Washington DC and lived and worked additionally in Ethiopia and France and travelled in over 80 countries.

Demonstrated expertise in commercial counseling, presentation, inter-agency coordination, embassy team management, outreach, market development, finance projects and regional programs.

Particular interest in the economic, political and technological challenges of energy policy and related business development opportunities.

Adept at international management, and flexible and adaptive to international living and working conditions.

10 years private sector experience prior to joining the Foreign Service -- much of it in international marketing – so I know what it’s like on the other side of the table.

Recipient of the Gold Medal and (twice) the Bronze Medal awards of the Department of Commerce for commercial advocacy and support of US business.

Accomplishments

World Bank Director Business Liaison – 2014 to present, Washington, DC Recruited all us private sector participation in the World Bank Group’s $60 billion of

annual commitments, covering primarily Sub-Saharan Africa and SE Asia. Led US company recruiting and participation for over 100 companies in the World Bank

Energy mission (March 2015) in Washington DC, arranging for the participation of USAID, Power Africa, OPIC and the US State Department and making essential connections for US Companies to IBRD, IDA, IFC, and MIGA project and project financing. I handled all aspects of US participation including the US Acting Director’s speech and logistical arrangements.

Conceived, managed and executed an outreach tour to US business for the ED office to Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles where I made presentations on World Bank opportunities to four groups totaling over 200 participants.

Managed the World Bank opportunities presentations and conducted one-on-one counseling sessions with US companies at the US Department of Commerce Global Markets export events Sub-Saharan Africa (Atlanta) and Sustainable Energy (San Jose).

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Conceived and managed the first in-depth analysis of US company “wins” and participation over the last seven years of World Bank projects, providing the first solid bench mark for success measurement.

Provided counseling and advocacy for US companies (small, medium and large –) to gain access to World Bank projects, ranging from basic “how-to” to sharpening the knowledge edge of subject matter experts.

Led ED office participation in the first full-scale reform of procurement in 70 years, asserting US company interests in the development process, including:

o Local Content Requirements (no need to capitalize?)o public disclosure o fair specification writingo award assessments o complaint follow-through.

Iraq Senior Commercial Officer – September 2013 – July 2014,* Baghdad, Iraq Connected US companies to over $100 billion in public procurement of the Iraqi federal

budget. By initiating and coordinating top? USG, Ambassador and other US Embassy

interventions, won substantial advocacy cases on security screening procurements, power equipment and US airplane sales.

For OPIC financing projects, developed middle market financing. Conceived, managed and executed the first US Franchise Mission in recent times in Iraq,

working closely with the USDOC Commercial Law and Development Program to ensure success.

By engaging inter-agency partners and the US Chamber of Commerce, developed and successfully executed a reverse trade mission of top Iraq officials to Washington DC to meet with US companies,

*Evacuated from Iraq in July, 2014 following the fall of Mosul.

Senior Energy Advisor, International Operations, Commercial Service – month 2009 to when 20 Washington, DC

Coordinating Foreign Commercial Service alternative energy projects and programs, incIuding:

o Managed Green Embassy program at FCS which included intensive work with multiple NGOs, DOE and interagency partners.

Coordinated a highly effective and innovative approach involving one of our largest private/public partnerships ever, expanding in 2011 from a $500,000 program to over $6 million.

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As a first-time, leading-edge program in alternative energy, Green Embassies involved state-of-the-art technologies and substantial risk taking using our Embassies as a “launch-pad” for US technology and public policy.

o Industrial coordination and promotion at the COP 15 and COP 16 UNFCC meetings in Copenhagen and Cancun for US technology and public policy, designing and conducting industry presentations on state-of-the-art energy technologies, coordinating industry leaders and CEOs on bringing meaningful solutions to Climate Change challenges and played an IPR role on our negotiating team.

Regional Senior Commercial Officer in Stockholm covering Sweden, Iceland, Denmark and Latvia – July 2005 to August 2009, Stockholm, Sweden

Initially covering 6 counties, I had the opportunity to work broadly across the Nordic commercial and economic country landscape.

I developed the first regional Service program for US companies in the Nordics and conducted cross Nordic, inter-agency trade promotion conferences. One of the highlights of my tour was organizing a trip for all four of our Nordic Ambassadors to Boston, Chicago, Denver and the Bay Area utilizing our highly effective USEAC network to promote the region for US exports. With private sector sponsorships, we covered a broad range of industries from Energy to consumer products and delivered the message of business opportunities to over 500 businesses.

I had the lead responsibility of all commercial aspects of the US Ambassador’s primary program, the development of alternative energy commercial programs in cooperation with the privates sector, the US Department of Energy and the Swedish government. I was principal in conceiving, developing and executing a broad range of energy commercial programs with US and Swedish industry and government. We developed bio-fuels programs with the State of Michigan, led the development of 30 start-up programs, engineered a private sector cooperation between the governments and Mack and Volvo private sector design for expanding biofuels in trucks and developed a new DOE commercial program on biofuels for jets. The Embassy Commercial program involved extensive public-private partnerships working on key technology development. I was also heavily involved in protecting the US film industry IPR, coordinating and advocating a famous case of the shutdown of the top film pirating site in the world.

Deputy Senior Commercial Officer – May 1999 – July 2005, Brasilia, Brazil As the number 2 officer in our second largest operation worldwide, I had day to day

management responsibility for managing 60 staff including 6 US officers and some

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54 local engaged staff in Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Rio, Belo Horizonte, Manaus, and Porto Allegro, as well as partnership programs in Bolivia and Paraguay.

Principal representative on the Ambassador’s country team for day-to-day commercial operations.

Advocated extensively in Brasilia for US commercial interests, rewarded with the Bronze medal for ground-breaking work on digital television and cellular communication standards.

Managed multiple high-level US government missions including the Secretary of Commerce, US Governors, and numerous legislative leaders.

Cooperated with TDA on the Latin American Conference on public procurement infrastructure projects, including extensive energy transmission and port development.

Deputy Director, Eastern Europe – month year to month year, Washington, DC Led commercial development programs for the Commercial Service as Eastern Europe

was coming “on-line” with regular commercial development. Commercial Service principal on the Bosnia trade Mission that involved twenty CEOs.

Foreign Commercial Officer, Tokyo Japan - February 1991 – July 1995, Tokyo, Japan In my rookie years with FCS, I took charge of the commercial auto portfolio. Commercial control officer for President Bush mission to Tokyo, which included the

o Twenty CEOs in the Japan Corporate program to develop US opportunities in the Japan. The program included twenty CEOs (e.g., of Ford, Chrysler and GM) as well as other industry subject matter experts.

Fostered cooperation with the government of Japan and negotiated openings in the market on the precipice of the largest potential tariffs in the history of the world.

Other Relevant ExperienceInformation Technology sector background – 1980 – 1990, working with:Burroughs Corporation, Tymnet, McDonnell Douglas, leading up to British Telecom Manager of Carrier Relations, where I negotiating International Interconnect agreements for Packet-switched network links for foreign governments and entities.

I have written for various publications including the Foreign Service Journal and the European Trade Journal and been studied French, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, Swedish and Portuguese

EducationThunderbird School of Global Management MBA 1980

Dickinson College BA with a specialization in International Relations 1976

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