Inaugural committee members include Amazon, Citi, ExxonMobil, FedEx, Google, General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, Mastercard, Meta, Microsoft, Moody’s, Organon, Qualcomm, UPS and Visa
(Washington D.C. – September 14, 2022) – In anticipation of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) USA 2023 host year, the National Center for APEC (NCAPEC) is proud to announce the launch of the APEC 2023 Private Sector Host Committee.
As the only U.S. business organization exclusively focused on APEC, NCAPEC is excited to provide unparalleled opportunities for business executives to forge connections with global leaders and senior government officials throughout the year. Under the auspices of the Host Committee, NCAPEC will create opportunities for the private sector by developing industry-driven events that coincide with the APEC 2023 meetings, culminating in the APEC CEO Summit in fall 2023.
Since its inception in 1989, APEC has been the premier platform and incubator for innovative ideas addressing fair and open trade and investment policies. The adaptive structure of APEC, which includes direct engagement with the private sector and other stakeholders, ensures that the forum stays timely and relevant as trends in business and technology emerge and transform commerce in the region.
Each year, more than 1,500 high-level private sector representatives gather with senior government leadership to strengthen diplomatic ties and identify new ways to unlock economic opportunity, prosperity and growth. The global health, economic, and social challenges over the past several years have underscored how critically important these conversations and convenings are for bolstering public-private collaboration and fostering fair, open, inclusive and sustainable growth.
“APEC 2023 presents a unique opportunity to create a strong platform for governments to engage key stakeholders across the 21 economies that comprise APEC,” said Matt Murray, U.S. Senior Official for APEC at the U.S. Department of State. “Public-private collaboration is critical to deepen and expand our economic ties with the fastest-growing region in the world, including in the areas of trade and investment, innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth.”
The 2023 Host Committee includes corporate leaders from across the country representing diverse and dynamic industries and sectors, including executives from Amazon, Citi, ExxonMobil, FedEx, Google, General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, Mastercard, Meta, Microsoft, Moody’s, Organon, Qualcomm, UPS and Visa. The Host Committee is co-chaired by Mary T. Barra, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors; Alfred F. Kelly, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Visa; and Kevin Ali, Chief Executive Officer of Organon.
“At General Motors, we are on a path to transform mobility and prove that technology and innovation, when driven by purpose, can change the world. Cooperation between the U.S. and the Asia Pacific region is essential to global connectivity, and APEC member economies are key to GM’s vision of a world with zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion,” said GM CEO Mary T. Barra. “I am proud to serve as a co-chair for the APEC 2023 Private Sector Host Committee. I look forward to engaging with APEC leaders on bolstering trade, securing critical supply chains, and advancing technologies that will enable GM’s vision for a safer and more sustainable world.”
“Visa and our partners across APEC are working to build an inclusive digital economy and create greater prosperity and opportunity for everyone, everywhere,” Visa CEO Alfred F. Kelly added. “We welcome the opportunity for the U.S. to host APEC in 2023, bringing together economies across the region and demonstrating a commitment to further strengthening trade and economic ties in the Indo-Pacific.”
Organon CEO Kevin Ali echoed his sentiments, stating: “APEC continues to demonstrate that economic cooperation and dialogue are critical for advancing growth and prosperity for the region, so I am honored to serve as a co-chair of the APEC 2023 Private Sector Host Committee. We at Organon look forward to working with all stakeholders to support APEC’s commitment to increasing the health and wellbeing of people in the region, with a specific focus on equity and reducing the health-related barriers that women face.”
With the U.S. hosting APEC for the first time since 2011, NCAPEC looks forward to creating robust opportunities for business and government representatives to share meaningful and productive exchanges on policy priorities and best practices that can drive trade and achieve resilient and inclusive growth.
As U.S. Representatives David Schweikert (R-AZ) and Rick Larsen (D-WA), co-chairs of the bipartisan APEC Caucus, said in a joint statement: “the U.S. has an opportunity to help set an ambitious agenda that emphasizes free and fair trade along with investment that promotes jobs and economic growth and raises standards, including for labor, the environment, infrastructure and digital trade.”
In addition to engaging with heads of state, policy makers and subject matter experts from the U.S. and across the Asia Pacific region, the Host Committee members will have the opportunity to work strategically alongside the NCAPEC team in shaping the narrative of the APEC CEO Summit USA 2023 and defining broader private sector priorities. They will also guide dialogue around the urgent challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region and the world, and develop initiatives to address climate change and sustainability, supply chain resiliency, global health, digital connectivity, and women’s empowerment.
“We are privileged to have stakeholders from diverse disciplines and are excited to explore and provide opportunities throughout the year for them to engage with government and communities around the U.S., and with our global partners,” said Monica Hardy Whaley, President of NCAPEC.
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About APEC
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional economic forum established in 1989 to leverage the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific. APEC’s 21 members aim to create greater prosperity for the people of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth and by accelerating economic integration in the region.
About NCAPEC
The National Center for APEC (NCAPEC) is a U.S. business association dedicated to advancing private sector policy priorities in the dynamic Asia-Pacific region. NCAPEC works closely with its membership of approximately 50 U.S. Fortune 500 companies to create opportunities to engage with key policy makers to discuss the trade, investment, and regulatory issues that impact the growth and development of the Asia-Pacific region. NCAPEC also collaborates with business associations in other APEC economies to build broad private sector coalitions to bolster the impact of our efforts.
