A Breakfast Briefing featuring Mr. Johnny Brown Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs U.S. Embassy, Johannesburg, South Africa

Friday, May 23, 2003

8:00 a.m.
Breakfast

8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Briefing

The Plimsoll Club
World Trade Center of New Orleans

(Free validated parking in the WTC Garage)

Minister Counselor for Southern Africa, Johnny Brown, has made a career of promoting U.S. business and investment around the world. He has been with the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. government's leading trade promotion agency, for 29 years. Prior to his arrival in Johannesburg in January 2001, he served in several senior management positions for the U.S. Commercial Service throughout Africa and the Middle East. During his tenure in Kuwait, Mr. Brown led his team to reach $9 billion in sales of U.S. goods and services. Most recently, he served in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, where he successfully promoted two-way trade and investment between the U.S. and the West African region. In 1986, he was appointed Commercial Attaché to Lagos, Nigeria, during a term of unprecedented growth and expansion. As part of the U.S. Commercial Service on the domestic front, Johnny Brown served as National Director for Field Operations for 48 domestic offices in the United States. He also directed offices in South Carolina and Wisconsin. Minister Counselor Brown is committed to the increased realization of trade goals and opportunities for the mutual benefit of the U.S., South Africa, and its neighboring countries. With responsibility for the 14 countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, Mr. Brown hopes to capitalize on South Africa's position as the economic powerhouse of the continent and a logical stepping stone to the sub-Saharan market. With approximately 185 million people, the SADC region represents a significant growing market for U.S. trade and investment, and will be the focus of the Commercial Service over the coming years. One focal point of Mr. Brown's tenure in South Africa is providing support for the nation's black empowerment initiatives. He sees great opportunity in linking historically disadvantaged entrepreneurs in Southern Africa with their small-to-medium sized and minority-owned company counterparts in the U.S. He hopes to bring more business partners and investment capital together in non-traditional industry sectors.

Sponsoring Organizations

City of New Orleans

Louisiana Economic Development
New Orleans U.S. Export Assistance Center
Port of New Orleans

URS Walk Haydel

World Affairs Council of New Orleans
World Trade Center of New Orleans

Cost: $17.50 for members of the sponsoring organizations and companies. $20 for non-members.

If you are a WTC member, the registration fee can be charged to your account number noted on the registration form. 

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