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Biographies

Tina Chan - Quarles & Brady LLC

Jesse Chao - Pronto Great China Corp.

Paul Churchill - U.S. Department of Commerce

David Cluka - Briggs & Stratton Corporation

Governor James Doyle

Ted Fishman - Best selling author of "China, Inc."

Michael Howard - Export-Import Bank

Allan Klotsche - Brady Asia Pacific

Chris Kuehl - Armada Corporate Intelligence

Julie Lee - Foley & Lardner

Ding Fa "David" Liu - Jun He Law Offices

H. Timothy Lopez - A. O. Smith Corporation

Neil Mehta -  Independent Consultant

Ronald Orzel - U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Industry & Security, Chicago

Steve Rubinson - JohnsonDiversey

Tracy Shilobrit - StrateVantage Communications

Darrel Standley - Johnson Controls

Suresh Thankavel - Wisdom InfoTech

Ying Wang - Oriental Energy Group Limited

Ni Xiangyu - TEDA

Tina Chan - Associate, Quarles & Brady LLC
Chan practices in the areas of general corporate services and China law. She also serves as underwriter's counsel. Her experience includes:

  • Reviewing, developing and negotiating commercial contracts for a variety of clients conducting business both domestically and abroad.
  • Representing buyers and vendors in the drafting and negotiation of supply and distribution agreements with international partners often with values of over $100 million.
  • Representing underwriters in conduit financings of charter educational facilities in California, Wisconsin, Utah, Colorado and Michigan.

Education and Honors

  • Marquette University Law School (J.D., 2006)
  • University of Wisconsin (B.A., 2002)
  • Ms. Chan graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Journalism and History with honors.


Jesse Chao, General Manager, Pronto Great China Corp.

Chao graduated from National Chiayi University, Chiayi City, Taiwan 1983.  His resume reads: 1996 - present, Pronto Great China Corp; 1992 – 1996; Regional Coordinator for TPEB, Jardine Freight Services Group; 1990 - 1992, Sales Manager, Oceanlink Forwarder Co., Ltd.; 1986 - 1990, Sales, Ocean Department of Consolidated Freightways in Taiwan; 1985, retired from military service.

Paul Churchill is the Director of the Milwaukee U.S. Export Assistance Center of the U.S. Department of Commerce.  Paul has held this position since 1995.  His responsibilities include representing the Under Secretary for International Trade in relationships between the Department of representatives of the business community, state government and civic groups; presenting the program and policy positions of the U.S. Department of Commerce; and providing assistance to the Wisconsin business community in expanding their exports throughout the world.  Prior to accepting his present position, Paul served the U.S. Department of Commerce as an International Trade Specialist in the Milwaukee U.S. Export Assistance Center since 1984.

Paul has taught Global Marketing courses at Waukesha County Technical College and appeared as a guest lecturer at other Wisconsin colleges; he earned his Bachlors degree from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater and attended graduate school at the University of Wisconsin Madison. Paul is a NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) an achievement which certifies his knowledge in the highly varied practice of global business.

Paul serves as an advisor to the board of directors of the Milwaukee World Trade Association and he's Executive Secretary of the Wisconsin District Export Council.

David Cluka is the Senior Manager of the Global eBusiness Group at Briggs & Stratton - the world's largest producer of air-cooled gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment.  In this role, Dave leads a team of three responsible for the strategic planning of eBusiness initiatives and the execution of eBusiness programs to support the business objectives of stakeholders throughout the organization. Dave holds Bachelor degrees in Marketing and Information Technology from the University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse and is currently writing his Master's thesis on how companies can leverage Web 2.0 programs to connect with 18 - 34 year olds.

Governor James Doyle is Wisconsin's 44th chief executive.  He was elected governor in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. A Madison native, Doyle attended Stanford University before graduating from UW-Madison.  Doyle earned his law degree from Harvard University.

Doyle was elected Dane County District Attorney and served three terms from 1977-82.  He spent eight years building his own private law practice until he was elected Wisconsin Attorney General in 1990.  He was reelected in 1994 and 1998.  In February of 2004, Doyle led the second largest state trade mission to China.

Ted Fishman's bestselling book, China, Inc.: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the World has helped describe for the world the effects of China's momentous change on the lives and businesses of people everywhere. China, Inc., is guidebook to the most important change in the world today, the rapid emergence of China as a world power whose size is unmatched by any rivals. In addition to its success in America, the book has been translated and published Japan, China, France, Taiwan, Korea, Spain, and Turkey. Fishman's essays and reports appear in many of the world's most prominent journals, including The New York Times Magazine, Money, Harper's, Worth, INC, Business2.0, Esquire, USA Today, GQ, The Times of London, German GEO, and Chicago Magazine. His commentaries have been featured on Public Radio International's Marketplace.

Fishman's writing is noted for taking seemingly vastly complex topics and making them understandable and meaningful for a general audience. Fishman is particularly interested in how big global economic trends bear on people's everyday experience. He has been featured on ABC, CNN, Fox, the BBC, CNBC, PBS, NPR, Public Radio International, and Sky News (UK), among many others. Fishman also frequently consults to local, state and federal leaders concerned about how to navigate China's economic rise.

A former floor trader and member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Fishman ran his own trading firm until 1992.  Fishman has lived and worked in Japan and Indonesia.  He is a graduate of Princeton University and lives in Chicago.

Michael Howard is the Midwest Regional Director for the Business Development Division of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), a full faith and credit U.S. government agency.  Ex-Im Bank's mission is to promote exports of U. S. goods and services through a variety of programs including an Export Credit Insurance program, a Loan and Guarantee program and a Working Capital program.

Mr. Howard holds a B.S. in Industrial Management from Georgia Institute Technology.  He has served on many advisory councils and committees on international financing for small businesses and is one of the authors of the Florida Export Finance Corporation.

Allan Klotsche is President of Brady Asia Pacific.  Brady manufactures a wide variety of high performance labels, safety signs, printing systems and specialty die cut parts for use by electronics and industrial manufacturers.  Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Brady currently employs over 7,500 globally with roughly half of them located in Asia.

Allan joined Brady Corporation in 1989 where he served in a number of domestically-based sales and marketing roles before becoming involved in Asia in 1994.  With extensive time spent in China, S. Korea, S.E. Asia and India, Mr. Klotsche and his Asia Pacific management team have built a business which now exceeds $350million in revenue, 3,000 employees, 12 manufacturing locations throughout the region and Centers of Excellence which support Brady's world-wide businesses.  Brady Corporation entered the Indian market in 2006 and now has a manufacturing presence in Bangalore as well as a Center of Excellence which handles many of Brady's worldwide accounting applications.

Allan graduated from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee in 1987 with a marketing degree and returned to receive his EMBA in 1994.  Married with two sons, Allan is actively involved in community and youth service organizations including the Brady Corporation Foundation, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Foundation, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Institute of World Affairs, Boy Scouts of America, and Junior Achievement.

Chris Kuehl is the co-founder (with Keith Prather) and Managing Director of Armada Corporate Intelligence, a company created in 1999 to provide strategy foundation, competitive intelligence, business analysis and economic forecasting for corporate clients. Armada's clients include YRC Worldwide, TranSystems, Spencer Fane Britt and Browne, KPMG, Hallmark International, Weitz Industrial among others.
Chris is the editor and primary writer for several publications:

  • Business Intelligence Briefs – a daily distributed through Chambers of Commerce throughout the US focused on US economic and business issues
  • Strategic Intelligence Briefs – a daily distributed through World Trade Centers and international business organizations focused on global economic and business trends
  • Fabrinomics – a bi-weekly industry analysis produced by the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association Daily industry analysis and assessment for clients such as TranSystems and YRC Worldwide
    Chris is the Chief Economist for Fabricators and Manufacturers Association. This includes writing Fabrinomics and serving as a keynote speaker for their conferences and meetings through the year. Other speaking opportunities have included Business Information Industry Association, Finance, Credit & International Business, Riemer Reporting Service, and a wide variety of business and finance organizations. He has spoken at over 300 organizations domestically and internationally over 25 years.

Chris is a frequent commentator for the media – locally and nationally. He is a regular economic/business analyst for KMBZ radio, KSHB-TV (local NBC affiliate) and has been extensively quoted in national newspapers, magazines and trade publications.  He holds a Masters Degree in Soviet and East European Studies, a Masters in East Asian Studies and a Ph.D. in Political Economics from the University of Kansas. He has been on the faculty of universities in the US, Hungary, Estonia, Russia, Singapore and Taiwan.

He has been on the local steering committee for the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals and has been active with a number of business and finance organizations.

Julie Lee is a partner in Foley & Lardner's Milwaukee office.  As part of Foley's International Practice, Ms. Lee has extensive experience representing clients with their cross-border transactions, with an emphasis on China.  She counsels clients on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances and commercial transactions such as supply agreements, licensing arrangements, distributorship agreements, cross-border technology transfer and practical ways to protect intellectual property transferred to a foreign country.   She frequently speaks on these topics.  She was quoted or featured in a number of legal and business publications about doing business in China, including the Wall Street Journal and the M&A Journal.

Ms. Lee was named to the 2006 and 2007 lists of Wisconsin Super Lawyers – Rising Stars by Law & Politics Media, Inc. for her international work.  She is a recipient of  The Milwaukee Business Journal's "40 Under 40" award.

Ms. Lee received her undergraduate degree from Beijing University in 1991. She joined Foley & Lardner after receiving her J.D. degree, cum laude, from Northwestern University School of Law in 1998.   Ms. Lee is a member of the Advisory Board of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce's China Council. 

Ms. Lee co-authored "How to Transfer Technology from the U.S. to China," published in the July/August 2006 edition of Managing Intellectual Property. 

Ms. Lee is fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese.

Ding Fa "David" Liu is a tax and corporate partner based in the Firm's Shanghai office.  Immediately before joining the Firm in June 2007, he was the managing partner of Bryan Cave LLP's Shanghai office.  He also practiced with Sidley Austin LLP in Shanghai from June 1999 through Jan. 2005, and with Coudert Brothers in its Beijing and Hong Kong offices from Jan. 1995 through May 1999.  From August 1983 to August 1988, Mr. Liu worked at the PRC State Tax Bureau (now the State Administration of Taxation), serving first as a tax official and then as a Deputy Section Chief in charge of income tax policies affecting foreign investment.  Mr. Liu received a B.A. degree from Beijing Foreign Studies University in 1983 and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1991.  Mr. Liu is qualified to practice law in the U.S., as a member of the Indiana Bar.

Mr. Liu has extensive expertise in corporate and commercial matters.  His experience related to foreign direct investment in China includes inbound investment and tax structuring and restructuring.  His mergers and acquisitions work has involved Chinese State-owned, privately-owned and foreign-invested companies.  Mr. Liu has additionally counseled clients on the establishment of Sino-foreign joint ventures, wholly foreign owned enterprises (including foreign-invested commercial enterprises), and PRC representative offices for foreign companies.  Mr. Liu's work also includes projects related to cross-border technology, trademark and software licensing, regulatory compliance, real property, and labor and employment.

Mr. Liu has represented and counseled multinational and U.S. companies of all sizes in numerous sectors.  His clients have included companies from the IT, high-tech, semi-conductor, pharmaceutical, health & fitness, chemical, logistics, precious metal, and automotive sectors.

Mr. Liu is also a PRC tax and bilateral tax treaty specialist and advises clients on various PRC tax and bilateral tax treaty issues affecting clients' investments and business operations in China.  He has authored various articles on developments in Chinese tax legislation.  Mr. Liu currently serves on the Editorial Board of CCH China Tax Intelligence, and is a frequent speaker on PRC tax issues. 

Mr. Liu is a native Chinese speaker and is fluent in English.

H. Timothy Lopez is an Associate General Counsel with A. O. Smith Corporation based at world headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Tim heads A. O. Smith's International Law Practice Group and is responsible for legal matters affecting, among other things, mergers and acquisitions, foreign compliance and governance, contracts, and joint ventures. A. O. Smith is a global leader applying innovative technology and energy-efficient solutions to electric and water products. Prior to joining A. O. Smith, Tim spent six years as in-house counsel at Kohler Co. managing a wide variety of international transactions. Prior to that, he was an associate with the law firm of Foley & Lardner. Tim is a Board Member of Legacy Bancorp, and also serves on the Audit Committee. He is licensed to practice law in California and Wisconsin.

Neil Mehta is currently an independent consultant. He serves clients with more than 13 years of global business and technology consulting experience across multiple industries. Neil has led and delivered complex projects throughout the world with some of the largest global companies as well as middle market businesses. Neil specializes in the strategic planning, management and operations of key business IT projects for companies. 

Before becoming an independent consultant, Neil Mehta was a Senior Principal at West Monroe Partners where he focused on advising private equity and venture capital firms on potential investments, mergers and acquisitions with an IT focus, supply chain advance planning and scheduling, business process re-engineering and implementations, application software development, and leading large technology based project engagements.

Prior to joining West Monroe Partners, Neil Mehta spent several years in Mumbai, India working as an Expatriate for Business Engine Software Corporation, a U.S. based company.  As the Director of Offshore Application Development for Business Engine Neil set up and managed the offshore development arm for Business Engine, which was an IT Governance, portfolio and project management software company, in India.  Mr. Mehta was featured in CFO magazine in June of 2004, issue topic: Making Offshore Work

Before joining Business Engine, Mr. Mehta spent a number of years at Arthur Andersen, Price Waterhouse and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.  At Arthur Andersen, Neil was instrumental in building Arthur Andersen's global supply chain credentials and specific key differentiators for the Arthur Andersen global supply chain practice.  Neil focused on various industries including high-tech companies such as hard disk, switch, and semi-conductor manufacturers as well as telecommunications providers, vehicle, and consumer and industrial goods manufacturers. 

At both Price Waterhouse and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Mr. Mehta concentrated on business process re-engineering and systems implementations, implementing various Enterprise Resource Planning and Advanced Planning and Scheduling Supply Chain software packages.

Prior to joining Price Waterhouse, Neil Mehta worked for Pharmacia Biotech, as an Associate Production Chemist where he worked on launching several flagship molecular biology products. 

Mr. Mehta received his Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Strategic Planning and Information Systems from the University of Pittsburgh, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Mr. Mehta also received a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology from the University of Wisconsin, in Madison, Wisconsin.

Ronald Orzel, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Securtiy.  Orzel currently serves as the Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office.  Mr. Orzel has been a Special Agent for the Office of Export Enforcement since 1986. Prior to his current position, Mr. Orzel was involved in the development of the agency's case management computer system and served as the as Information Systems Administrator. Mr. Orzel was also a member of the Office of Export Enforcement's seized computer evidence recovery team.

In addition to his current duties as the Special Agent-in-Charge, Mr. Orzel has represented Export Enforcement at numerous international interagency projects. In this capacity he has participated in several efforts by interagency working groups created by the U.S. Government to develop export control regimes in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. He has also represented the United States at international export control organizations such as the Wassenaar Arrangement Working Group in Vienna, which is responsible for the standardization of export controls across borders. Throughout his career Mr. Orzel has also been involved in Export Enforcement's Sentinel Program, leading Sentinel Teams in missions to countries in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Prior to Export Enforcement, Mr. Orzel was a Special Agent for the Department of Defense and worked for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Steve Rubinson has been a member of the MWTA Board of Directors since June of 2007, also serving as co-chairman of the Compliance Committee.  Through his service, he is able to share over twenty years of experience in international trade and logistics.

Steve's interest in the international scene goes back to his high school years, where a passion for German language and literature quickly manifested into his college major at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL.  He rounded out his studies with an unlikely pair of minors:  Studio Art and Business Administration.  After graduation, he was able to pursue his MBA from NIU as well.  Steve supported those graduate studies through employment in two transportation-related fields:  as a motorcycle safety instructor and public transportation supervisor.

Shortly before his graduation, Steve joined Navistar International and quickly became active in Transportation and Logistics for the Chicago-based truck manufacturer.  He wore many hats at Navistar, most notably implementing a successful duty drawback program that enabled the company to claim over $500K per year. 

Over the next ten years, Steve's passion for world trade issues mirrored his career progression in a variety of industries, from transportation to high technology and even retail imports for Montgomery Ward department stores.  It was also during this time that Steve received his Customs Broker's license and began putting his new credentials to work.  He somewhat fondly recalls filling his train rides from suburban Elgin, IL, to the Chicago Loop with apparel pre-classifications – noting stitch counts and drawing representations of the items to be imported.  "I even made use of my college Art minor in that job," Steve recalls with a grin.  More importantly, however, Montgomery Ward gave him an opportunity to successfully protest Customs' decisions regarding the classifications of imported apparel and footwear.

After Montgomery Ward, Steve's career returned to the transportation industry with stints at Tenneco Automotive, Harley-Davidson and Case New Holland.  "My wife used to shake her head when we'd drive down the road and I'd point out every car, truck, motorcycle and construction vehicle.  She forbad me to ever work in aerospace because she said she wouldn't even be able to look at the sky without me telling her specs of the planes flying overhead!"

In August of 2006, Steve became Director of Global Import/Export for Johnson-Diversey, a Racine-based manufacturer and distributor of commercial cleaning products and equipment.  "It's a great place to be," notes Steve.  "I have a great team and the executives at Johnson-Diversey demonstrate strong support for the function.  Senior management has emphasized the importance of our position in the global marketplace, from how we move raw materials and finished products from market to market to how we store those goods."  This past year, Johnson-Diversey unveiled its new warehouse facility, which is the largest "green-certified" facility of its type in the nation and was also designed to meet C-TPAT security standards from the beginning of the design process.  "We're doing the right things, and I'm proud to be a part of that."

Steve is also proud of his affiliation with MWTA.  "After serving on the nationally-based ICPA (International Compliance Professionals Association) as an officer in 2004 and as a board member in 2006, it's nice to re-focus on Milwaukee and the professionals here." 

Steve and his wife Jenny will celebrate their twenty-third anniversary in June, and share their Racine home with four energetic children, ages 3-15, and "Charlie Brown" the collie.  In his spare time, Steve enjoys reading, restoring the family's 1964-1/2 Mustang ("One of the first hundred made!") and motorcycling.  He is also an active participant at their church and was able to make a two-week missions trip to Uganda in July of 2007 to visit many projects and spend time with two Ugandan children that the family sponsors through Compassion International.

Tracy Shilobrit is the president and owner of StrateVantage Communications, a full-service corporate communications and public relations consulting firm, serving clients with local, national and global business requirements.  Before opening the doors at StrateVantage, Shilobrit served as Director of Global Communications for Manpower, Inc.; a $22 billion world leader in the employment services industry, where she was responsible for communications across 80 countries.  Previously she was Vice President of Marketing & Client Services at a PR agency and she led the communications functions for several global manufacturers and a hospital system. 

Shilobrit holds a Master's degree in Business Administration, a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and has completed executive management training at IMD in Switzerland.

Darrel Standley is Director of Communications Operations for the building efficiency business at Johnson Controls.  His global responsibilities include communications aspects of brand architecture, trademarks, mergers and acquisitions, and web communications.  Darrel joined Johnson Controls in 1994 and was instrumental in the launch of its first web site in 1996.  He has been involved in all major web initiatives since that time, including the recent design and launch of a series of cohesive, multinational, multilingual sites to support the global business.  Darrel is a Certified Business Communicator and has been involved with computer systems and data communications for more than 35 years.

Suresh Thankavel is the founder, President and CEO of Wisdom InfoTech an Information Technology firm founded in 2001 based in Brookfield, WI. Provides IT services such as Business Process Improvement, IT Planning, Business Intelligence, Custom Software Development and IT Outsourcing. They serve Technology firms, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Finance and other segments. Started with 3 employees in 2001, now is a 200 employee company with business across US, India and China, having offices in Brookfield, NJ, India and China.

Wisdom was also awarded for Inc 500 in 2007, 08 and has also won 3 Future 50 awards in the past.

Prior to Wisdom InfoTech, he worked in HK Systems (Supply chain Technology firm), CSC and CDAC-India in developing an Artificial Intelligence tool that teaches Sanskrit.

An immigrant in 1996, earned his Masters in Computer Applications and Bachelor's degree in Mathematics in India.

Ms. Ying Wang is Chairman of Oriental Energy Group Limited. The company works with Chinese companies in petroleum procurement for China and international investment in resources worldwide. Its focus now is the renewable energy projects in China, especially wind and solar power. 

Ms. Wang is President of China Business Consulting Inc. that provides high-level and problem-solving consulting services to corporations and individuals who are investing and doing business in China. She also represents Chinese companies and wealthy individuals in investing in the US/international market. She is President of China Club 888 (www.chinaclub888.com) and founder of Learn In USA (www.learninusa.com).  

From 1992 to 2002, Ms. Wang was Vice President and Senior Advisor of the Cathay China Direct Investment Fund. The Cathay Fund has invested over US$ 1 billion into various joint ventures in China in the past decade. Ms. Wang served as the Sackler family's Senior China Business Advisor from 1994 to 1995.   

Ms. Wang worked in Chinese government for 15 years, serving as Division Chief for Foreign Liaison and Director for UNICEF projects in training women in development in China. She was Deputy Representative for China on the UNICEF Executive Board from 1989 to 1990. She also was English translator for top Chinese leaders, including the President and Premier. 

Ms. Wang received a BA from Tsinghua University in Beijing in 1974 and an MPA from the Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University in 1991. 

Ms. Wang serves as a member of the Board of the US Association for the UN University for Peace (UPEACE/US) and a member of China Council of the Grameen Foundation US. 

Ms. Wang is married to Dr. Alan Curtis, the President of the Milton Eisenhower Foundation. They live in Washington DC with their two daughters Julie and Miranda.

Mr. Ni Xiangyu has been the Vice-Chairman of the Administrative Commission of Tianjin Economic-technological Development Area (TEDA) since 2001. Before that, he has been the special assistant to the Chairman of TEDA, and worked for a long time in the administrative office of Tianjin Municipal Government and private sectors in Tianjin.

He has taken various responsibilities for TEDA government in such areas as public security, society warfare, education, production safety, and then economic issues like international trade and investment promotion. Those working experiences in private sectors and government made him an expert in both public administration and international investment.

He has been invited as guest speaker in many international conferences and forums such as Economist Asian forum, GE economic forum, American Bar Association (ABA),etc., sharing his opinion on investment environment in China, internationalization and localization of both Chinese companies and Multi-national companies, as well as government duties in this regard.

Mr. Ni holds a Master's degree in Economic Law from Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and EMBA from Guanhua School of Management, Peking University. He is also the Vice-Chairman of the Tianjin Tanggu People's Congress.
 
   
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