Forum on

Defense Trade & National Security Policy

October 2 - 4, 2022 Charlottesville, Virginia
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Forum

Overview

The Steering Committee welcomes 48 of the most experienced attorneys, in-house counsel and compliance professionals in the U.S. defense industry to discuss shared challenges on the impact of government policy, regulations, and compliance with export regulation.

Using candid, seminar-style discussion at this annual meeting, the group examines trends and developments for meaningful dialogue on the most pressing export controls issues. During some of the sessions, participants have the opportunity to obtain the perspectives of key USG officials.

2022 Steering Committee

The Steering Committee, comprised of experts in the field, personally nominates all invitees and ​develops the Agenda, which forms the basis of our discussions.

Committee Co-Chairs

Committee Members

  • Bryce V. Bittner Managing Counsel, International Trade Legal McKinsey & Company Washington, D.C.

    I am an Associate General Counsel at McKinsey & Company where I advise the Firm on export control and sanctions issues. I am also a member of the State Department’s DTAG and the Commerce Department’s TransTAC, and I frequently speak on international trade topics at national and international conferences.  Prior to joining McKinsey, I was the Director of Global Trade Compliance at Textron Inc., and before that, I served as an export control counsel for Honeywell Aerospace and as an associate in the International Trade practice of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.  I graduated from Columbia Law School and Columbia School of International and Public Affairs with a joint J.D./Master of International Affairs and from George Washington University with a B.A. in Russian. I am admitted to the Maryland State and District of Columbia Bars, and I reside in Falls Church, VA with my wife and two boys.

  • Jeannette L. Chu Vice President National Security Policy National Foreign Trade Council Washington, D.C.
  • Lawrence R. Fink Senior Assistant General Counsel and Vice President Leidos, Inc. Reston, VA

    Lawrence R. Fink is a Senior Assistant General Counsel and Vice President at Leidos, Inc., formerly SAIC. As the Director of International Regulatory Compliance for Leidos, he is responsible for ensuring corporate-wide compliance with U.S. import, export, human trafficking, and anti-corruption regulations. Mr. Fink serves as an industry representative on the Defense Trade Advisory Group or DTAG.

     

    Prior to his work in international trade compliance, Mr. Fink served as an arms control and national security analyst, providing implementation and compliance support to the Department of Defense for strategic arms control treaties and agreements, including START II, the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, Nuclear Safeguards, and the Chemical Weapons Convention.

     

    Mr. Fink is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University in Russian studies. He received his law degree from George Mason University School of Law and is a member of the Virginia Bar.

  • Nancy A. Fischer Partner Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Washington, D.C.
  • Gregory Hill Vice President, Global Trade Compliance Leonardo DRS Arlington, VA

    Corporate Vice President for Global Trade Compliance, Leonardo DRS, Inc. Greg is responsible for leading the company-wide trade compliance program. He establishes the policies and procedures the company employs in managing its global export/import operations.

     

    Prior to joining DRS in 2008, Greg worked for several defense companies in export, regulatory, international security cooperation, and technology release areas including General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, and Anteon Corporation. Greg is a member of the Defense Trade Advisory Group, a federal advisory committee to the U.S. State Department on export matters, the Sensors and Instrumentation Technical Advisory Committee, advising the U.S. Commerce Department on export matters regarding infrared and laser technology, and is the vice-chair of the National Defense Industrial Association’s International Division, helping to identify and resolve defense industry management and business problems associated with government policies and practices related to the international defense community.

     

    Greg holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a Master of Management degree from Troy State University.

  • Jeff Merrell Vice President, Strategic Trade Rolls-Royce North America, Defense Reston, VA
  • Stephen F. Propst Partner Hogan Lovells US LLP Washington, D.C.
  • William Wade Vice President, Global Trade Compliance L3Harris Technologies Arlington, VA

    William Wade (Bill) is the Vice President of Global Trade Compliance in the Washington, DC area. Bill is a retired Lt. Colonel from the United States Army with more than thirty years of military and civilian experience. His expertise is in export/import compliance and policy, along with extensive knowledge of The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulation (EAR) and Security Assistance Manual (SAM). He brings to the table his experience with private industry and with government perspectives in mind.

     

    Bill provides focused guidance, training and assistance regarding company export and compliance matters. Bill’s mission is to teach others to provide compliant, customer-focused Trade Control service to customers to ensure timely support of International business. Bill believes it is imperative as a Trade Practitioner to understand what is in your “toolbox” and then study and improve and utilize each tool for optimum compliance and customer service which includes, but not limited to, your company’s product, regulations, policy, training, and your experience.

     

    Bill is the L3HARRIS lead for the Global Trade Group (GTG) serving as lead Empowered Official. He serves as a Member of International Council, Aerospace Industries Association (AIA); He is the immediate past Chair of the Defense Trade Advisory Group (DTAG), Federal Advisory Council to the U.S. Department of State and served on the DTAG for over 10 years. Bill also serves on the Council for L3HARRIS’s Diversity and Inclusion as the Executive Sponsor the L3HARRIS AARG.

     

    Prior to L3HARRIS Technologies, Bill worked at Raytheon and at Boeing. At Raytheon, he was a Senior Director providing advice and counsel to senior management in establishing direction, strategy, and policy along with developing a training and curriculum map to increase employee and staff career development. He served as the Lead for Export and Import (EX/IM) Operation, while enabling Subject Matter Expert (SME) guidance to personnel on export/import issues and trained personnel and license stakeholders in EX/IM. Bill is a “proven” leader – excelling in problem-solving and team-building skills. While serving in the Army he had 18 years of aviation experience, worked with systems integration, management of technical personnel, development of acquisition strategies and extensive work with contracting and procurement budget analysis.

     

    He is a graduate of the Wharton School of Executive Leadership and Development. Bill is a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He has served in several positions of leadership to include District Director, Chapter President, Chapter Vice President and President of the Chapter’s 501 (c)(3) Scholarship Foundation.

  • Mark J. Webber Vice President, International Trade & Export Policy Lockheed Martin Corporation Arlington, VA

    Mark J. Webber is Director, International Trade and Export Policy within Lockheed Martin’s Government Affairs organization, where he is responsible for managing a diverse portfolio of issues affecting Lockheed Martin’s global programs and business, including international trade, export control policy and sanctions, export financing and advocacy, global supply chain, foreign direct investment, and other international regulatory issues.

     

    Before joining Lockheed Martin in 2011, Mr. Webber held several senior positions within the U.S. Government, including Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for South and Central Asia on the National Security Council Staff, and Special Advisor for National Security Affairs in the Office of the Vice President of the United States. Mr. Webber also served as the Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Industry and Security and as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Export Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

     

    Prior to serving in the U.S. Government, Mr. Webber worked under contract for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command and the former U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency as an advisor on missile defense and strategic arms control issues. Mr. Webber received his J.D. from the George Washington University Law School and is a member of the Maryland State Bar. He earned his M.A. and B.A. in comparative politics from American University in Washington, DC.

     

    Mr. Webber lives in Maryland with his wife and two sons.

  • Kevin J. Wolf Partner Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Washington, D.C.

Forum Director

  • Rob Ross Senior Forum Director Cambridge Forums Toronto, ON [email protected] M: +1 416 451 6344

    Rob has been working in the professional development field since 1979, when he founded Insight Information Inc. Since then, he has been active in developing various conferences, seminars, as well as interactive television and publishing projects. In 2004, Rob founded Cambridge Forums Inc. to meet the professional growth needs of top-tier professionals and was instrumental in developing the exclusive forum format. Today, as Chairman of the firm, Rob focuses on strategy and spearheading new forums. In his spare time, he spends as much time as possible at his country home north of Toronto with his wife and four adult children.

CONNECT. ENGAGE. EXCEL. This is a different event, unlike any you've attended

Built on genuine interactions and spontaneous connections, the Forum is an unparalleled learning and benchmarking opportunity for preeminent leaders on U.S. defense-related export control and trade policy issues.

STILL UNSURE?

Learn why people return year after year

Hear how our participants describe the practical benefits of our forums.

Kate Ross

Forum Director

Telephone

+1 437 971 6813

Email

[email protected]Email Kate

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