Increasing Cross Border Trade and Investment Between Montana and Canada
Canada is Montana’s most important trading partner, with more products shipped to Canada than to all other foreign markets combined. Bio-tech, information and communication technologies, building materials, and energy are among the principal trade relationships. In 2005, Montana’s exports to Canada were valued at $354 million and trade with Canada supported 16,000 Montana jobs.
Canadian Trade Commission Panel:
Monica Heron, Consul and Senior Trade Commissioner
Agriculture: Kim O’Neil, Agricultural Advocacy and Agricultural Specialist
Bioscience: Stephen Davis, Trade Commissioner-Bioscience
Information Communication Technology and Building Products: David Smith, Trade Commissioner – Information Communication Technology and Building Products
Energy, Mining and Environment: Stan Pence, Trade Commissioner – Energy, Mining and Environment
Aerospace and Defense: Philippe Taillon, Vice Consul and Trade Commissioner – Aerospace and Defense
EVENT AT A GLANCE
Wednesday, June 25
Bozeman Comfort Inn
1370 N 7th Avenue
11:45 a.m. Registration and Lunch
12:00 - 1:30 p.m. Program (please note this is a 90 minute event)
1:30 – 3:00 p.m. One-on-one meetings with Trade Commissioners are available on a first-come first-serve basis. To schedule an appointment, contact Amanda at 587.3113 or aschultz@ProsperaBusinessNetwork.com.
REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT
FREE for Prospera and Montana WTC Members
$10 for Non-Members
A catered lunch will be provided*
RSVP by Monday, June 23 to Amanda at 587.3113 or aschultz@ProsperaBusinessNetwork.com
*No-shows will be billed for missed reservations. Cancellations are required by June 23.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Join us for a discussion on how your company can get a share of the profit! Trade Commissioners of the Canadian Consulate General of Denver will cover agriculture, bioscience, information communication technology, building products, energy, mining, environment, aerospace and defense.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Monica Heron is the Consul and Senior Trade Commissioner with the Consulate General of Canada in Denver. She was previously with Bogota, Colombia where she was Counsellor (Commercial). Monica has served in Ottawa, Ontario in the Western Europe Trade and Investment Development Division, on the Trade Commissioner Service Strategic Planning Division, and as Deputy Director of the Central Europe Division. Her postings have taken her to Berne, Switzerland as First Secretary (Commercial) and Consul; Harare, Zimbabwe as Counsellor (Commercial); Abidjan, Ivory Coast as Counsellor (Commercial), as well as the African Development Bank Liaison Officer; Dublin, Ireland as Counsellor (Commercial) and Hong Kong, China as Counsellor (Commercial). Monica was born in Toronto, Ontario and graduated with a BA from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario Canada.
Kim O’Neil is the Consul, Agriculture Specialist at the Consulate General of Canada in Denver. She was previously the Agriculture Counsellor to Mexico City for five years. On return from Mexico, she was Special Advisor on Canada-U.S. Advocacy in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada International Trade Policy Division. Prior to her time in Mexico, she worked in Ottawa, Ontario in the Mexico Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and as Mexico Desk Officer in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. She was Legislative and Special Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture and Executive Assistant to various Members of Parliament in the House of Commons for seventeen years. Monica is fluent in Spanish and French.
Stephen Davis is the Trade Commissioner for Bioscience at the Consulate General of Canada in Denver. Prior to joining the consulate in 2005, Stephen held international trade positions in several Colorado companies including Current, Inc., one of Colorado’s top five largest importers measured by volume of goods, Gerry Baby Products, and NatureSmart, a nutraceutical manufacturer owned by Wholefoods Markets. These positions afforded Stephen the opportunity to travel extensively throughout Asia and to specialize in managing trade relations with manufacturers of raw materials and finished goods from all over the world. Stephen has a MS in International Business from the University of Colorado, in Denver, Colorado and a BS in Religion and Philosophy from Texas Wesleyan College, in Fort Worth, Texas. He is currently earning his certification in Chinese language studies from the University of Denver, a level two certification in American Sign Language from the Pikes Peak Center on Deafness, and he speaks Khmer (Cambodian) at a basic conversational level.
David Smith is the Business Development Officer of Information Technology and Communication industry sectors for the Consulate General of Canada in Denver. He is responsible for Canada-U.S. trade and commerce relations in the states of Colorado, Utah, Montana and Wyoming. Prior to joining the Canadian Consulate, David worked for PeopleSoft, where he implemented business software solutions for both U.S. and Canadian clients. David has trained more than 300 end users in the financial and distribution software modules. He also worked for Georgia-Pacific as a lumber buyer for softwood lumber products from Canada. David received his MBA in International Business from the University of Colorado and his BS in Marketing from Brigham Young University. He is bilingual in French and English.
Stan Pence is the Trade Commissioner responsible for the Energy, Mining and Environmental industry sectors for the Consulate General of Canada, located in Denver. He is responsible for Canada-U.S. trade and commerce relations in the states of Colorado, Utah, Montana and Wyoming. Stan’s primary focus is in the extractive industries, concentrating on developing commercial links between Canadian and U.S. businesses along the “Rocky Mountain Corridor” from the Artic to New Mexico. Previously, Stan worked for Xcel Energy in the corporate finance and energy trading divisions. He also has over ten years in trading and fixed-income sales, having worked for a number of Wall Street firms in New York. Stan has a MBA in Finance from Boston University and a BS in Economics and French from the University of California, Berkeley. He also attended the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales in Paris, a leading French business school. Stan is bilingual in French and English.
Philippe Taillon is the Vice Consul and Trade Commissioner responsible for the investment program, as well as the aerospace and defense sectors for the Consulate General of Canada in Denver. He is responsible for Canada-U.S. trade and commerce relations in the states of Colorado, Utah, Montana and Wyoming. Prior to joining the Consulate, Philippe was an advisor at Canada Economic Development for the Quebec region. He has a BS in Business Administration.
Amanda Schultz
Membership and Events Coordinator
Prospera Business Network
aschultz@ProsperaBusinessNetwork.com
Phone 406.587.3113 | Fax 406.587.9565
http://ProsperaBusinessNetwork.com
Prospera Business Network is a private, non-profit, member-supported economic development organization in southwestern Montana. Originally established in 1985 as the Gallatin Development Corporation, Prospera is now the leading economic development organization serving a region that is one of the fastest growing economic areas in the northern Rocky Mountains. Prospera is dedicated to encouraging and supporting business expansion, retention and relocation by providing access to business consulting, financing, professional development and research.
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