Speaker Profiles
Jean Davis, Director of International Trade Division, NC Department of Commerce
Jean Davis serves as Director of the International Trade Division at the North Carolina Department of Commerce and directs the Division’s efforts to increase exports of North Carolina products and services in all industry sectors to global markets. She oversees two domestic offices as well as 7 international offices staffed with a team of foreign trade consultants.
Prior to joining Commerce, Jean was the co-owner of Serentec Inc, an international pharmaceutical consulting company which was sold to Lloyd’s Register in 2003. Jean’s early career included progressive international positions at IBM, Computer Digest Magazine and McGraw Hill. Jean spent eight years living and working in Europe, speaks French and Portuguese and has extensive experience in building business operations in Asia, Europe and South America.
Jean is a 2005 Eisenhower Fellow, received her undergraduate honors degree in Political Science and Business Administration at New England College, Arundel, England and her Master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, Boston.
Jeannine B. Scott, Senior VP, Africare
Jeannine B. Scott has been the Vice President of Africare since May 2003. Ms. Scott brings over 25 years of experience in the field of African development to the position, spanning the private, non-profit, multi-lateral agency and government sectors, both in the U.S. and abroad. As Senior Vice-President, Ms. Scott is responsible for Africare’s operations of over 200 projects in 23 countries. She provides strategic guidance and direction to the organization.
Prior to joining Africare, Ms. Scott founded America to Africa Consulting, LLC, providing business development and advisory services. From 1998-2001 Ms. Scott held an appointment from the U.S. Department of Treasury as Advisor and Alternate to the U.S. Executive Director at the African Development Bank Group (ADB), where she helped to shape U.S. positions on Bank Group policy and programs. Before receiving this appointment, Ms. Scott served as a staff member of the African Development Bank from 1992-1998. Initially she worked on economic programs in Southern Africa, including special initiatives to promote cross-border trade and regional economic integration. Later she worked on sustainable development issues, working with Bank management to shape its then heightening focus on combating poverty while ensuring enhanced stakeholder participation and attention to gender and environment.
Ms. Scott’s early professional career (1985-1992) was spent with Africare in several ascending capacities, beginning as a Program Manager at headquarters in Washington, DC, and culminating in the appointment as Country Representative to Senegal (1990-1992), with simultaneous responsibilities in Mauritania, Cape Verde and The Gambia. She was officially recognized by the Government of Senegal for her service in 1992.
Ms. Scott holds an A.B. degree from Vassar College in Political Science and Africana Studies and a Master’s degree in International Relations from Yale University. Ms. Scott’s current memberships and affiliations include: The Council on Foreign Relations; The Women’s Foreign Policy Group; the Society for International Development; Women Impacting Public Policy; and the Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa. She also serves as a board or advisory member to the following organizations: North Carolina Central University; Howard University Law School - World Food Law Institute; Chairman, African American Unity Caucus (AAUC); Co-chair, Inter-Action Humanitarian Partners Working Group with UN Agencies; Friends of the University of Johannesburg; and the Center for Global Development – AfDB Working Group and the African-American Partnership for Global Enterprise and Commerce.
Frank Gentry, VP Human Resources, Commscope
Frank Gentry is the Vice President , Human Resources, for CommScope, Inc and has over 25 years of HR experience. He oversees the global HR activities for Commscope’s Enterprise division. CommScope, headquartered in Hickory, N.C., has employees in more than 40 countries. Frank has been with CommScope, Inc. for 20 year and held various HR positions. CommScope has acquired several companies in the past 5 years and Frank was instrumental in the integration of the businesses with regards to compensation, recruiting, staffing and all HR related projects.
CommScope is a global leader in connectivity solutions for communications networks. CommScope provides infrastructure solutions for wireless, business enterprise, residential broadband and carrier wireline networks. Founded in Hickory, NC, more than 30 years ago, CommScope and its worldwide team of more than 15,000 employees create infrastructure solutions for communication networks in more than 130 countries. CommScope has manufacturing and distribution facilities in North America (NC, Illinois, Texas and Mexico), Asia Pacific (China (3) and India), Europe (Czech Republic, Ireland, Scotland and Germany), and Brazil.
Frank earned his BS in Business (84’) and MA in Counseling (93’) from Appalachian State University. He lives in Hickory with his wife, Lin, who also obtained her undergraduate and graduate degrees from ASU.
Ron Jarvis, Senior Vice President of Pro Business, Tool Rental and Environmental Innovation, Home Depot
Ron Jarvis joined The Home Depot in February 1995 as a Product Merchandise Manager of Lumber and Building Materials for the Southeast Division in Tampa, Florida.
In November of 1998, Ron was promoted to Divisional Merchandise Manager responsible for Lumber, Building Materials, Millwork, Plumbing, Kitchen, Fashion bath, Garden and Hardware.
In June of 2000, Ron was promoted to the Environmental, Global Product Manager. In this newly created position, Ron’s focus was to partner with vendors and merchants across all Home Depot departments companies including International, to develop and enforce our environmental policies.
In July of 2001, Ron was promoted to Merchandising Vice President, responsible for lumber and building materials, his area of responsibility includes vendor selection, retail price points, marketing and in store design for these departments. Ron also had the responsibility for guiding the company on all environmental purchasing policies.
In 2006 Ron was named the VP- Environmental Innovation as a dual role to the merchandising VP position. In this new role Ron is responsible for leading The Home Depot’s overall environmental sustainability practices and policies, with an emphasis on making The Home Depot the world leader in offering green building products to our consumer and pro customers. In addition, Ron coordinates closely with our operations, real estate, facilities and supply chain teams, as well as the chairman of the Home Depot Environmental Council, to ensure that Home Depot business practices meet the highest standards of environmental sustainability compliance. Ron is also the central liaison on all discussions with environmental non-government organizations.
In 2007 Ron was promoted to Senior Vice President of Pro Business, Tool Rental and Environmental Innovation. In this position he oversees the strategic development and direction of the businesses.
Ron is a member of the Yale Forest Forum and a Board member of The Home Depot Foundation.
A native of North Carolina, Ron holds a BA degree from North Carolina State University in Business Management/Economics.
Ron resides in Alpharetta, Georgia with his wife Stacy and four children: Clint, Nicole, Paul and Emily.
Marcus Taylor, Senior, Appalachian State University
Marcus is pursuing a B.A. in Sustainable Development with a concentration in Renewable Energy Technologies, a B.S. in Appropriate Technology, a minor in Spanish, and certification for Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL). He is a part of the Heltzer Honors Program and an alumnus of Watauga College.
Marcus was a foreign exchange student in central Thailand and has traveled extensively in the country, taught English in the Argentinean Patagonia, traveled to Paraguay and Uruguay, worked on an organic shrimp farm in Ecuador and helped to install a micro-hydro electricity generation system in the Bolivian Amazon. Recently, he represented the U.S. at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Youth Forum on the Sustainability of Water resources, and was a student of linguistics as well as a guest speaker on sustainable building practices at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso in Chile. He was also a founding member, caretaker, and teacher of the Edible Schoolyard project here at ASU and has been active in the Environmental Affairs Committee, recycling programs, composting at the Living Learning Center, and has frequently represented ASU at conferences and expos.
After graduation Marcus hope to install and perform maintenance on utility scale wind turbines here in the U.S. or possibly in Europe or China, and is working to get a grant to perform research in Brazil on the relationship between multilateral lending institutions, the Brazilian economy and government, and the deforestation of the Amazon.
Eric Biribuze, Product Line Manager of Plug and Play Products, Corning Cable Systems
Eric is currently the Product Line Manager of the Plug and Play Products for Optical Connectivity in the lucrative and growing Data Center Market at Corning Cable Systems, headquartered in Hickory, North Carolina. In this position, he oversees all the operations of this $50M product line.
Eric is originally from Burundi, Africa, where he grew up. He left Burundi 22 years ago at the age of 19 to attend college in China. He graduated from Northeastern University in Shenyang, China, with both Bachelor and a Masters in Industrial Engineering in 1992 and 1995, respectively. He received an MBA from the Walker College of Business here at Appalachian State University in 1997. At Appalachian, he was the President of the International Friendship Association and was named in the 1997 Edition of Who's Who in American Universities and Colleges. Eric was also inducted in the Beta Gamma Sigma Society.
After earning his MBA, Eric joined Corning Cable Systems (it was named Siecor then), where he has held a number of different position, in Finance, Manufacturing, and now in the Product Line Management in several locations in North Carolina and Texas. In my current position, he has had opportunities to travel around the world visiting Corning locations, Corning customers and suppliers, including most of the major North American Cities, Latin America (Mexico and the Caribbean region), and the Far East Region (China & Japan).
Eric is fluent in five languages, including Kirundi, Swahili, French, English and Mandarin Chinese. He is actively involved in several community activities and organizations, including the Hickory International Council, a running community in Hickory (doing marathons), Appalachian Alumni Association and St. Aloysius Church. He is a member of the Appalachian MBA Advisory committee and supports various charities benefiting Burundian development and education. He currently reside in Hickory, North Carolina with his wife, Claudine Uwimbabazi and baby boy, Eric Prince, born on July 18, 2008. He became a naturalized US citizen in January, 2009.
Claudine Uwimbabaze, Graduate Student, Gardner-Webb University
Claudine Uwimbabazi has an extensive international experience. Born in Burundi of Rwanda parents, she returned to her homeland, following the Genocide of 1994. After graduating from high school, she went onto to India where she earned a Bachelor degree of Arts with concentration in Economics, Insurance, and Sociology from Bangalore University in Bangalore, India. After a couple of years back home to Rwanda, where she worked as a lecturer at the upstart Kigali Institute of Technology, she decided to further her education and headed to South Africa, where she earned a Master’s degree of Arts in Development Studies from Mandela Metropolitan University, in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. She has recently moved to the US, where is the MBA class of 2009 graduate from Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. While at Gardner-Webb University, Claudine has specialized in International Business.
In her short but diverse career, Claudine has worked in various development projects in Rwanda as well as in South Africa as a UN Volunteer. In 2007, she was responsible for coordinating a Rural Mobile Telephone Project through a joint Transfer of Knowledge through Expatriate Nationals (TOKTEN) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Upon graduating from South Africa in 2005, Claudine worked as a trainer and Information Expert in Technology and Business Incubation, dealing with graduates to create their own enterprises by transforming their ideas into business and assisting them to sustain their businesses. During her tenure in South Africa, she worked as a Research Assistant for Regional Economic Development Project, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, facilitating with the collecting of data, analysis and presentation, maintaining a computer-based file of researchers, and assisting in follow-up procedures for researchers. Her interests are sharing her knowledge and experience and attending and participating in various conferences of integrating Africa into global business. She has spoken to high school colleges, churches, Gardner-Webb University and Harvard Business Conference.
She is fluent in five languages English, French, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, and Kirundi. Currently, she resides in Hickory, North Carolina with her husband Eric Biribuze and her son Eric Prince
Alex Ayalew, President, Joint International Business Group, LLC
Alex Ayalew was born and raised in Ethiopia until the age of 19. Subsequently, he lived in the Philippines working in the film industry and doing volunteer work for UNICEF.
He moved in 1987 to Toronto, Canada where he worked in the international division of Toronto Dominion Bank. Building on this experience, he later worked from 1995 until 1999 at Southern California Savings Bank in Los Angeles as registered representative in the investment banking division. When he moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2000, he broadened his financial services experience by working as a representative of Mass Mutual Insurance Company and, later, of MetLife Insurance Company. In 2004, he capitalized on his entrepreneurial skills by opening Meskerem, a highly successful Ethiopian restaurant in downtown Charlotte.
In 2007, he started Joint International Business Group, LLC, a Charlotte-based export company focused primarily on African markets, but not limited to these. With support from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Small Business Administration and the Commodity Credit Corporation, he developed partnerships with overseas buyers and quickly expanded his company’s business. To date, he has successfully completed several challenging projects that involve exporting U.S.-made transportation and heavy machinery products to Africa.
As a result of his integrity, business skills and ability to develop constructive relationships with foreign executives and traders, he was awarded, in 2008, an Export Achievement Certificate by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The award honors small and medium-size U.S. enterprises that have successfully entered the international marketplace.
As a result of his achievements, he has become a role model for other minority entrepreneurs who strive to export profitably.
Sarah Green, Senior, Appalachian State University
Sarah Green is a senior at Appalachian State University, graduating in December 2009. She is earning her BSBA with a double major in International Business and Accounting with a minor in Spanish.
Sarah started her international involvement at ASU during her sophomore year in 2006. She established the foundation of AIESEC Appalachian, a chapter of the world's largest student held organization in the world. AIESEC is a global organization that promotes international understanding and cooperation in hopes that students will develop into global leaders and create solutions to a more secure and peaceful world. AIESEC provides leadership development, cultural events around campus, and student international internships. Over the past 3 years, Sarah has served as President, Executive Director, and the Director the East Africa Program.
In January 2008, Sarah went to the University of Alicante in Alicante, Spain to study International Business and the Spanish language. ASU has a direct exchange relationship with the University of Alicante. While in Spain, Sarah attended the Iberoamerican Leadership Conference in Barcelona, Spain. This conference focused on corporate social responsibility and leadership development. The representing members participated in seminars, group sessions, and discussions to reflect, analyze, and plan how to strengthen their local communities. Over 300 university students participated in this conference and represented more than 35 countries.
Sarah began planning what would become known as the Global Opportunities Conference while abroad in Spain. She has been responsible for planning and organizing both the 2008 and 2009 High Country Global Opportunities Conference. The conference is for any student, regional business owner, or community member interested in learning more about global opportunities in our rapidly changing world. All students, faculty, and business professionals of every background are invited and highly encouraged to attend. The 2008 GOC focused on why businesses should go global, how to get started, and the importance of understanding other cultures. The 2009 GOC focused on our changing economy and new and emerging international opportunities.
In the summer of 2009, Sarah completed an AIESEC internship teaching entrepreneurship and microfinance in Kampala, Uganda. The traineeship focused on teaching entrepreneurship to students at Makerere University Business School. Her lesson plans included helping Makerere students develop and implement a business plan. She also had the opportunity to work with a local stock brokerage firm that is trying to build the foundations of a stock market in Uganda.
After graduation, Sarah plans to pursue a career in International Development and poverty alleviation through enterprise development and obtain a doctorate in International Development and Social Entrepreneurship.
Ronald Reighter, VP Global Trade Solutions, Sun Trust Bank
Ron Reighter is Vice President, Global Trade Solutions for Sun Trust Bank, and has over 30 years experience in international logistics and supply chain management. He holds an MBA from Syracuse University and spent the first part of his career with Sea-Land Service, the premier ocean carrier, working in pricing, sales, marketing and logistics, including six years living in Asia. Ron was also the Director of Transportation at Wellman, Inc., and Vice President of Supply Chain at Drexel Heritage Furniture. Both of these positions provided insight from a manufacturer’s perspective on the complexities of international and domestic transportation, logistics and distribution. Ron developed an expertise in international Ocean and Air forwarding, as well as Customs Brokerage and Customs Compliance, as Vice President of CV International.
Ron is Past-President and Marketing Chair of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals Charlotte Roundtable, General Chairman of the South Carolina International Trade Conference, and Treasure and Executive Board Member of the North Carolina District Export Council. He is also an Adjunct Professor of supply chain and project management at Central Piedmont Community College.
Jason Roof, VP Currency Risk Management, SunTrust Bank
Mr. Roof joined the Currency Risk Management Team of SunTrust Robinson Humphrey in 2005 and serves the bank’s Commercial and Middle Market clients in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. Prior to SunTrust, he was formerly with the Foreign Exchange Department of The South Financial Group, whose footprint covers Florida and the Carolinas. Mr. Roof holds Series 7 & 63 Licenses and is a two-time graduate of the University of South Carolina with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and an International Masters of Business Administration.
Michael Angolia, Senior, Appalachian State University
Michael Angolia is a senior Finance and Banking/Risk Management and Insurance double major who has been very involved with the global programs at Appalachian. He has been a part of the Holland Fellows Program which allowed him to work with students from Fudan University in Shanghai, China. In that program, he worked with Fudan students and faculty on a semester long project studying the macroeffects of the 2008 global financial crisis. Along with this work, michael also spent the summer of 2009 living with a Chinese family in Shanghai while participating in internships there. He is graduating in December 2010 and is looking forward to finding a great internship this upcoming summer.