About the Discussion

About the Speaker

Wendy Cutler joined the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) as vice president and managing director of the Washington D.C. Office in November 2015. In these roles, she focuses on building ASPI’s presence in Washington — strengthening its outreach as a think/do tank — and on leading initiatives that address challenges related to trade and women’s empowerment in Asia. She joins ASPI following an illustrious career of nearly three decades as a diplomat and negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). Most recently she served as acting deputy U.S. Trade Representative, working on a range of U.S. trade negotiations and initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region. In that capacity she was responsible for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, including the bilateral negotiations with Japan.

About the Moderator

Alan R. Crain has provided legal, commercial, and political advice throughout the world for over 35 years. He began his career with a law firm in Washington, D.C. and has been general counsel of three Fortune 500 multinationals. He has served as an arbitrator in a broad range of cases and as an adjunct professor of international law at the University of Houston. He serves on the boards of directors of both public and private companies as well as the boards of the Asia Society Texas Center, Institute for Transnational Arbitration, World Affairs Council of Houston and National Association of Corporate Directors TTC. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.