GE Africa President and CEO Jay Ireland has been appointed to the newly established US President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA). US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker announced these appointments during Discover Global Markets’, a Commerce-led business development forum held in Atlanta that focuses on export opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa, including Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Mozambique, among others.
The council is comprised of 15 private sector leaders representing small, medium, and large companies from a variety of industry sectors that were hand-picked to advise President Obama, through the Secretary of Commerce, on strengthening commercial engagement between the United States and Africa. “I am very delighted and honoured by this appointment. It is a show of confidence in GE Africa’s leadership and our commitment to Africa’s growth and development,” said Jay Ireland.
US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker said economic growth on the continent will continue to drive demand for US exports. “This will ultimately help create jobs at home and provide valuable investment opportunities for US businesses,” she added.
With Africa being home to six of the 10 fastest-growing economies in the world, the President’s Advisory Council will provide expert counsel on strengthening our partnerships with African countries to leverage opportunities for US companies committed for the long term.
The Advisory Council will provide information, analysis, and recommendations on the priority areas related to creating jobs in the United States and Africa through trade and investment; developing strategies by which the U.S. private sector can identify and take advantage of trade and investment opportunities in Africa; building lasting commercial partnerships between the U.S. and African private sectors; facilitating U.S. business participation in Africa’s infrastructure development among other key business advisories.
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