PBEC: Executive Profiles: Stephen Olson

PACIFIC BASIN ECONOMIC COUNCIL
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[ Cesca ] V I C E P R E S I D E N T
Stephen Olson
Vice President & Acting President
Pacific Basin Economic Council

Stephen Olson is the Vice President of the Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC).

Mr. Olson plays a leading role in the planning and organization of PBEC’s annual International General Meeting (IGM), regarded by many to be the premiere business conference in the region. He develops the program agenda and session synopses, and assists in the identification and recruitment of key speakers, delegates, and sponsors. He also performs similar tasks at a number of issue-specific PBEC conferences held in partnership with organizations such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

Mr. Olson is also responsible for senior level communications and media affairs, working closely with prominent media outlets such as CNN and CNBC to publicize PBEC’s leaders and policy positions. He has also authored a number of well-received opinion articles on Asia issues, in prominent publications such as the International Herald Tribune.

PBEC’s policy views and recommendations on business and economic issues are held in high regard by organizations such as the WTO and APEC, and Mr. Olson regularly attends the APEC leaders meeting and coordinates PBEC’s policy input into those deliberations. He also coordinates the policy activities of a number of PBEC working committees located in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, the United States, and Canada, in areas such as technology, foreign direct investment, electronic commerce, services, environment, food products, and transparency.

Mr. Olson’s career began in Washington DC as an international trade negotiator. He was a member of the U.S. negotiating team for the North American Free Trade (NAFTA) negotiations, and worked in the Executive Office of the President, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the U.S. Department of Commerce. Mr. Olson has also worked as an international trade consultant.

Mr. Olson has given scores of speeches to academic and business organizations throughout the United States and has been interviewed on television and radio on international trade issues. He has been a guest lecturer at several universities, including the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute. He has been accredited by the New York Department of Economic Development as a certified international trade consultant.

Mr. Olson was the recipient of a Certificate of Recognition for outstanding services as a member of the U.S. negotiating team for the Canada free trade negotiations, as well as a Certificate for Sustained Superior Performance during the NAFTA negotiations. He has a Masters Degree in international relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He has also studied at McGill University in Montreal, and has a B.A. from the State University of New York.