Washington, D.C. — U.S. Assistant Secretary Andrew Steinberg, Angolan Minister Brandão, and Boeing Vice President Monson to Join Other Global Leaders from Leading American and African Companies and Government Agencies for First U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Africa
U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs Andrew Steinberg of the U.S. Department of Transportation, His Excellency Minister of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of Angola André Luis Brandão, Secretary General of AFRAA (Africa Airlines Association) Christian Folly-Kossi, and Boeing Commercial Airplanes Vice President Lee Monson will serve as featured speakers during the "Aviation and Economic Development" workshop Thursday, November 15th at The Corporate Council on Africa's (CCA) 2007 U.S.-Africa Business Summit, it was announced today. Additional speakers from African countries are expected to join the workshop. The workshop is being sponsored by The Boeing Company.
Interested participants can pre-register for the Summit at www.africacncl.org through November 7th.
The panelists will participate in a dialogue about the linkage between air transportation development in Africa and how it is necessary for further economic growth. They will address the need for ongoing skills training, the development of human resources to maintain and enhance air transportation safety requirements and facilities, as well as the many air transportation infrastructure vulnerabilities. Panelists will also assess the increased international and inter-regional trade and the essential requirements in commercial, private, passenger, and cargo aviation.
"Boeing's success in Africa relies on strong relationships with our clients based upon a mutual understanding of fleet planning intertwined with a comprehensive competitive assessment aimed at sustainable, long-term growth," said Lee Monson, Boeing's COMMERCIAL AIRPLANES VICE PRESIDENT. "Open dialogue is a vital component in our efforts to contribute further to the success of African airlines and, ultimately, to enhance the economic development of countries in Africa where we do business."
Hosted every two years, this is CCA's sixth Summit, but the first-ever to be held in Africa. More than 1,000 participants are expected to attend.
Appropriately titled "Africa: Entering the Door to Opportunities," the Summit will provide a forum for some of the world's top global business leaders to discuss trade and investment opportunities in Africa, best practices, and how best to increase trade and investment in ways that will help engender sustainable growth on the continent.
The 2007 Summit will feature business trade missions led by a diverse pool of U.S. organizations, to several African nations. In an unprecedented offering, Summit delegates will have an opportunity to explore business prospects in an additional African country, immediately following the Summit in Cape Town. Each trade mission will feature a financing expert.
The U.S.-Africa Business Summit will include sector-specific plenary sessions, workshops, business networking opportunities, and a two-day trade expo where businesses will showcase their products, services, and capabilities to potential buyers and customers throughout Africa. Sessions will focus on key sectors including, infrastructure development, mining, agribusiness, telecommunications, energy, transportation, and sports and tourism among numerous others.
To date, corporations including Chevron, Merck, ExxonMobil, Marathon Oil, The Boeing Company, 3M, Cargill, General Motors, Chrysler, Hewlett-Packard-SA, Coca-Cola Africa, Johnson & Johnson, Development Bank of Southern Africa, and Lazare Kaplan International, JR Boulle, Oracle South Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development, South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, HRDI, Merck, Hess Corporation, African Wildlife Foundation, Buchanan Renewable Energies Inc., African Development Bank, Carana Corporation, Government of Mauritius, Baker Hostetler, OPIC, Commercial Services, Westinghouse; as well as media outlets including Reuters Africa, All Africa Global Media, Africa Investor, New African, African Business, Corporate Africa, Institutional Investor, The Africa Report, and Jeune Afrique have come together as sponsors of the upcoming Summit.
CCA's U.S.-Africa Business Summits have a stellar track record of attendees and high-powered workshop and plenary sessions. Former World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, President George W. Bush, South Africa President Thabo Mbeki, and many other African Heads of State have participated in past Summits.
To find out more about the upcoming Summit, visit www.africacncl.org.
CCA, established in 1993, is a nonpartisan 501 (c) (3) membership organization of nearly 200 U.S. companies dedicated to strengthening the commercial relationship between the U.S. and Africa. CCA members represent nearly 85 percent of total U.S. private sector investments in Africa. The organization is dedicated to bringing together potential business partners and to showcase business opportunities on the continent.
