Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples has an outstanding record of getting things done. While serving first in the Texas House of Representatives and later as a state senator, Staples was a recognized leader on such critical issues as worker's compensation reform, private property owners' rights, natural resources, school finance and education just to name a few.

As Agriculture Commissioner, he continues to pursue policies that enable economic strength, youth development, healthy lifestyles and consumer protection. He is charting a course to bring job creation to rural Texas, further the promotion of Texas products around the world, and help farmers and ranchers face tomorrow's challenges and increase profit margins through the use of new technologies and value-added processing. 

Mr. Larry McClendon is the current chairman of the National Cotton Council of America. He was elected to this position in February 2008, after serving as the Council's vice chairman in 2007. He also served on the Council's Board of Directors for six years.

Mr. McClendon is president and manager of McClendon, Mann and Felton Gin Company in Marianna, Arkansas. He also operates a cotton and grain farm in Lee County, Arkansas.

Mr. McClendon has been active in national, regional and state associations. He is past president of National Cotton Ginners Association, Southern Cotton Ginners Association and the Arkansas Agricultural Council. He is currently on the board of Staplcotn.

The recipient of numerous industry awards, Mr. McClendon was the 2002 Southern Cotton Ginners Association Ginner of the Year and in 2003, he received the Horace Hayden National Ginner of the Year award. In 2006, he received Cotton Grower magazine's Achievement Award, in recognition of growers who are outstanding innovators, sound stewards of the environment, and leaders in their communities as well as the cotton industry.

A graduate of the University of Arkansas, Mr. McClendon is active in his church and community. He is a deacon of First Baptist Church of Marianna and is currently serving on the Board of Trustees for Baptist Hospital Systems in Memphis.

Mr. McClendon and his wife, Betty Jo, reside in Marianna and have two children, a daughter and a son. 

DR. MICHAEL T. FRALIX
President and CEO, [TC]²

For the last 20 years, Dr. Mike Fralix has worked in a variety of capacities at [TC]² and has provided guidance to hundreds of sewn products companies. With 30 years of experience in apparel manufacturing, research and development, operations and corporate management, he leads the company’s initiatives to develop next-generation supply chain technologies, and works with companies to implement currently available technologies and business processes.

In addition to overseeing [TC]²’s technology development, and technology dissemination initiatives, Dr. Fralix speaks internationally on a variety of topics. He and the [TC]² staff deliver an extensive array of programs and provide consulting services to individual companies. These services span such topics as 3D product development, sizing for fit, production scheduling, industrial engineering, ergonomics, full package production, simulation, lean manufacturing systems, sustainable technologies, and the digital supply chain.

He holds B.S. degrees in Applied Mathematics and Philosophy from North Carolina State University, an MBA from Duke University and a Ph.D. in Technology Management from North Carolina State University.

Dr. Fralix is also active in several industry organizations. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the AAFA (American Apparel & Footwear Association), SPESA (Sewn Products Equipment and Suppliers of the Americas), IAF (the International Apparel Federation) and CCAA (the Caribbean Central American Action). He is the President of the American Apparel Education Foundation, Treasurer of the Georgia Soft Goods Education Foundation, and Past Chair of the AAFA Human Resources Leadership Council.

Dr. Fralix’s key message is that tomorrow’s soft goods industry leaders are going to thrive through the use of digital technologies and processes that are integrated across continents. From product development to delivery and logistics, these companies will implement systems that: enable the shortest cycle time from concept to market, provide the most rapid and efficient response to consumer demand, and offer the best value for the investment.

Mr. Erik R. Peterson is senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and holds the William A. Schreyer Chair in Global Analysis, an endowed position named in honor of the Merrill Lynch chairman emeritus and CSIS Executive Committee member. He is also director of the Center’s Global Strategy Institute, the mandate of which is to assess long-range policy challenges and opportunities.

In addition, he leads the Seven Revolutions Initiative, a broad-based effort to forecast key trends out to the year 2025. From 1993 to 2003, Mr. Peterson served as director of studies at CSIS. In that capacity, he was responsible for the planning and development of the wide range of research projects at the Center.

Mr. Peterson came to the Center from Kissinger Associates, where he was director of research. He holds an M.B.A. in international finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. in international law and economics from the School of Advanced International Studies at the Johns Hopkins University, and a B.A. from Colby College. He holds the Certificate of Eastern European Studies from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland and the Certificate in International Legal Studies from The Hague Academy of International Law in the Netherlands.

For the past seven years, Mr. Peterson has co-taught a course on global trends at the Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University. He has also lectured on international economics and finance and geopolitical risk at many colleges and universities, including Chapman and George Mason Universities, Georgia Tech, and the Wharton School.

Currently, he is a member of the Global Risk Network of the World Economic Forum, a board member of the Center for Global Business Studies at the Pennsylvania State University, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Center for the Study of the Presidency. In September 2006, in recognition of his achievements at the Center, Mr. Peterson was named by the CSIS Board of Trustees as its 2006-2007 Trustees Fellow.

MR. DAVID PUMPHREY

Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Energy and National Security Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Mr. David Pumphrey is a senior fellow and deputy director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Energy and National Security Program. He has extensive public-sector experience in international energy security issues. He was most recently deputy assistant secretary for international energy cooperation at the Department of Energy.

During his career with the federal government, he led the development and implementation of policy initiatives with individual countries and multilateral energy organizations. He was responsible for policy engagement with numerous key energy-producing and energy-consuming countries, including China, India, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the European Union. Mr. Pumphrey represented the U.S. government on the technical committees of the International Energy Agency and the Energy Working Group of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. He also represented the Department of Energy in the negotiations of the energy-related sections of the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement and the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Mr. Pumphrey received a bachelor's degree in economics from Duke University and a master's degree in economics from George Mason University. He has spoken extensively on international energy issues and testified before Congress on energy security issues related to China and India. 

MR. CLYDE T. SHARP

Partner, Lyreedale Farms

Mr. Clyde T. Sharp farms in a partnership with his brother, David Sharp. They farm 2,500 acres in Roll, Arizona. Their main crops are: cotton, alfalfa, wheat, milo, sudan hay and seed crops.

Mr. Sharp is currently a vice president of Cotton Council International (CCI) and a delegate of the National Cotton Council of America (NCC). He is also the current chairman of the Arizona Cotton Research and Protection Council, vice chairman of Calcot's Board of Directors, vice president (Western Region) of the American Cotton Producers and chairman of grower oversight on the NCC Pink Bollworm Action Committee.

He is a past chairman of the Arizona Cotton Growers Association, past chairman of Farm Bureau Growers Mohawk Gin Board and past president of the NCC Cotton Foundation. 

MR. PAT-NIE WOO

Director, Central Textiles (Hong Kong) Ltd.

Central Textiles is an innovation leader in the textile field, with a number of proprietary technologies, including X-Fit and Estex, and is also one of the few Asian (ex-Japan) mills exhibiting at Premiere Vision and Expofil in Paris since 2007. Central Textiles also participated in the Munich Blue Line Show in 2008.

Mr. Woo and Central have been very active in promoting sustainable development in the textile and apparel industry and Central was one of the first vertical denim fabric mills in Greater China to be certified to the Global Organic Textiles Standard.

Mr. Woo also serves as Chairman of the Sustainable Fashion Business Consortium in Hong Kong, which was formed in 2008 and consists of a number of major players in the textile and apparel industry headquartered in Hong Kong. Its mission is to promote and increase the use of sustainable business practices across the fashion supply chain, from spinners all the way to garment manufacturers, retailers and designers. Other posts that Mr. Woo holds include Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Spinners Association and Executive Committee member of the Hong Kong Association of Textile Bleachers, Dyers, Printers and Finishers; he is also a member of the Textile and Clothing Training Board on the Vocational Training Council.

MR. J. BERRYE WORSHAM

President and CEO, Cotton Incorporated

In his post as president and chief executive officer of Cotton Incorporated, the research and marketing company representing U.S. upland cotton producers and importers, Mr. J. Berrye Worsham oversees the company's global research and marketing programs.

These efforts are conducted through Cotton Incorporated's world headquarters and research and development center in Cary, North Carolina; the company's consumer marketing office in New York; as well as offices in Hong Kong; Osaka; Japan; Mexico City; and Shanghai, China.

Mr. Worsham, who joined Cotton Incorporated in 1983, previously served as executive vice president and chief operating officer. He has also served as vice president, corporate planning and program development, where he developed the company's five-year strategic plan; director, market research; director, fiber and economic analysis; and manager, cotton analysis.

Before joining Cotton Incorporated, Mr. Worsham was senior business analyst of JI Case Company in Racine, Wisconsin.

Mr. Worsham is a member of the Advisory Board for the Department of Textile Products Design and Marketing at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, School of Human Environmental Sciences. He is also a member of the board of directors of Textile/Clothing Technology Corporation in Cary as well as the Cary Chamber of Commerce.

A 1978 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in Business Administration, Mr. Worsham received his MBA, with concentration in quantitative analysis and economics, from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1979.

Mr. Worsham resides in Cary, North Carolina with his wife, Donna, and their three daughters.

MR. BRIAN FRANCOIS

Business Director, Pulcra Chemicals LLC

Mr. Brian Francois has over 19 years of experience in the textile dyeing and finishing industry. He is currently the Business Director for Pulcra Chemicals LLC.

Pulcra Chemicals provides high-performance products and system solutions for increasing the productivity and environmental compatibility of complex manufacturing processes in the fiber, textile and leather industries. 

Mr. Francois is responsible for North American business operations including a team that is bringing new and innovative chemistry to the international textile and apparel brands. He has a BS degree in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University and currently serves as a member of the board of directors for Textile Clothing Technology Corporation. Mr. Francois is also the chairman of Committee on Conferences for the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists.

DR. JANE K. DEVER

Associate Professor - Cotton Breeding, Texas AgriLife Research - Lubbock, Texas A&M System

Dr. Jane K. Dever is an Associate Professor - Cotton Breeding for Texas AgriLife Research in Lubbock, Texas and project leader for the Cotton Improvement Program. Prior to her appointment with the Texas A&M System, she was the Global Cotton Breeding and Development Manager for Bayer CropScience's FiberMax Cotton Seed Business after joining the company in 1998 as Product Development Manager - Cottonseed and U.S. agronomist.

Dr. Dever received a B.S. in Textile Technology and Management, an M.S. in Crop Science and a Ph.D. in Agronomy, all from Texas Tech University, while working in the Cotton Improvement Program at Texas AgriLife Research in Lubbock, eventually leading the Fiber Quality breeding program.

She has also served as coordinator of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service AgriPartners program, Senior Research Scientist at BioTex, Textile Engineer at Plains Cotton Cooperative Association, and as Head of Materials Evaluation at the Fiber and BioPolymer Research Institute at Texas Tech University.

MR. WALLACE L. DARNEILLE

President and CEO, Plains Cotton Cooperative Association

Mr. Wally Darneille is President and CEO of Plains Cotton Cooperative Association (PCCA), a producer-owned cotton marketing, warehousing, software and textile cooperative headquartered in Lubbock, Texas. He graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1973, and earned his MBA from Auburn University. From 1974 through 2004, he worked with Weil Brothers-Cotton, Inc., in Montgomery, Alabama, starting in the cotton sample room and ending up as Senior Vice-President. He managed cotton merchandising operations throughout Mexico and Central America, and created new operations in South America, Australia, the Indian Sub-Continent and Central Asia.

He has served as President of the Texas Cotton Association, and was the first American to serve as President of the International Cotton Association (ICA) in Liverpool, England. He served two terms on the board of the American Cotton Shippers' Association, and is currently on the boards of the National Council of Textile Organizations, the ICA, the National Cotton Council, the Texas Ag Cooperative Council, AMCOT, Telmark and The Seam. In 2003, he was named the Outstanding Alumnus of Auburn University of Montgomery.

He and his wife, Margy, have been very active over the years in volunteer civic organizations, various community boards and support of the arts. They have four children ages 22 to 29 and are members of the Episcopal Church. 

MR. MUSTAFA MENTE

Deputy General Manager, Hey Tekstil San. ve Tic. A.S.

With a degree in International Relations from Marmara University, Mr. Mustafa Mente began his career at Bayindir Holding as an internal auditor of their insurance, food, construction, land development and entertainment operations across Turkey and Romania.

In his next position, Mr. Mente spent five years coordinating the activities of the Turkish Industrialists and Businessman's Association (TUSIAD) with 58 regional associations in Turkey and with 41 sector associations.

In 2005, Mr. Mente began focusing on the textile sector when he served as Secretary General of the Turkish Clothing Manufacturers' Association. In this capacity he coordinated implementation of all association policies, coordinated member communications and media relations, developed study tours abroad for members, edited association's magazine and represented Turkey at Euratex.

Currently Mr. Mente is Deputy General Manager of the Hey Group, responsible for international relations and corporate communication strategy. The Hey Group has extensive operations in textiles (knitting and garment manufacturing as one of the leading suppliers for Europe for Esprit) and tourism. In addition he serves as an advisor to TOBB Women Entrepreneurs Board, preparing and implementing communication strategy for women entrepreneurs in 73 Turkish cities.

Mr. Mente lives in Istanbul with his wife and two children, a daughter and a son. He is an avid photographer, member of Istanbul Amateur's Photography and Cinema Clubs as well as an amateur climber.

DR. JOHN PURCELL

Cotton Technology Lead, Monsanto

Dr. John Purcell is currently the Cotton Technology Lead for Monsanto and serves on Monsanto's Technology Leadership Team. In this Capacity, Dr. Purcell oversees a portfolio of technologies and products in the cotton pipeline that bring increasing value to the cotton industry globally.

Previously, he served as a Program Director in Monsanto's Biotechnology organization where he headed Monsanto's Mystic, Connecticut research site and coordinated the Corn Biotechnology Pipeline. In this position, he was responsible for direct management of the Mystic site, where key projects and functional groups in corn biotechnology are found, and he also coordinated broader activities related to the discovery pipeline of products for corn.

Prior to that role, Dr. Purcell was Monsanto's Global Lead of Scientific Affairs. In that role, he directed a diverse global team that concentrates on the benefits and issues related to the company's biotechnology product portfolio. Scientific Affairs directly supports product approvals and acceptance and provides technical expertise and active participation in dialogues with diverse stakeholders.

Previously, Dr. Purcell served as Monsanto's Director of European Biotechnology Projects where his role was to direct the biotechnology research programs at Monsanto's Cambridge, UK site. Prior to that international assignment, Dr. Purcell spent more than 10 years at Monsanto's Insect Control program, which was responsible for the discovery, development and technical support of biotechnology products to protect corn, cotton, soybean and other crops from damage from insect pests. His role was later expanded to include all plant protection research including insect, fungal and nematode pests.

Prior to joining Monsanto, Dr. Purcell was a post-doctoral researcher at the United States Department of Agriculture. His Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology was granted from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He is an inventor on several patents, an author of numerous scientific papers, reviews and book chapters and is often invited to speak on agricultural biotechnology.

MR. MONTY CHRISTIAN

Director of Cotton Technology & Fiber Business, Bayer CropScience

Mr. Monty Christian serves as the Director of Cotton Technology and Fiber Business for Bayer CropScience. One role of Mr. Christian's job has included launching and implementing a global Certified FiberMax^® Cotton™ Program (CFM) which increases profit opportunities for growers and provides a system for spinners and merchants to track genuine FiberMax cotton bales.

Over the last four years, Mr. Christian has helped host annual CFM conferences in key Asian countries to help create downstream awareness for FiberMax fiber and create more value for growers. Mr. Christian also served as the Integration Lead after Bayer CropScience successfully acquired Stoneville Pedigree Seed Company for $310 million. 

Mr. Christian has spent over 20 years in the agribusiness industry, having positions with Union Carbide, Rhone Poulenc and Aventis before joining Bayer CropScience. He is a graduate of New Mexico State University where he obtained his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees. 

DR. ALLEN DENNIS

Economist, World Bank

Dr. Allen Dennis is an economist with the Doing Business Project of the World Bank, where he leads the work on trade. He joined the World Bank in 2005, working in the Middle East and North Africa region, prior to the Doing Business Unit. His research experience is in the area of trade and development with recent papers focusing on trade facilitation and export diversification issues. Prior to joining the World Bank, Dr. Dennis served as an Economic Affairs Officer with the World Trade Organization. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Nottingham, UK.

MR. MICHAEL KOBORI

Vice-President, Supply Chain Social and Environmental Sustainability, Levi Strauss & Co.

Mr. Michael Kobori is Vice-President, Supply Chain Social and Environmental Sustainability at Levi Strauss & Co., where he is responsible for the company's labor, health and safety, and environmental standards. Mr. Kobori previously worked at Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), where he was Vice-President and Director of the Business and Human Rights Program. Prior to his work in corporate social responsibility, Mr. Kobori spent nearly a decade at The Asia Foundation, supporting human rights, economic development and regional cooperation in Bangladesh, Thailand and Vietnam. Mr. Kobori received his A.B. degree from the University of California at Berkeley, where he also completed his Master's in Public Policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy.

MR. JOHN MITCHELL

Vice-President, Cargill Cotton

Mr. John Mitchell began his cotton career in 1975, working in the family business as a sales broker to U.S. textile mills.

In 1979, Mr. Mitchell joined Cargill Cotton and has managed offices in Louisiana and Alabama and assumed the position of Southeast Region Merchant Manager in 1990. He is a Vice-President of Cargill Cotton and served as Senior Merchant for the Midsouth and Southeast United States from 2000 to 2007. Presently, Mr. Mitchell has accepted a position with Cargill India Pvt. Ltd. in New Delhi, India to develop an India cotton trading business.

Mr. Mitchell's experience extends beyond the office as he currently serves on a number of industry committees such as the U.S. FAS Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee, Chairperson of the Private Sector Advisory Panel of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), Treasurer of Cotton Council International (CCI) and a member on the ICAC Committee for Standardization of Instrument Testing of Cotton. His past experience includes a term as President of the American Cotton Shippers Association, service on the National Cotton Council (NCC) Board of Directors, NCC Quality Task Force, the NCC Shipping Performance Task Force, the NCC Marketing Loan Task Force, and a United States delegate to the Triennial Universal Cotton Standards Conferences.

Outside of the cotton industry, John and his wife, Debbie Sims, married 35 years, have three daughter: Nataleigh, wife of Ako Cromwell, Kathryn Mitchell and Sophie Mitchell. They are the proud grandparents of one grandson, Alex Cromwell. Mr. Mitchell is a long time member of Faith Presbyterian Church in Germantown, Tennessee. His hobbies include reading, sailing, fly-fishing and woodworking when time permits. 

MR. ALFONSO HERNANDEZ

Chairman & CEO, Argus International

Born in El Salvador, Mr. Alfonso Hernandez served on several Boards of Directors of commercial, service and financial institutions in that country. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration and an MBA from the University of Denver, and a Master of International Management at the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird). He is the recipient of the Thunderbird Distinguished Alumni Award for Entrepreneurship for 2001.

In the United States, Mr. Hernandez worked as a Senior Consultant with the Strategy Group of Kurt Salmon Associates. There he became a leading strategic planner for the development of the apparel industry in Central and South America. He is a former member of the Advisory Board of the Bobbin's Apparel Show of the Americas, as well as of the Textile and Apparel Summit of Central America. He is currently a member of the Executive Committee, as well as past president and chairman, of the American Apparel Producers Network.

Since 1991, Mr. Hernandez is the co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the The Argus Group, an award winning apparel vendor. Argus has six manufacturing facilities in El Salvador and Nicaragua, and a service office in Miami, with over 7,000 employees. Argus serves the sourcing needs of Lacoste, Reebok, VF Jeanswear, Williamson Dickie, Hanes Brands and others, with cutting, CMT and full-package services. All of the Argus facilities are WRAP certified and C-TPAT approved. 

MR. AAMIR AKHTAR

CEO, Lifestyle Fabrics - Denim, Arvind Limited

Mr. Aamir Akhtar has a Master's in Business Administration and work experience of 22 years. A sales and marketing professional, he started his career with the oil industry. He worked for four years in Indian Oil Corporation, a Fortune 500 company and also India's largest public sector oil company. He has been working in the textile industry for the last 18 years.

Currently Mr. Akhtar works for Arvind (India) as the CEO of their denim business. Arvind, a $600 million group, is one of the largest textile companies of Asia and amongst the top three denim manufacturers in the world.

He previously worked as Chief Manager Exports of Reliance Industries (also a Fortune 500 company) in Ahmedabad, India. In that assignment he was responsible for sales and marketing of worsted, blended and polyester fabrics and yarns to Europe.

MR. ROBERT S. WEIL, II

President, Cotton Council International

Mr. Robert S. Weil, II is the current president of Cotton Council International (CCI). He was elected to this position in February 2008, after serving as CCI's 1st vice president. He has served on CCI's Board of Directors since 2005. Mr. Weil is also a vice president of the National Cotton Council of America, and has served on the Council's Board of Directors since 1996.

Mr. Weil is chairman and CEO of Weil Brothers-Cotton, Inc. in Montgomery, AL, where he has worked since 1975.

He is past chairman of the Council's International Trade Policy Committee, past president of the American Cotton Shippers Association, and past president of the Atlantic Cotton Association. He has served on the boards of the New York Cotton Exchange and New York Board of Trade, as well as ICAC panels. He currently serves on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Cotton Agriculture Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC), advising on trade issues.

A 1973 graduate of Dartmouth College with a BA in English, Mr. Weil also completed the 96th Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 1984-5.

He has two children: Robert, III and Georgia Ruth.

MR. BRUCE STOKES
National Journal International Economics Columnist; Fellow, German Marshall Fund; Fellow, Pew Research Center

Mr. Bruce Stokes is the international economics columnist for the National Journal, a Washington-based public policy magazine, and a journalism fellow at the German Marshall Fund. In addition, Mr. Stokes is a fellow with the Pew Research Center, where he works on the Global Attitudes Project, a survey of 48,000 people in 50 countries on changing public values and attitudes toward a range of issues, including globalization, modernization, democratization, and current foreign policy concerns, including America's role in the world.

Mr. Stokes is a regular commentator for Marketplace on National Public Radio. He is also the U.S. rapporteur for the Transatlantic Policy Network and from 1996 to 2002, he was a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

He is currently working on a study for the Centre for European Reform on transatlantic economic relations. Mr. Stokes is the co-author of the recent book Democratizing U.S. Trade Policy (Council on Foreign Relations, 2001). He also authored the Council book A New Beginning: Recasting The U.S.-Japan Economic Relationship. He edited the books Partners or Competitors: The Prospects for U.S.-European Cooperation on Asian Trade (Rowman & Littlefield, 1999), Future Visions for U.S. Trade Policy (Council on Foreign Relations, 1998), Trade Strategies for a New Era: Ensuring U.S. Leadership in a Global Economy (Council on Foreign Relations, 1998), and Open for Business: Creating a Transatlantic Marketplace (Council on Foreign Relations: 1996).

Mr. Stokes is a graduate of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, the School for Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, and attended the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University.

MR. ANTHONY PRALLE

Senior Partner and Managing Director, The Boston Consulting Group

Mr. Anthony Pralle is a Senior Partner and Managing Director of The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and is based in the firm's Madrid office. Mr. Pralle joined BCG in London in 1981. He has worked for clients in the Iberian Peninsula, Western Europe, Russia and North and South America. He set up the firm's Consumer and Retail Practice in the Iberian Peninsula and was Managing Partner there from 1997 to 2005. He has worked for specialist textile retailers, department stores, packaged goods companies, food retailers, as well as consumer service companies. He currently heads BCG's Marketing and Sales Practice in Europe. He is a regular speaker at BCG and external conferences. Mr. Pralle holds an MA from Oxford University where he studied Modern History.

The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a global management consulting firm and the world's leading advisor on business strategy. BCG partners with clients in all sectors and regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges and transform their businesses. BCG's customized approach combines deep insight into the dynamics of companies and markets with close collaboration at all levels of the client organization. This ensures that our clients achieve sustainable competitive advantage, build more capable organizations and secure lasting results. Founded in 1963, BCG is a private company with 66 offices in 38 countries. For more information please visit www.bcg.com. 

Jeffrey E. Garten became the Juan Trippe Professor of International Trade, Finance and Business at the Yale School of Management on July 1, 2005. His teaching focuses on global finance and global business. In “Understanding Global Financial Centers,” his students focus on New York City, London, Dubai, and Hong Kong, examining the foundations for competitiveness in financial services. In “Leading A Global Company,” each year his course focuses on a dozen great global companies and he jointly teaches the case with the CEO or Chairman of the company. He also leads special trips for his students to Singapore or another country to study that country’s potential as a location for future investment.

From 1995-2005 he was the Dean of the School. While he held that position, the Yale SOM established an International Center for Finance; an International Institute for Corporate Governance; a Venture Capital Fund for Projects in New Haven; the Yale SOM - Goldman Sachs Partnership on Nonprofit Ventures; and an executive MBA program in Health Care Management. The number of student applications increased 75%; the size of the faculty grew by 42%; and the School's endowment increased from $137 million to $362 million.

Professor Garten is also chairman of Garten Rothkopf, a global consulting firm which he co-founded in October 2005. The company’s focus is on helping global companies and organizations deal with major transformational trends, such as new pressures on natural resources; strains on the environment; the expansion of multinational companies from emerging market economies; and the growth of new trade corridors such as that between Asia and Latin America, or Asia and the Persian Gulf.

Professor Garten currently serves on the boards of directors of the Aetna Corporation and CarMax Inc. He is a director of The Conference Board, The Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy, and a member of the Board of Overseers of The International Rescue Committee. He is also on the international advisory boards of the Toyota Motor Company and the Chicago Climate Exchange. His previous board service included Calpine Energy Inc. and Alcan, Inc.

From 1993-1995, Professor Garten was the undersecretary of commerce for international trade in the first Clinton administration, where he focused on promoting American business interests in Japan, Europe and many big emerging markets such as China, India, Brazil, and Turkey. He was deeply involved in the conclusion of the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations and in helping the U.S. and in laying the groundwork for Beijing’s entry into the WTO.

From 1979 to 1992 he worked on Wall Street as a managing director of Lehman Brothers and, later, the Blackstone Group. During this time, he specialized in debt restructuring in Latin America, built up and directed all the Asian investment banking business for Lehman from Tokyo – including underwritings and M&A – and restructured some of the world’s largest shipping companies in Hong Kong.

From 1973 to 1978 he served on the White House Council on International Economic Policy in the Nixon administration and on the policy planning staffs of Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and Cyrus Vance in the Ford and Carter administrations.

In 2000 he chaired a national task force for the Securities & Exchange Commission, comprised of leaders from business, finance, and accounting, on the subject, "What Kind of Information Do Investors Need in the New Economy?” From 2003 to 2007, he was one of five judges for the Financial Times-Goldman Sachs prize for the best business book of the year.

He is the author of A Cold Peace: America, Japan, Germany and the Struggle for Supremacy (Times Books, 1992); The Big Ten: The Big Emerging Markets and How They Will Change Our Lives (Basic Books, 1997); The Mind of the CEO (Basic Books, 2001); and The Politics of Fortune: A New Agenda For Business Leaders (Harvard Business School Press, 2002). From 1997 to 2005 he wrote a monthly column for Business Week on global business issues. His articles have also appeared in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Newsweek, The Harvard Business Review, and Foreign Affairs.

From 1968 to 1972 he served as a lieutenant in the 82nd Airborne Division and a captain in the U.S. Army Special Forces.

Professor Garten holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College, 1968, and a Ph.D. from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University, 1980, where he specialized in international economics and international organizations.

He is married to Ina Garten, author of the "Barefoot Contessa" cookbooks, and lives in New York and Connecticut.

DR. GARY M. ADAMS

Vice-President of Economic and Policy Analysis, National Cotton Council of America

Dr. Gary M. Adams joined the Council in 2002. His responsibilities include economic outlook for global cotton markets, as well as analyzing the impacts of farm and trade policies as they relate to the U.S. cotton industry.

Dr. Adams also represents the cotton industry on USDA’s Advisory Committee on Trade. Prior to joining the Council, he spent 13 years with the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI), located at the University of Missouri. Dr. Adams has B.S. and M.A. degrees in Applied Mathematics from the University of Alabama and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri. He and his wife, Carol, have four children.

MR. ALLEN A. TERHAAR

Executive Director, Cotton Council International

Mr. Allen A. Terhaar is executive director of Cotton Council International (CCI), based in Washington, DC, and is a vice president of the National Cotton Council of America, based in Memphis, Tennessee.

CCI is the export promotion arm of the National Cotton Council of America. With operations in more than 50 countries, CCI is dedicated to increasing exports of U.S. cotton and cotton products. CCI is funded by private contributions from the U.S. cotton industry and also receives funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for export market development. CCI sponsors a wide range of trade services geared to enhancing cotton textile executives' knowledge of U.S. cotton, cotton products and the U.S. industry. CCI also carries out consumer advertising and retail promotions featuring the COTTON USA Mark, and works with spinners, manufacturers and brands to promote quality cotton products at retail.

Prior to joining CCI, Mr. Terhaar served as director of planning and trade policy and then executive director for the U.S. Feed Grains Council. Earlier on, he was an economist with USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and with the Economic Research Service (ERS) in Washington, DC. Mr. Terhaar served in the U.S. Peace Corps in South America in 1970-72.

A native of Minnesota, Mr. Terhaar holds a B.A. in International Development/Economics from the University of Minnesota and an M.A. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Wisconsin. He was a University of Minnesota scholar to Hungary in 1974-75 and was a Fulbright scholar to Poland in 1977-78.

Mr. Terhaar serves as past chairman of the International Forum for Cotton Promotion (IFCP), a group of international private organizations whose goal is to facilitate promotion of cotton product consumption globally. He is also past chairman of the U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council, a grouping of 80 associations whose purpose is to promote exports of U.S. products. Mr. Terhaar is a long-standing member of the American Agricultural Economics Association, the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives, the National Peace Corps Association, the Fulbright Association and the National Space Society.

DR. MARK D. LANGE

President and CEO, National Cotton Council of America

Dr. Mark D. Lange assumed the position of president and chief executive officer of the National Cotton Council in February 2003. He plays a pivotal role in guiding the industry's seven segments to reach consensus on critical policies affecting U.S. cotton - with the overall mission of helping each of the U.S. cotton industry's seven segments compete effectively and profitably in global markets.

Prior to that, Dr. Lange served as the Council's vice president, policy analysis and program coordinator. Before being named to that position in 2001, he served as director of the Council's Economic Services and Information Services departments. Prior to joining the Council in 1990, he was an associate professor of agricultural economics at Louisiana State University.

Dr. Lange has served in a variety of capacities with regional and national agricultural economic associations. In 2005, he was named to the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade, which provides the Agriculture Secretary and the U.S. Trade Representative with advice and information on negotiating objectives, bargaining positions and other matters related to the development, implementation and administration of U.S. agricultural trade policy.

Dr. Lange holds bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from Indiana State University and received a Ph.D. in economics from Iowa State University. He is married to the former Janis Pingel and they have two children. He is active in Emmanuel United Methodist Church.

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