Biographic Sketch Grobmyer has been very active in international issues, serving form many years as Chairman of the Mid-South International Trade Association. The Association has hosted several internationally recognized conferences in the United States. These conferences have included the participation of ambassadors and other diplomats from more than 35 nations from throughout the world, as well as political leaders, former United States Secretaries of State and business leaders. He, in addition, has served as a lecturer and speaker on matters of public policy, legal affairs, technology and international business for many programs and seminars presented in the United States and several other countries. These programs include leading Official Trade Missions and serving as a delegate and speaker for conferences of Transportation, Trade and Energy Ministers of several nations. Mark has served as a senior advisor to the American Gas Association, the American Society of Association Executives, the International Sister Cities Conference and Chief Executive Magazine, the "Club Journal" of Fortune 1000 CEOs. During the presidential transition of 1993, as a member of the National Advisory Council of the Center for the Study of the Presidency, Mark served as the Center's Liaison to the Bush-Clinton transition. His involvement with the Center for the Study of the Presidency includes service on the National Advisory Board and as the Center's Liaison to the White House. The Center is a nonpartisan, global, educational institution. Mark currently serves as Chairman of the World Leaders Symposium Committee. The Committee was developed as a part of the Center for the Study of the Presidency Millennium Project, which he chaired. The Committee has developed three major international initiatives. The Committee's Ambassadorial Briefing Series is held regularly in Washington, D.C. and other locations. This program has already involved ambassadors and other diplomats form Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Slovenia, South Africa, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand and the European Union. Several Institutions, in addition to The Center for the Study of the Presidency, have been involved in the Committee's Ambassadorial Briefing Series. These include the Brookings Institution, The Center for the Strategic and International Studies, The Inter-American Dialogue, the James Monroe Foundation and George Washington University. The Committee's Global CEO Roundtable Series began in 1999 and involves CEOs of U.S. and other major global companies who participate in informal luncheons, hosted by the President or Prime Minister of different countries, to discuss important issues of the future. The Committee's most recognized project involves plans for a Symposium which will bring together the Presidents and Prime Ministers of several nations for a unique global educational television and Internet program. Mark also serves as Chairman of Commerce International and Vice Chairman of CDX International based in Dallas, Texas. CDX is a global leader in the development of a special energy technology that can extract natural gas from coal, thus providing a clean fuel that can be utilized by industry or converted to electricity. As Chairman of Commerce International, Mark assists U.S. companies interested in international business expansion to identify goals and develop the strategy and resources to achieve those goals. In many cases the strategy involves locating a successful company in another country which desires to accelerate its growth and become a more attractive investment to private equity funds or global mutual funds. A strategic alliance with a similar successful US company can be created much like a franchise relationship. With the US company sharing it technology and business know-how in exchange for stock and royalty, the foreign company can accelerate its growth and more rapidly develop its assets. This alliance makes the foreign company more valuable and a much more attractive investment. It also benefits the US company because the value of its stock increases as well as its royalty income.
This page last updated 1/18/2005 jdb |
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