Globinar Business Beyond Borders: APEC South Korea 2025 and the CEO Summit

Globinar Business Beyond Borders: APEC South Korea 2025 and the CEO Summit
Opportunities, Trends, and Strategic Insights

🗓️ Date: Thursday, August 21, 2025

⏰ Time: 6am PT / 9am ET / 8pm Bangkok / 9pm Manila / 10pm Seoul + Tokyo

💻 Location: Online – Zoom link will be shared upon registration

Join us for a timely Globinar exploring how APEC 2025  - hosted in South Korea, one of the United States’ key economic partners - will shape the future of trade, investment, and innovation across the Asia-Pacific.

As a leading platform for regional cooperation, APEC offers valuable insight into trends and policies that influence global business. With over 60% of U.S. exports going to APEC economies and strong two-way investment ties, developments from APEC are highly relevant to American companies operating or expanding in the region.

Speakers involved in organizing APEC 2025 and the CEO Summit will share information on the planning, key themes, and why these matters for internationally minded US firms.

Whether you're active in the region or looking to expand, this session will highlight emerging opportunities and strategic considerations for 2025 and beyond.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to:
Mi Jeong Hibbitts - mijeong@globalchamber.org

Speakers:

Monica Hardy Whaley, President of the National Center for APEC

Monica Hardy Whaley has been with the National Center for APEC (NCAPEC) since the Center’s founding after the first-ever APEC Leaders Meeting that took place in Seattle in 1993. Monica is responsible for management of NCAPEC’s policy and administrative staff, membership, fundraising and fiscal management, and serves as the public spokesperson and representative of the National Center for APEC.

NCAPEC led the APEC 2023 USA Private Sector Host Committee, coordinating all of the private sector activities for the U.S. APEC Chair year in 2023, including the APEC CEO Summit in San Francisco. NCAPEC is also the U.S. secretariat for the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (US-PECC), the secretariat for the U.S. appointees to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), and Pacific Summit Resources, LLC, which partners with APEC Host economies to produce the annual APEC CEO Summit programs.

Prior to assuming her responsibilities at the National Center for APEC, Monica served in various leadership roles at the Washington Council on International Trade (WCIT), the premier trade policy organization in the most trade-dependent U.S. state. WCIT served as the coordinating organization for the U.S. hosting of the 1993 APEC meetings, which were the first APEC gatherings convened at the Leaders level.

Monica holds bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and French from the University of Santa Clara and studied in Paris at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Sciences Pô). She is an Alternate Member of the U.S. APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), Chair of the US-APEC Business Coalition, a member of the U.S. Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (US-PECC) as well as being a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy.

A representative from Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry(KCCI) - Secretariat of the 2025 APEC CEO Summit

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry(KCCI) is Korea’s leading economic organization, founded in 1884 and representing the 140-year history of the Korean business community. KCCI speaks for 200,000+ Korean companies of all sizes across every industry, alongside 700+ industry and field-specific associations.

Established on a legal basis under the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Act, KCCI partners with the public sector to drive nationwide economic development and carries out delegated tasks such as regulatory sandbox operations, industrial innovation initiatives, business restructuring support, national qualification assessments, and trade certifications.

As the Secretariat for the 2025 APEC CEO Summit, KCCI is convening and mobilizing the capabilities of the APEC business community to deliver a world-class program and maximize the Summit’s economic impact.

David Gossack -  Principal at Five Hills Global Strategies LLC

David Gossack is Principal of Five Hills Global Strategies LLC, an international business and government affairs consultancy located in the Washington, DC area. Five Hills specializes on the Asia-Pacific region and provides strategic advisory, geo-economic and political analysis, and advocacy/communication support to companies, law and consulting firms, and individuals to address issues in the region. Our goal is to help navigate the increasingly complex impact of government policy, regulation, and resources on trade and investment decisions, to minimize risk and to help capture new opportunities for our clients. Five Hills provides support to clients with market entry and business expansion in Asia and assists foreign firms on market entry and investment decisions into the United States.

David previously worked at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, where he concurrently served as President of the U.S.-Korea Business Council (USKBC) and President of the U.S.-Japan Business Council (USJBC), leading U.S. corporate advised senior executives comprising the leadership on both Councils, including the two IGNA. At the Chamber, he
also was Vice President for Asia, advising on issues covering the Asia-Pacific region.

Prior to joining the Chamber, David spent 23 years in Asia for the Department of Commerce and policy engagement for American business in Japan, China, South Korea and Southeast Asia. He served on the Boards of American Chambers of Commerce in Shanghai, Korea, Indonesia and Thailand.

Earlier, David was Counsel to U.S. Senator Spark Matsunaga of Hawaii during his, where he helped enact major trade and competitiveness legislation into law. He also served as a State Department diplomat in Washington and Tokyo; at the Office of Japan at USTR, Executive Office of the President; and Of Counsel in a NY-based international trade boutique law firm.

David is a native of San Jose, California, and a graduate of Stanford University and the University of Washington School of Law. David serves as a member of the Washington Trade Advisory Council of the Korea International Trade Association, on the Advisory Board of the National Association of District Export Councils, and the Advisory Council for a Silicon Valley digital health venture. David speaks Japanese, Chinese, Indonesian, French and Spanish with varying degrees of fluency. He may be contacted at dgossack@fivehillsglobal.com

Moderators:

Mi Jeong Hibbitts - Executive Director at Global Chamber® Baltimore/Washington

Mi Jeong Hibbitts is an international business and marketing expert with extensive expertise in the areas of international trade, marketing, advertising, journalism/media, finance, and the US government. Mi Jeong is currently the Executive Director for the Global Chamber® Baltimore/Washington region, an organization that helps members in 525 metro areas worldwide, and growing, bridge new global business opportunities. Mi Jeong is also president of Robert & William, LLC, an international trade and marketing consulting firm located in Maryland where she brings decades of broad working experience in the private and public sectors in the US and overseas. Her services focus on assisting companies engaging in cross border trade between the US and Asia by providing strategic guidance and practical knowhow, including providing leads and contacts related to market entry, development, and expansion strategy. 

Tarun Chopra - Board Chair, Global Chamber® Baltimore/Washington | Venture Partner, InsurTech Fund

Tarun Chopra is a highly accomplished global executive, distinguished by his unique experience of living on four continents and working across six. He is an award-winning transformational leader known for driving corporate growth through strategic insight, innovative perspectives, and a commitment to positive change. With extensive expertise in leading high-performance teams across diverse geographies, industries, and cultures, he brings a wealth of knowledge to every organization he serves. Tarun holds an MBA, is a Chartered Accountant (CPA equivalent), and has certifications in Blockchain and SAP, reflecting his commitment to continuous learning and professional excellence. He is a respected public speaker and thought leader, with insights featured in prominent publications such as the Wall Street Journal and CFO Magazine. His career spans roles with Fortune 500 companies and leading organizations, including Clements Worldwide, Fannie Mae, Whirlpool Corporation, Ernst & Young (EY), Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and Gallagher.

Learn more about the Global Chamber® Baltimore chapter by visiting our website.
www.globalchamber.org/baltimorewashington

About Global Chamber

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