Singapore city skyline and downtown business district.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Southeast Asia is one of the fastest growing economic regions in the world and leading this transformation is a group of 10 nations called the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Two centers in the Indiana University Kelley School of Business are helping to present a half-day seminar about business opportunities for Indiana companies in the region.
Ted Osius
Ted Osius, former U.S. ambassador to Vietnam and president and CEO of the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council, will keynote the May 8 conference in Fort Wayne, “Doing Business with ASEAN.” It will take place at the Don Wolf Conference Center (the Do It Best headquarters), 1626 Broadway.
The IU Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) is a sponsor, along with primary sponsors — the Indiana District Export Council and the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership.
Carol Rogers, director of the Indiana Business Research Center at Kelley and chair of the Labor Market Information Institute, will be among those presenting an overview of ASEAN markets.
The event will be from 11:45 am to 6 pm and includes lunch and a networking reception. Cost is $65 if registered by April 24 and $75 afterward, plus a service fee.
The World Bank identifies Southeast Asia as one of the fastest growing and dynamic regions in the world. ASEAN member nations include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
With a population of over 650 million, and a nominal gross domestic product of about $3.8 trillion, ASEAN ranks fifth in economic might worldwide behind the U.S., China, Germany, and Japan. The United States exported $107 billion in goods to ASEAN in 2023, up 25% since 2019, with Indiana’s exports to the region up 52% over the same period.
Christine Everett
“Those attending this dynamic conference will learn about trade opportunities for Indiana companies and the nations of ASEAN. Our keynote speakers and panelists bring a wealth of knowledge on ASEAN customs and commerce, and how best to engage for long-term business success,” said Christine Everett, senior director of Kelley Global, the school’s global engagement entity that houses the Center for International Business Education and Research.
The center leverages the institutional strengths of IU and Kelley to help U.S. businesses compete successfully in the global marketplace. It is just one of 16 national resource centers funded by a Title VI grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
Founded in 1984, the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council represents 180 of the largest American businesses in Southeast Asia through its headquarters in Washington, DC, and its seven regional offices. A diplomat for 30 years, Osius served from 2014 to 2017 as U.S. ambassador to Vietnam. In 2021, he published his most recent book, “Nothing Is Impossible: America’s Reconciliation with Vietnam,” with a foreword by former Secretary of State John Kerry, covering the two countries’ 25-year journey from adversaries to friends and partners.
Osius also has been Google Asia-Pacific’s vice president for government affairs and public policy, senior advisor at the Albright-Stonebridge Group and the first vice president of Fulbright University Vietnam. he was an associate professor at the National War College and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. His diplomatic career also has included posts in Indonesia, India, South Korea, Thailand and at the United Nations.
After Osius’ opening keynote, Rogers and Ahn Tran, a professor at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and an advisor to Vietnam’s prime minister; and Frank Wadsworth, professor of marketing and international studies at IU Columbus, will provide an overview of the markets.
Danica Starks, senior U.S. commercial liaison to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, will follow with a discussion of about the regional development headquartered in the Philippines.
Tom Miller, senior vice president and managing director – foreign exchange at PNC Bank, and Mariel Huasanga, regional director of EXIM Bank, will discuss “risk management and getting paid.
The last session, “Tales from the Trenches,” will feature Christian Parra, director of international sales at Do It Best Corp., and Bob Mason, senior vice president and international sales manager at Ford Meter Box.
The conference is just one example of IU’s engagement in the region. Since 2019, the university has had the IU ASEAN Gateway office in Bangkok, Thailand, which serves as a hub to support many activities. It reaffirmed long-standing partnerships that IU has had with leading educational institutions, allowing it to explore areas of mutual interest relating to ASEAN business, education, government and culture and expanding IU’s international engagement in this important region of the world. It is directed by Peter Boonjarern, a 2000 Kelley graduate.