John Black

Director, Offset & Industrial Participation, Electronic Systems Sector

BAE Systems

John joined BAE Systems as Director of Offset and Industrial Participation in 2014. He is responsible for offset, industrial cooperation and business partnering activity within the Electronic Systems Sector.

John previously served as Director of Offset at Motorola for 20 years. In this position, John was responsible for worldwide offset/countertrade governance. His duties include advising Motorola business units on appropriate business development strategies, organizing reciprocal trade and investment programs in support of sales, negotiating major offset agreements, and approving all Motorola offset and countertrade activities. In 2011, John assumed responsibility for global cash management at Motorola, in addition to his prior offset/countertrade role. Prior to joining Motorola, John held a number of countertrade management positions with 3M, where he developed countertrade programs worldwide.

John has been actively involved since 1990 with the Global Offset and Countertrade Association (GOCA), which is the world’s leading countertrade/offset organization, and includes many of the larger U.S. and European defense and electronics companies. John is a past chairman of GOCA, and served on its board of directors for 14 years. John is also an active member of the U.S. Defense Industry Offset Association (DIOA), which includes the largest U.S. defense contractors.

Harold Deck

Senior Manager, Industrial Participation

Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario)

Harold Deck is the Senior Manager, Industrial Participation at the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). FedDev Ontario is the Canadian government’s economic development agency in southern Ontario supporting business innovation, business development and community economic development. Harold leads a team that is promoting defence-related economic development by connecting defence contractors with offset obligations in Canada to Ontario suppliers and subcontractors.

Harold has over 25 years of experience with the Government of Canada in economic development, trade and employment programming. Prior to joining FedDev Ontario, he worked for Western Economic Diversification Canada and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

Originally from Alberta, Harold now makes his home in Ottawa.
He is a graduate of the University of Alberta’s Commerce program.

Ralph R. Gonzalez

Senior Corporate Counsel

Raytheon Company

Ralph Gonzalez is a Senior Corporate Counsel at Raytheon Company. He joined Raytheon in March of 2012 as Senior Corporate Counsel – International in the Raytheon Company Washington office. He is primarily responsible for international commercial transactions, focusing on joint ventures and offset arrangements. Previously, he was General Counsel of American Life Insurance Company (Alico). Before joining Alico, Ralph was General Counsel of Mergers and Acquisitions of Citigroup. Prior to Citigroup, he held Division General Counsel and Counsel positions at GE and GE Capital Corporation. Prior to joining GE, Ralph was in private practice at Baker McKenzie in New York as an international transactions attorney. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University, an MPA from Florida International University and a Juris Doctor cum laude from the University of Miami, where he was Articles Editor of the University of Miami Law Review.

Jennifer Leng

Senior Analyst

Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy and Strategic Direction

Western Economic Diversification

In 2004, Jennifer joined ISED and has worked in several branches of Industry Sector including the Industrial and Technological Benefits Branch. She joined the ITB Branch in 2009 and helped manage a portfolio of naval procurements with ITB/IRB obligations value at .55B. She has gained many years of experience in evaluating ITB/IRB bids, doing contract management and contract negotiations.

Jennifer joined the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario in 2013 as the naval lead. Jennifer helped the Agency by providing valuable advice on the ITB Policy to senior management, and this advice includes the knowledge on the capacities and capabilities of Southern Ontario firms, prime contractors, and the review of proposals to enable southern Ontario firms win contracts, which leads into the contribution of job creation and economic growth in the Southern Ontario region.

In February 2018, Jennifer joined the Western Economic Diversification to help lead the ITB team, and to plan the next Western Innovation Forum.

Andrea Murta

Director of Operations, North America

JOTA

Andrea Murta is North America’s director of operations of the Brazilian information company JOTA. She specializes in coverage and analysis of Brazilian political and regulatory environment. Before joining JOTA, Murta was deputy director for Latin America at the Washington D.C. think tank Atlantic Council, coordinating programs on trade, development, and democracy throughout the region.

In the private sector, she was head of Business Intelligence - Americas at The Risk Advisory Group and a member of PwC’s anti-corruption team. During more than 15 years of journalism, Murta was the chief correspondent for leading Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo in New York and Washington, D.C. and collaborated with Brazilian magazines including Veja. Murta has a master’s degree in Government - Democracy and Governance from Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

Jennifer Potts

Director, Industrial Participation and Offsets

Bell

Jennifer Potts is the Director, Industrial Participation and Offsets for Bell. In this role she is responsible for developing the company’s global strategic partnerships and industrial participation efforts with an emphasis on new international business in addition to managing all global offset obligations.

In her previous role, Jennifer served as the Director Global Sourcing and Outsourcing for Bell and was responsible for the strategy for make to buy outsourcing projects, a portfolio of complex international supply chain consolidation transitions, global procurement offset requirements and the global supply chain network supporting all military and commercial programs.

Since joining Bell she has worked in numerous roles including Engineering where she led a team of engineers in designing portions of the 525 Relentless, Government Compliance Audit as the lead for government audit across Textron business units and liaison for the US Defense Contract Audit Agency, and multiple Material Management and Contracts Compliance roles. Within Bell, Jennifer has led the Women’s Leadership Forum Employee Resource Group, served on the Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee and the Bell Engagement Team.

Jennifer joined Bell in 2003 from TPG Capital, a private equity investment firm where she was a Senior Accountant. She previously held positions at PricewaterhouseCoopers and DR Horton focused on internal audit.

Jennifer earned a double major Bachelor degree in Finance and Accounting as well as a Master of Accounting degree; both from Texas Christian University. She also completed Textron’s Global Executive Leadership Program at University North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School and the Executive Leadership Impact Group Leadership Lab.

She has served as the Board of Director President of Girls Inc. of Tarrant County inspiring girls to be strong, smart and bold, is an active member of Leadership Women Inc., graduating from both the Power Pipeline and Leadership Texas programs, served multiple terms on the March of Dimes March for Babies Executive Leadership Team, and is an active patron of the Performing Arts of Fort Worth.

Jennifer serves on the Education Committee of the Defense Industry Offset Association and on the Executive Board of the Global Offset and Countertrade Association. She has been invited to speak at multiple professional engagements on topics of talent development, women in the workplace and leadership both internal to Bell and at external organizations including Women Policy Forum of Fort Worth, Citigroup Inc, Girls Scouts, and World Affairs Council.

Brenda C. Swick

Partner

Cassels Brock Lawyers

Education: J.D., Queen's University, 1985; B.A. (Economics), University of Ottawa, 1981
Call to the Bar: Ontario, 1987
Associations: Global Offset and Countertrade Association; Canadian Bar Association (International Law Section; Public Procurement; Anti-Corruption Committees); American Bar Association (Co-Chair, International Procurement Committee; Aerospace-Defence Committee)
Achievements: Chambers Global (International Trade/WTO); Chambers Canada (Public Procurement; International Trade/WTO); Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (International Trade Regulation); Who's Who Legal: Trade & Customs; Who's Who Legal: Government Contracts; Who's Who Legal: Canada (Trade & Customs and Government Contracts)

Expertise
Brenda C. Swick is a partner in our Toronto office. She is one of Canada's leading practitioners in international trade and investment law. She also offers extensive expertise in government contracting, enforcement & compliance, litigation, anti-corruption and government relations.

Brenda assists clients in understanding how to expand and protect their businesses at home and abroad under the myriad of Canada's international trade and investment agreements, including the NAFTA, CETA and WTO. She advises them on the application of laws governing the cross-border trade in goods, services and technology across a range of industries, including natural resources, consumer goods, financial services, defence and infrastructure.

Brenda's practice focuses on economic sanctions, export, import and technology transfer controls, defence trade controls, blocking measures (Cuba), national security measures, antidumping, countervail and safeguard measures, customs and tariffs, government contracting and anti-corruption enforcement and compliance.

She offers extensive expertise in representing clients in anti dumping and countervailing duty investigations before the Canada Border Services Agency, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal and the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal.

For over 20 years, Brenda has successfully litigated high-profile cases and has advised governments and private sector clients in more than 15 WTO dispute resolution proceedings. Brenda represented a provincial government in the WTO Feed-In-Tariff case and for many years represented the Quebec Softwood Lumber industry in the anti-dumping and countervailing duty cases against imports of softwood lumber from Canada, the most commercially significant trade case ever filed under the US trade laws. She has represented clients in some of Canada's highest profile trade disputes in softwood lumber, dairy products, alcoholic beverages, baby food, natural resources and energy.

Brenda was formerly counsel to the Canadian International Trade Tribunal which hears appeals of decisions by the Canadian Government in regard to customs and government contracting matters. She has counselled on customs matters and appeared before the CBSA, CITT and Federal Court. Early in her career, Brenda was in-house counsel to a major freight forwarder and distribution company where she had the opportunity to work on a variety of customs-related matters.

Brenda has represented clients in numerous government contracting disputes, including before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, the Federal Court of Canada and provincial tribunals. She also advises clients on all aspects of federal, provincial and municipal government contracting in Canada, including bid preparation, contract negotiation, assignment and change of control provisions, regulatory compliance, anti-corruption compliance, suspension and debarment, bid challenges and litigation. Inaddition, Brenda also advises clients on the design and conduct of private procurement.

She has also written corporate compliance programs and conducted anti-corruption training, audits and investigations for Fortune 500 companies.

The Government of Canada has appointed Brenda as an expert arbitrator under Chapter 19 of the NAFTA. She has also received her Certificate in Public Procurement Law and Practice from Osgoode Hall Law School. Early on in her career, she was legal counsel with the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITI), Canada's bid review mechanism and the Department of Justice.

Having practiced in Ottawa for two decades, Brenda is well-known in government circles, and brings to clients years of experience in dealing effectively with governments and administrative agencies, in regard to a host of regulatory compliance issues.

Representative Highlights

• Counsel to the Government of Ontario before the WTO in the challenge by EU/Japan of Ontario's procurement of energy under its Feed-In-Tariff (2011-2015)
• Counsel to Oracle Canada ULC. in two bid disputes before the CITI regarding the procurement of common and shared management software solutions by PWGSc
• Counsel to CGI Group Inc. in bid protest by TPG Technology Consulting Group regarding procurement of engineering and technical support services in support of enterprise Server Domain before the CITI
• Counsel to Suncor in export controls and economic sanctions matters
• Counsel to Western Canadian Alliance of Gypsum Contractors before CITI in the dumping of Gypsum from the USA
• Counsel to Raytheon Canada ULC. in bid dispute before CITI regarding procurement of Integrated Soldier System Project (ISSP) by PND/PWGSC
• Counsel to Quebec Forest Industry Council in WTO/NAFTA disputes regarding the importation of Canadian softwood lumber into the US (1996-2008)/li>
• Counsel to Nestle Canada Inc. before the CFIA and Federal Court regarding the restrictions on importation of baby food into Canada
• Counsel to Severstal in Cold Rolled Steel antidumping and countervailing duty Investigation before the CBSA and CITI
• Counsel to RIMA in antidumping and countervailing duty investigation before ClTI regarding Silicon Metal
• Counsel to Baosteel in CBSAinvestigation regarding the dumping and subsidization of Fabricated Industrial Steel components
• Counsel to the Canadian Commissioner of Competition before NAFTA Panels regarding a complaint by Heinz Canada regarding infant formula sales in Canada
• Counsel to Ford Canada in WTO dispute regarding the Canada-US Auto Pact filed by Japan and EU
• Counsel to Mark Anthony Fine Wines before the government of British Columbia regarding the procurement and sale of alcoholic beverages
• Counsel to Food and Consumer Products Association in regard to the WTO Dispute by Canada regarding Country of Origin Labelling and Front of Packaging Labelling/li>

Publication Highlights

• Speaker, "A Time for Retaliatory Tariffs," May 20,2018
• Author, "B.C. Log Export Restrictions The Big Change in Softwood Lumber Dispute," The Lawyer's Daily, March 15, 2018
• Panelist, "NAFTA Talks Are Going Better Than Expected: International Trade Lawyer," BNN Interview, January 29,2018
• Panelist, "NAFTA Modernization: Benefits & Challenges," Open Caucus Meeting, October 18, 2017
• Panelist, "Why the Softwood Deal Before NAFTA Talks is Not Critical," BNN Interview, May 2, 2018
• Author, "Anti-Corruption Compliance In Import/Export Transactions," 2017 ICPA Conference, Toronto, May 2017
• Co-Author, "Halsbury's Laws of Canada - Customs and Excise," February 2017
• Contributor, "Protectionism in Reverse," Lexpert Magazine, November/December 2016
• Panelist, "A Toast to the Future - From the Auto Pact to What's Next - Canada-U.S. Trade and Talent for the 21st Century," U.S.-Canada S.A.G.E. Summit, Columbus, Ohio, June 16,2016
• Speaker, "Recent Developments in Investor State Arbitration," Canadian/US Law Institute, April 7,2016
• Speaker, "How to Void Suspension and Debarment: A Potent Government Consumer Remedy and Serious Consequences for Corporations and Individuals," ABA 2016 Spring Meeting, Columbus, Ohio
• Speaker, "Gordie Howe: A Great Hockey Player and a Vital Link to Cross Border Trade Between the US and Canada," ABA 2016 Spring Meeting, Columbus, Ohio
• Co-Author, "Unpacking the U.S. Border," The Lawyers Weekly, Cross Border Law, March 2, 2016
• Quoted, "PM's Star Power Won't Settle Softwood Fight," Globe and Mail, March 12, 2016
• Speaker, "International Procurement Developments in 2016; Canada," Thomson Reuters West Government Conducts Year In Review Conference, Washington D.C., February 16, 2016

Cary F. Viktor

Chief Executive Officer

CFV Global Advisory Service LLC

Cary is an advisor to both governments and international corporations. He is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience in creating, developing and implementing industrial partnerships/offset programs worldwide. Cary recently retired from the Lockheed Martin Corporation as Director, Industrial Participation for Lockheed Martin Corporation's Missiles and Fire Control Business Area. His responsibilities included the offset program management of both new business initiatives and existing industrial participation commitments in the Africa and Middle East region with total offset obligations of over B. Cary was also the Corporate Offset Lead for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman. Prior to that position he was Director, Industrial Participation for Lockheed Martin Corporation's Electronics Systems Business Area. His responsibilities included management and coordination of all industrial participation activities worldwide for 3 business units with 16 locations in the U.S., Canada, and U.K., with total offset obligations of over B. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin in 1998, Cary held management positions of increasing responsibility with McDonnell Douglas/Boeing, General Dynamics Corporation, Sears World Trade, and the International Harvester Company.

Cary is currently Chairman, Global Offset and Countertrade Association, the world's largest international offset and countertrade organization, a position he has held since 2009. He is also on the Advisory Board of Stratesphere and has served on a number of other boards and working groups to include the EMAAR Knowledge Company and the International Forum for Ethical Business Conduct (IFBEC).

Cary received his MBA in Management and a BS degree in Marketing from Drake University. He was commissioned in the U.S. Army and is a Vietnam veteran.

Demetrios Xenos

Director of Operations (Marine) for Industrial and Technological Benefits

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

Demetrios Xenos is the Director of Operations (Marine) for the Industrial and Technological Benefits Branch at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). Demetrios leads a dynamic team that works closely with National Defence, the Canadian Coast Guard, Public Services and Procurement Canada, the Regional Development Agencies, and industry and academic stakeholders on complex defence and security procurement. Demetrios has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Concordia University (Montreal), and a Master’s in Public Administration from Carleton University (Ottawa).