From 1989 to 1993, Ambassador Siv served as Deputy Assistant to President George H.W. Bush at the White House, and then as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State. In 2001 he was nominated by President George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the Senate as a United States ambassador to the United Nations, serving until 2006.

For three decades, Ambassador Siv has interacted with people of various professional backgrounds. He has traveled the globe to over 100 countries and dealt with the highest levels of business and government leaders, from CEOs and presidents of corporations to heads of state and prime ministers. He has spoken on behalf of the United States, chaired its delegations to international conferences, and negotiated with 190 governments. His unique personal story and language ability allow him to operate at ease in diverse cultural environments and to establish an immediate level of comfort and trust with interlocutors. These solid relationships are an important component in successful business deals from conception to completion.

Ambassador Siv escaped Cambodia’s killing fields in 1976 and was resettled as a refugee in Wallingford, Connecticut with two dollars in his pocket. He picked apples in Connecticut, drove a taxi in New York, and later obtained a master of international affairs from Columbia University on full scholarship. He speaks Khmer, English, French, Spanish, Thai, Japanese, and German.

Ambassador Siv is the international bestselling author of the book Golden Bones, published by HarperCollins. A cover quote from President George H.W. Bush, the first ever, reads: “What a story, what a life.”

sichan.siv@akragroup.com

A graduate of Columbia University’s School of Business and Law School, Bill worked for Coudert Brothers (an international law firm) before venturing into project development and finance. He has worked for over 25 years on transportation infrastructure, sports facilities, medical/hospital development and agriculture projects (grain elevators, fertilizer distribution) both in the U.S. and internationally. Bill has advised companies on mergers and acquisitions, project and general business finance, and strategic planning.

Bill has traveled and worked in 35 countries. He has represented and worked with companies based in European, Asian and Central American jurisdictions. His experience with multinational transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and project development help clients reach their strategic goals. He is a former President of the Rochester, New York International Business Council and served as volunteer chairman of two New York State government agencies under former Governor George Pataki.

bill.nojay@akragroup.com

Tom started his career in the Information Technologies industries selling the first personal computers made and was recognized in BYTE magazine as the youngest General Manager for an IBM Value-Added-Dealer in the nation. Tom was instrumental in the rapid growth of such companies as PC’s LTD, later to become DELL computers. Of the multiple companies that he founded, Interface Associates was the first company to custom manufacture circuit boards for DELL and CompuADD in Taiwan and Indonesia. Through his multiple ventures, his companies have provided critical infrastructure support for companies such as WebRamp, Century Telephone, and NOKIA.

Tom has represented, directly and thru partnerships, diverse industries ranging from Mexican sugar producers to liquid natural gas from the United States. He has been a long-time advocate for international trade in the City of San Antonio and the State of Texas and is currently serving as the Chairperson for Trade on the City of San Antonio’s China Steering Committee under the Free Trade Alliance. Tom served as a delegate for the State of Texas to the AICHI WORLD EXPO in 2005 and currently serves as First Vice President for the Alamo Asian American Chamber of Commerce. Tom has done business in and traveled to 113 countries.

In addition to his business endeavors, Tom is also an active community leader. Tom previously served as First Vice President for the Japan American Society of San Antonio and was most recently asked to serve on the greater San Antonio area’s After School All Stars Board of Directors, a national organization founded by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Tom lives in San Antonio, TX and is most proud of his son, Simon Willems, who is obtaining his post graduate degree at Texas A&M University.

tom.willems@akragroup.com