The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted normal operations in large segments of the global economy, including here in the mid-Atlantic region. This webinar will offer perspectives from public and private sector actors on how international businesses can continue to pursue opportunities in the DC / Maryland / Virginia area and receive the support they need in these times of adjustment.

We will hear from Joe Greco, Vice President of Containers at Ports America; Martin de Groot, Managing Partner at NL to US; Andrew Kreinik, Regional Manager for Europe, Australia, and New Zealand at the Maryland Department of Commerce’s Office of International Trade and Investment; Jérome Larosch, Deputy Head of the Economics Department at the Netherlands Embassy in Washington, D.C.; and Stan Veuger, Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, who will also moderate the event. Q & A will follow. The webinar will be held in English.

Please join the Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee, the Netherland-America Foundation, and the Netherlands America Chamber of Commerce for the Washington Metro Area for a panel discussion followed by Q&A. The webinar will take place on May 13, 12:00pm EST / 18:00u CET on Zoom.

Advance registration required.

Stan Veuger

Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute

Chair Netherland-America Foundation - Washington, DC Chapter

Stan Veuger is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he specializes in political economy and public finance. He is also the editor of AEI Economic Perspectives, as well as a fellow at the IE School of Global and Public Affairs in Madrid and at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. He received a PhD and an AM in economics from Harvard and an MSc in economics from Universitat Pompeu Fabra. He completed his undergraduate education at Utrecht University and Erasmus University Rotterdam. He was a visiting lecturer of economics at Harvard University in the fall of 2016, 2018, and 2019. Dr. Veuger serves as the chairman of the Washington, DC, chapter of the Netherland-America Foundation.

Joe Greco

Vice President – Containers, Ports America

Joe has a diverse maritime career that spans 23 years and includes leadership roles in operations, sales and marketing, labor management, intermodal and supply chain, and beneficial cargo owners’ relationships. At Ports America, Joe is responsible for managing the company’s commercial objectives across the east, west and gulf coasts that include engagement with global ocean carriers, beneficial cargo owners, and Class 1 railroads. Prior to his current position, Joe was director of planning and business development for Ports America Chesapeake. He has served on several boards, including the Baltimore Port Alliance Executive Steering Committee, co-chair of the MPA’s container quality program, and co-chair of planning efforts around port growth with the Baltimore Regional Council.

Andrew Kreinik

Regional Manager Europe, Australia and New Zealand

Office of International Investment & Trade Maryland Department of Commerce

As Regional Manager at the Office of International Trade and Investment in the Maryland Department of Commerce, his current areas of responsibility are Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Previously, he was Senior International Growth Consultant at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) based at the University of Maryland. He is a Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) and is a certified trainer for professionals interested in testing for the CGBP designation. Founder and/or owner of three companies, Andrew has 30 years’ experience building worldwide networks of distributors. He is an alumnus of the Thunderbird School of International Management with an MBA in International Business. He has an Honours Bachelors from University of Western Ontario (Canada) and a diploma from Universite d’Aix-Marseille III (France). Andrew shares his expertise with a wide range of Maryland Small and Medium Enterprises through mentoring, speaking engagements, programs and organizing delegations of Maryland companies to attend international trade shows as part of his position with the Maryland Department of Commerce.

Jerome Larosch

Deputy Head, Economic Department

Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United States

As of August 2016, Jerome Larosch is deputy head of the economic department at the Netherlands Embassy in Washington DC, covering the portfolios of trade policy, trade promotion and economics. Prior to this appointment he served as trade counsellor at the permanent representation of The Netherlands to the European Union. Before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jerome worked at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, where he held positions covering the WTO, services and investment, and agricultural policy. Prior to his career as a civil servant he worked as training and research fellow at the Clingendael Institute, where he specialized in international negotiation.

Martin de Groot

Managing Partner, NL to US

Through his vast network in the US and strong ties with service providers (i.e. lawyers, tax accountants, visa specialists and financial institutions) Martin helps Dutch companies that want to expand their market in the United States — from market research, trade-show representation, FDA regulatory guidance and establishing a US presence to import logistics, distribution, marketing and sales. Martin has been in the US for almost 20 years and has been consulting to, and participating with, Dutch companies that bring their products into the North American market. He has extensive experience managing business development, the supply chain, sales & distribution as well as setting up the administrative backbone of a US entity. He is also President of the Netherlands America Chamber of Commerce Washington Metro, a non-profit supporting business ties between the Netherlands and the United States.