Georgia Commissioner in Japan for Week of June 30

Ken Stewart

Georgia’s commissioner of economic development, Ken Stewart, is spending the week of June 30 in Japan visiting the prefectures of Aichi and Kagoshima to develop business ties and promote Atlanta and the state as a gateway to the Americas.

A delegation from Aichi prefecture visited Atlanta most recently in November 2007. The prefecture is home to many multinational Japanese corporations including automakers Toyota and Mitsubishi as well as more than 400 foreign companies.

Mr. Stewart also is to visit Kagoshima prefecture, which has a sister state relationship with Georgia that dates back to 1965. He said that there are many opportunities to strengthen cultural, educational and governmental relations with the prefecture.

Scott McMurray, a senior project manager for the global commerce division of the department and Yumiko Nakazomo, Georgia’s international trade representative based in Tokyo, are accompanying Mr. Stewart.

To learn more about the trip, call Alison Tyrer at (404) 962-4078.

 

Porsche North America Hires New CFO

Shirley Franklin received a plaque from Porsche North America in March. Video press conference with Mayor Franklin: PART 1, PART 2

Atlanta’s Porsche Cars North America Inc., a subsidiary of automotive group Porsche AG, announced the hiring of a new chief financial officer June 27.

Frank Hoffman, currently director of finance and administration for Padova, Italy-based Porsche Italia S.p.A., is to replace Wolfgang Lindheim Aug. 1.

Mr. Lindheim is to take the CFO post at Porsche Consulting GmbH in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany.

Porsche North America, the group's highest selling subsidiary by volume, celebrated the 10th anniversary of moving to the Georgia capital with a visit from Mayor Shirley Franklin in March.

For more information, visit www.porsche.com.

For GlobalAtlanta's coverage of Porche's 10th anniversary, click here 03.19.08 - Atlanta Mayor Helps Porsche Celebrate Decade in Atlanta.

International Roundtable for Senior Executives Launched

James Fitzgibbon

A former director of sales for the international division of Zenith Electronics Corp. has launched an international roundtable in Atlanta for senior executives.

James Fitzgibbon told GlobalAtlanta that he was motivated to form the roundtable to provide an opportunity for sales, marketing and business development executives to discuss sales strategies and best practices to successfully compete globally.

“These are roundtable discussions, not sales meetings, between international executives,” he said. “There hasn’t been an open forum for these executives other than those with a geographic orientation.”

He said that the roundtable is open to chief executive officers, presidents, general managers, executive directors, managing directors and chief financial officers of companies both large and small.

The last meeting focused on challenges facing officials overseas in matching local customs and business processes with the management practices of the home office.

Putting appropriate transfer pricing strategies in place is another topic that has come up, he added. The roundtable also has discussed second thoughts about setting up operations in China and elsewhere in Asia.

Mr. Fitzgibbon, who received a master’s degree in business from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Ariz., has worked for 12 years in international sales and has conducted business in 40 different countries.

The roundtable’s next meeting is to be held on July 10.

To learn more about the roundtable, call Mr. Fitzgibbon at (404) 229-7165 or e-mail him at james@internationalroundtable.com.