Juan Verde
United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Europe
In office
2009–2011
Preceded byEric Stewart
Succeeded byMatthew Murray[1]
Personal details
Born (1971-07-07) July 7, 1971
Telde, Gran Canaria (Spain)
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2011; div. 2018)​
Alma materBoston University (B.A.)
Harvard University (M.A.)
OccupationBusinessman

Juan Verde Suárez (born July 7, 1971) is a Spanish business and social entrepreneur who assisted the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign,[2] as well as earlier campaigns of prominent Democrats such as President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Senator John Kerry, and Senator Ted Kennedy.[3] He is currently a member of the President's Export Council, an advisory body to the White House on international trade and U.S. competitiveness in international markets, under President Biden. [4]

Verde developed and directed a strategy designed to mobilize millions of American citizens residing outside of the United States for the Obama campaign in 2008 and 2012,[2] an effort he revived on behalf of the Biden campaign in 2020.[5] He previously served as International Co-Chair for the reelection campaign of President Barack Obama in 2012.[3] He advised both candidates on strategies for capturing the Hispanic vote as well as international trade and sustainability-related issues.[6]

In addition to his role as a political strategist, Verde is founder and President of the U.S. consultancy firm Alamo Solutions, which advises governments and corporations on market expansion, strategy, and sustainability, and The Advanced Leadership Foundation, a U.S.-based 501(c)3 focused on training next-generation global leaders.[7] Currently, Verde sits on the Board of Advisors of the American Sustainable Business Council.[8]

Early years and education

Verde was born in Telde, Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) on July 7, 1971.[9] He received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations from Boston University and a master's degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School. He has completed post-graduate business studies at Georgetown University and Tufts University. Verde is a former Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute fellow.[10]

Policy and government

Verde's career in government began as a Business and Legislative Aide in the Boston Mayor's Office and the Boston City Council, which later led to a position as a political and economic advisor for the Boston Mayor Ray Flynn. He then worked for the U.S. Department of Commerce during the Clinton Administration, first in the Office of Latin America as an analyst and subsequently in the Minority Business Development Agency as an international trade coordinator.[11]

Verde joined the Corporate Executive Board, now owned by Gartner, in 1998. He served as a Director for Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. He founded several business-centered policy initiatives, including the PASS Group (2002), the Canary Islands chapter and the Gibraltar chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce Spain (2006 and 2014, respectively), Think Plus Madrid (2004), and The Climate Reality Project Spain (2006), and worked as a consultant to business and political leaders in the United States, Europe, and Latin America.[12]

In 2009, Verde returned to U.S. government service via an appointment by President Barack Obama as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasia at the United States Department of Commerce, where he served until 2011. While holding this position, he led the department’s efforts to resolve issues related to trade policy and access to markets faced by United States companies.[9] As Deputy Assistant Secretary, Verde was also responsible for developing policies and programs to foster economic and trade relations within the region. He took part in the U.S. government delegation headed by Department of State Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Geoffrey R. Pyatt in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on May 17, 2011. The exhibition had over fifty American companies with business interests in Turkmenistan, showcasing their goods and services to Turkmenistan government officials.[13][14]

Business Expo in Turkmenistan - May 2011

In October 2011, Verde joined the reelection campaign of President Barack Obama as International Co-Chair.[3] More recently, Verde has joined the presidential campaign of Vice President Joe Biden as one of the campaign’s Latino Outreach leaders.[2][15]

Business roles

Verde has served on a number of corporate, government, and university advisory boards, including the Government of Lithuania's International Advisory Committee, the Alumni Board of Directors at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and the boards of directors of corporations such as Abengoa Bioenergy S.A., a global biotech ethanol company; Santander Investments, N.A., a U.S. subsidiary of the Spanish financial institution Grupo Santander;[16] and Andina Energy Corp., a global diversified energy corporation.

In 2017, he founded Alamo Solutions LLC, an international consultancy focused on innovation and sustainable business.[17]

Advocacy

Verde advocates for climate change action in the form of a transition to a "green economy."[18][19] He attributes his interest in climate change and sustainable business activism to his work with Vice President Al Gore during the latter’s presidential campaign in 2000. He joined the board of directors of the American Sustainable Business Council in 2019.[11]

Verde also works to promote the business and policy interests of the Latino community in the United States. He served on the board of the Latino Victory Project in 2020 to seek financial support for the Biden campaign from the Latino community. Before that, he also served from 2016–2019 on the board of directors of the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA), an organization seeking to improve the representation of Latino executives on corporate boards. He had previously served as a member of the Hispanic Leadership Council for the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign and the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign.[20]

Personal life

Verde was married to Tiziana Domínguez from 2011 to 2018.[21][22] They have two children together.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "ITA Names Matthew Murray Deputy Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasia". International Trade Administration. U.S. Department of Commerce. March 5, 2012. Archived from the original on April 27, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 "Our Volunteers Throughout the Globe". Americans Abroad for Biden. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 "Juan Verde, codirector de la campaña para la reelección del presidente Obama" [Juan Verde, co-director of the campaign for the reelection of President Obama]. ABC News (in Spanish). Archived from the original on November 5, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  4. ↑ House, The White (February 28, 2023). "President Biden Announces Key Appointments to Boards and Commissions". The White House. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Q&A with Juan Verde, International Co Director of Barack Obama's election campaign". Esade. July 9, 2014 – via YouTube.
  6. ↑ "Juan Verde". American Sustainable Business Council. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  7. ↑ "ALF leadership team". Advanced Leadership Foundation. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  8. ↑ Muñoz, Sergio C.; Adams, David (January 28, 2011). "Meet Mr. Green". Poder360. Archived from the original on April 2, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2011.
  9. 1 2 "Expansión: Un canario en la Casa Blanca: Juan Verde será la 'mano derecha' de Obama en la UE" [Expansion: A canary in the White House: Juan Verde is the Obama's 'right hand' in the UE] (in Spanish). Retrieved January 15, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Juan Verde". Alumni. Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  11. 1 2 "Juan Verde, Policy Expert and Corporate Strategist. BCC Speakers". BCC Speakers. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Juan Verde". Institute of the Americas. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  13. ↑ "U.S. Business Exhibition announcement in Turkmenistan". Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  14. ↑ "The First U.S. Business Exhibition Opens in Turkmenistan". Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Joe Biden entiende que Latinoamérica y EE.UU. tienen mucho que ganar si colaboran". September 9, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Santander también ficha a Juan Verde, el hombre de Barack Obama en Europa" [Santander also record Juan Verde, the man of Barack Obama in Europe] (in Spanish).
  17. ↑ "Alamo Solutions LLC".
  18. ↑ "Towards a green economy: Juan Verde at". TEDxCibelas. YouTube.
  19. ↑ "El asesor de Obama sobre renovables hablará en Las Palmas sobre liderazgos" [Obama advisor on renewables will speak in Las Palmas about leadership] (in Spanish).
  20. ↑ "El canario Juan Verde, entre los 100 líderes hispanos más influyentes en la lucha contra el cambio climático". eldiario.es (in Spanish).
  21. ↑ Piñón, Manu (July 6, 2018). "Juan Verde, el amigo canario que ha traído a Barack Obama a España". Vanity Fair.
  22. ↑ Villar, C. (March 6, 2020). "La discreta separación de Tiziana Domínguez y Juan Verde" (in Spanish). Vanitatis.
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