AS/COA Joins Knowledge @ Wharton's Cuba Opportunity Summit as Thought Leadership Partner

New York, February 23, 2015—Americas Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA) will be the exclusive Thought Leadership Partner at Knowledge@Wharton’s Cuba Opportunity Summit, a one-day conference taking place on April 1 at Nasdaq’s Times Square venue in New York City. Organized in collaboration with The Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania and Momentum, the Summit will provide insights for companies to develop a strategic roadmap to enter the Cuban market by considering opportunities and risks. As the Summit’s exclusive broadcaster, business news television channel CNBC will transmit live selected programming from the event.

“AS/COA’s Cuba Working Group has been committed to promoting closer relations between the United States and Cuba for several years, so this is an exciting time for all of us,” said AS/COA President and CEO Susan Segal. “We are thrilled to be working with one of the world’s most important and prestigious business schools on this event, and to contribute our resources and expertise to the timely and thorough analysis of the political and economic climate in Cuba, and the potential opportunities for U.S. businesses in that market.”

In addition to keynote presentations, the “Cuba Opportunity Summit” will feature panels and fireside chats as well as extensive time for Q&A, discussion among participants, and networking opportunities.

Speakers at the event will include Stefan M. Selig, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, U.S. Department of Commerce; Maria Contreras-Sweet, Administrator, Small Business Administration; Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, Chief International Correspondent, CNBC; Susan Segal, President and CEO, AS/COA; Gustavo Arnavat, 15th U.S. Executive Director of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Senior Adviser, Center for Strategic & International Studies; Jay Brickman, Vice President of Government Services, Crowley Maritime; Frank Del Rio, President and CEO, Norwegian Cruise Lines; Faquiry Diaz Cala, President/CEO, Tres Mares; Serge Elkiner, Chief Executive Officer, YellowPepper Mobile Financial Solutions; Mark Entwistle, Former Ambassador for Canada to Cuba and Founding Partner, Acasta Capital; Mauro F. Guillén, Dr. Felix Zandman Professor, Professor of International Management, Director, The Lauder Institute, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; Ted A. Henken, Professor, Baruch College; Oliver Hill, Editor, Transactional Track Record (TTR); Stephen J. Kobrin, William H. Wurster Professor Emeritus of Multinational Management and Publisher, Wharton Digital Press at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; Eddie Lubbers, Founder and CEO, Cuba Travel Network; Enrique R. Martínez, President and Managing Director, Discovery Networks Latin America; John McIntire, Chairman, Cuba Emprende Foundation; Phil Peters, Vice President, Cuba Research Center; Philippe Pouletty, Chairman, Abivax; Ted Piccone, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, Project on International Order and Strategy, Latin America Initiative, The Brookings Institution; Julissa Reynoso, United States Ambassador to Uruguay (2012-2014), Former Deputy Assistant Secretary, Central America and the Caribbean in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs; Guillermo Santa Cruz, Vice President, Latin America, Mexico & US Hispanic, IMG Media; Alana Tummino, Director of Policy and Head of the Cuba Working Group, AS/COA; Steven G. Ullman, Professor and Director, Programs in and Center for Health Sector Management and Policy, Management, University of Miami; and Andy Wiederhorn, CEO, Fatburger.

More information, including details on how to register, are available at knowledge.whartonevents.com/cuba

Please note: AS/COA Members receive a 20 percent discount.

Follow the conversation on Twitter #HVGCuba.

Press inquiries: Adriana La Rotta at alarotta@as-coa.org or 212-277-8384.