Valerie Ploumpis
5422 Nevada Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20015
vploumpis@starpower.net
(202) 293-8436 office
Nippon Keidanren (Japanese business federation), Washington, DC
Associate Director
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May 2001 – present
Work in coalition with Japanese and US business counterpart organizations on Keidanren’s
core interests related to trade, tax, national treatment, corporate accounting, business-related
immigration, regulatory and political/ security issues.
Coordinate Keidanren delegations to the United States and to WTO ministerials
Write content for the Keidanren website: www.keidanren-usa.org
Conduct Keidanren and Keizai Koho Center outreach activities in Washington, including
monthly in-house briefings for member companies, the quarterly “US-Japan Business
Dialogue” program with the US Chamber of Commerce, ad hoc the Dinner Forum, and
Business Caravans throughout the U.S.
Respond to media requests
Produce the monthly newsletter, Japan Economic Currents
European-American Business Council (trade association of nearly 100 major US and
European companies), Washington, DC
Senior Vice President
2000 – 2001
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Monitored legislative and regulatory developments and regularly briefed EABC member
companies about trade, tax, and national treatment issues, including Foreign Sales
Corporation, a proposed EU VAT on e-commerce, transfer pricing arbitration, EU treatment
of stock options, and an EU Directive on cross-border savings income, the Hollings bill, the
Byrd amendment, the EU Directive on data privacy, export controls, GMOs, etc.
Assisted EABC president in managing budget and daily operations, worked with EABC’s
Board of Directors, secured corporate sponsorship for programs and organized events.
Managed EABC membership recruitment campaign.
Managed EABC tax program.
Wrote articles for weekly EABC Abstracts newsletter.
French & Company (government affairs consulting/ lobbying firm), Washington, DC
Senior Vice President
1997 – 2000
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Briefed the firm’s largest trade association client (International Electronics Manufacturers
and Consumers of America (IEMCA) about legislative, regulatory, and executive branch
developments and advised the Executive Committee about the advocacy agenda.
Wrote and published a monthly newsletter, a quarterly 60-page compendium of issues on
IEMCA’s monitoring/lobbying agenda, and memos on breaking developments.
Conceived and executed three major IEMCA seminars per year.
Nissho Iwai American Corp. (US subsidiary of a Japanese trading company, with annual
transactions of $100 billion), Washington, DC
1991 – 1997
Business Development Officer
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Monitored Nissho Iwai projects with the World Bank/ IFC, Inter-American Development
Bank, Asia Development Bank, USAID. Informed business departments about tender
requirements for procurement notices.
Analyzed political and economic climates of countries in Asia and former Soviet Union and
wrote business/ finance risk reports. During tenure, also covered Latin America, Europe,
Middle East & Africa regions.
Alerted senior management to prospective changes in US trade policy and regulations,
sanctions legislation, export controls, and US-EXIM/ OPIC/ TDA coverage.
Wrote monthly “Washington Watch” column in corporate newsletter. Topics included USJapan relations, economic issues, tax policies, transfer pricing, NAFTA, APEC, and Japanese
political/economic developments.
Embassy of Korea, Commercial Section, Washington, DC
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Advised American companies and trade associations on doing business with Korea, and
assisted with Customs problems (textile visa) and commercial disputes.
Analyzed US-Korea and multilateral trade issues and economic trends and wrote reports for
senior officials.
Coordinated all annual Korean trade missions to the US.
Monitored US economy, and wrote reports on semiconductor, steel, automobile, textile and
footwear sectors.
Wrote speeches and talking points on bilateral economic and trade issues for Ambassador
and senior diplomats.
Business Environment Risk Intelligence (BERI), S.A., Washington, DC
Country Risk Consultant (contract basis)
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1988 – 1991
1987 – 1993
Researched and wrote lending/investment/business operations risk analyses for US, EU, and
Japanese clients on a range of countries including Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, Greece,
Turkey, Yugoslavia, France, Luxembourg, Finland, Iceland, Jordan and Syria.
EDUCATION
THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Bologna, Italy, and Washington, DC
M.A., International Trade/Finance and Security Studies, French and Italian, 1986
MILLS COLLEGE, Oakland, California
B.A., International Relations, French, 1983
Undergraduate Exchange Programs in Austria, England, and University of California/ Berkeley