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Speakers

Alan Andrews serves as Vice President in PNC Bank’s Global Trade and Equipment Finance Group. He focuses on providing U.S. exporters customer finance solutions to increase their sales in emerging markets. Alan has contributed significantly to PNC Bank being the most active user of U.S. Export-Import Bank programs for the past several years resulting in PNC being awarded Ex-Im Bank’s 2008 Lender of the Year. Alan has over twenty years of experience in trade finance. He has lived and traveled overseas and is proficient in Mandarin Chinese. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Boston University and a Masters Degree in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird). Alan has been an active Board Member of FCIB, the premier association of executives in Finance, Credit, and International Business, for many years. He is also active in the Cleveland Foreign Credit Group and is a Southwestern PA District Export Council Board member.

Dave Beecken is a Vice President in Foreign Exchange with US Bank in Portland. He has 25 years experience in International Business and Foreign Exchange having started with the former U.S. Bank of Oregon in 1984. He is a frequent presenter in educational settings, high school through University graduate programs, as well as in day long seminars. Prior to joining US Bank, he was a translator and instructor at Sanno Institute of Business Administration in Tokyo, Japan. He holds a MBA from the University of Northern Iowa and a BA in Religion from Luther College. He is also fluent in Japanese.

Paul Beretz, CICE is the founder of Pacific Business Solutions, a Q2C partner, and brings over 30 years of global experience in credit, finance and management with industries such as chemicals, telecommunications, semi-conductors and forest products. He is an instructor in the Masters in Leadership degreed program at St. Mary's College, CA, and helped create and instruct in on-line certificate programs for both FCIB and CMA. He is in his second year as an Advisory Committee member for the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. In 2008, Paul was chosen as the "Credit Executive of the Year" by CMA. Paul received his BBA from the University of Notre Dame, an MBA from Golden Gate University, the Executive Award from the Graduate School of Credit and Financial Management at Stanford University and the CICE designation from the FCIB association.

Dave Erickson is the Director of Credit & Administration + International Trade Consultant Allports Forwarding, Inc., and Allpots Inc, Portland, Oregon. He established the International Trade Consulting team at Allports Forwarding in December 2000. Focus of the consulting is in International Trade Services for community bank, legal and financing communities and specializes in the area of Standby Letter of Credit applications, structure and uses. Allports Forwarding is a regional freight forwarder handling a various export products for their clients. Allports Inc., a sister company, handles inbound customs brokering. In March, 2002 he was promoted to Director of Credit & Administration and manages all risk management programs and specifically credit and collection functions for the export and import aspects of both firms.

He received his degree in business administration from Portland State University in 1974. Additional accreditation of Certified Credit Executive, National Association of Credit Management was awarded in 1997. His banking career was with U.S. Bank from 1968 through November 2000. During his college school years he worked in many areas of U. S. Bank. In 1975 he joined the International Banking Division in the Letter of Credit Operations area, functioning in all areas of letters of credit and documentary collections. In 1980 he was named letter of credit manager. Dave served on the Western Council for International Banking, Letter of Credit Committee for three years (1981-82-83).

Following the 1989 conversion and automation of the letter of credit operations, Dave was promoted in 1990 to vice president and international documentary services consultant. In that capacity he provided bank personnel and clients the needed documentation training and guidance in international trade services. Additional training opportunities started in 1994 including those extended with the U.S. Agency for International Development into the Russian Far East through University of Alaska.

He is active with the National Association of Credit Management-Oregon. He was elected to the Board of Directors in April 2001. He served as Chairman of NACM-Oregon Board of Directors April 2005 – April 2006. In April, 2007 he completed his service on the NACM Board as the counselor to the Board of Directors. In April, 2007, Dave has continued volunteer board service to serve on the NACM-Oregon Foundation. Within NACM he is a contributing International Trade Group member, serving as the chair 1993-94 and 1996-98. He is a member of the CFDD Portland Chapter and served on the Pacific Northwest Credit Conference Committee for 2004 and presently serves as co-chair for the Pacific Northwest Credit Conference 2010. He is a frequent contributor and presenter in a number of Portland State University, World Trade Center and Columbia River Customs House Broker and Freight Forwarder training classes. His other civic involvement includes Portland Rose Society (past president + current horticultural rose judge), Central Catholic High School (originator of ‘Angels in the Wings’ theatre financial support group) and Holy Cross Church.

Jeff Jankowiak is a Partner in the firm of International Risk Consultants, Inc. headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with offices in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, China, London, Sao Paulo Brazil, and Monterrey Mexico. IRC is also a member of the International Credit Brokers Association, the largest global network of trade credit insurance brokers with 42 offices in 27 countries. The firm specializes in credit and political risk insurance, credit risk mitigation and trade finance structuring. Located in San Francisco, Jankowiak leads the firms’ efforts in California and the western region. Previous to joining the firm he was Vice President of Marketing, Finance and Administration, Cozzini, Inc., Chicago, IL, a capital equipment manufacturer serving the food industry. During his tenure he developed and operated a trade finance and credit group for short and medium term credit exposures. He also led a team, which created structured trade programs with EXIM Bank and ECA’s for Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Russia. Prior to this he was Chief Operating Officer, The National Provisioner, Inc., Chicago. IL an agricultural consulting service for meat, poultry and seafood industries. Education: Graduate of Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, Food and Human Nutrition, economics and finance. Jankowiak is an active member of FCIB and is a member of the Board of Directors.

Alice Knight is Vice President of Finance and Administration for Paper Products Marketing (USA) Inc., a subsidiary of PaperlinX LTD, a multinational Corporation headquartered in Australia. Mrs. Knight has over 40 years experience in international Finance and is an active member of FCIB and NACM. She has served as Co-Chair of NACM Oregon's International Group, Chairman of the Board of National Packaging Group, Co-Chair, Panel Member and Presenter at Annual Global Conferences, served as President of FCIB Forest Products Group and participated in FCIB Conferences in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Munich and Brussels. She is currently a member of FCIB Board of Directors.

Jim Lucchesi is the Senior Business Development Officer in Eximbank’s San Francisco Satellite Office, which is part of Eximbank’s Western Region Business Development Group. Lucchesi was hired by Eximbank in 1999 to open the San Francisco office. Before Joining Eximbank, Lucchesi was a commercial banker with 30 years of International and Trade Finance Experience. He spent 13 years with Wells Fargo which included positions in credit, marketing and management in Tokyo, Tehran, Istanbul and Toronto. Additional positions were Manager Project Finance at the Royal Bank of Canada, Manager of First Chicago’s (JP Morgan Chase) Los Angeles Edge Act and the Export Finance Group in New York and Manager Trade Finance and Structured Trade Finance at Bank of America in New York and San Francisco. Lucchesi holds a BA from California State University, Chico and an MBA from Golden Gate University, San Francisco.

Raeann Smith is a Senior Credit Analyst with LaCrosse Footwear, Inc. She has 25 years of experience in credit management with 15 years in international credit and collections. Prior to joining LaCrosse Footwear, Raeann worked as a credit manager for the Specialty Products Division of North Pacific Group, Inc. She has been a member of NACM-Oregon for over 15 years and has served as chairperson for various industry groups as well as a co-chair for NACM-Oregon International Group. She has been an active FCIB Member and currently serves on the board of directors for NACM-Oregon.