Gilbert A. Bird, Jr., CICP is a graduate of Jersey City State College and Rutgers University with degrees in Education, Marketing, Finance and Management. Over the past 30 years he has built a successful career in International Credit, Collections and Accounts Receivable and currently serves as International Credit Supervisor for Evonik Degussa Corporation headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey. He is a member of FCIB and obtained his Certificate of International Professionals (CICP) designation in January 2006.

James E. Dezell has over 20 years of experience in the trade credit insurance industry. In his current role he is responsible for growing and maintaining Credit Insurance business in North America. Companies with (or seeking) Domestic and International credit insurance, global programs and political risk are all part of the practice. Jim has produced and structured some of the largest trade credit programs in the U.S. He holds a BS from Boston University and an MBA from Boston College. Jim is a member of NACM, Bankers Association of Foreign Trade and FCIB.

William Kulkens, CCE, CICP serves as International Credit Manager at Milliken & Co., a privately held, major textile and chemical manufacturing company selling globally to various industries including textiles, automotive, floor covering, and specialty chemicals. Currently, he leads the international credit area for the US manufacturing base, located in Manhattan. Mr. Kulkens has over 25 years of business experience. He has been a member of FCIB since 1994, where he presently serves as a Board Member. His other roles include Board Member of the New York Institute of Credit; Advisory Board Member of the Silberman College of Business for Fairleigh Dickinson University; President of the 475-Esquire-Toppers Credit Club; former Chairman of the International Textile Credit Clearing House group; and former Chairman of the 1245 Credit Club. In 2006, he was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, the global business school honor society, as F.D.U.'s Chapter Honoree for exemplifying the ideals of the society.

Robert Long joined ABN AMRO Bank’s Global Trade Services & Advisory Group as a Vice President in 1998. He has been a frequent contributor to in-house training programs especially with respect to export products and supply chain finance. He was promoted to Director (Senior Vice President) in 2003. He is an active member of FCIB, has served two terms as a Board member and one term as Board Chair. He frequently speaks to international credit and collection groups on international trade with emphasis on funds flows and credit/cash management issues. He has been published and quoted in Business Credit, The Exporter, and other magazines and trade journals. Bob earned a BS in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Drexel University in Philadelphia.

Michael Martelli is a Director and a member of the Global Trade Services Sales and Marketing team at Wachovia Bank, which covers 8 states in the Northeast region. He overseas and manages a diverse portfolio of companies covering a broad range of industries; and assists these companies to develop and implement various solutions to address their trade payable and trade receivable needs. Michael joined the Bank in March 2001. Prior to joining Wachovia Bank, he was a member of Bank of America’s Global Trade Sales and Marketing team based in New York City.

Byron M. Shoulton has been vice president/international economist for FCIA Management Company, a sub of Great American Insurance Co. since 1992. He joined FCIA in 1980 as a Latin American analyst focusing on the Latin American debt crisis during which U.S. exporters faced record trade losses. In 1984, he became the director of county analysis and assumed responsibilities for global country analysis in managing FCIA's global credit and political risk portfolio. In 1987, he became the international economist which was the precursor to his current position. His major responsibilities include monitoring global economic, trade and political trends impacting trade finance risks; conducting quarterly country rakings used to establish country credit limits and to price coverage of such risks for 130 countries; conducting country risk assessment on specific trade credit transactions; managing country database for tracking major economic/political trends globally; serving as chief FCIA contact globally for country risk intelligence gathering; providing advice to underwriters, senior management, brokers, banking clients and exporters on countrty conditions, trade policies, in major markets; traveling internationally on country fact-finding missions to help gauge country risks assumed under FCI insurance policies; writing and editing quarterly FCIA Country Update for distribution to clients; and speaking at trade seminars. He was educated at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C.