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Matt Murray
U.S. Senior Official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Bureau of East Asian Affairs, U.S. Department of StateMatt Murray was appointed as the U.S. Senior Official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in February 2022. In this role, he coordinates U.S. participation in APEC and also oversees the Office of Economic Policy in the State Department’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
Prior to his current assignment, Matt led the State Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs (EB) as Senior Bureau Official from August 2021 to January 2022, and he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Trade Policy and Negotiations from September 2020 to August 2021.
Matt has focused on U.S. economic engagement with the Asia Pacific region throughout his State Department career, including as Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Counselor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Canberra, and Special Assistant for East Asian and Pacific issues in the Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment.
Matt is a Senior Foreign Service Officer who also has served overseas in Beijing, Shanghai, Dar es Salaam and New Delhi and in Washington, D.C. as Director of the 24/7 Watch in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research. He has master’s degrees from the U.S. Army War College and the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor’s degree from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland.
Adina Renee Adler
Deputy Executive Director of Silverado Policy AcceleratorAdina joined Silverado Policy Accelerator in February 2022 as Deputy Executive Director to lead Silverado’s work on Trade & the Circular Economy, among other key trade and environmental policy issues, while also executing Silverado’s growth to effectively lead accelerated policy that advances American prosperity and global competitiveness in the 21st century.
Prior to Silverado, Adina was Vice President of Advocacy at the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), a trade association, overseeing government relations efforts at the State, Federal and International levels, advocacy with law enforcement and ISRI’s commodities and market analysis on behalf of the recycling industry. Prior to ISRI, Adina was Director of Global Government Affairs for Alcoa and Arconic and International Government Relations Advisor for Shell Oil Company, advising business leaders on trends in U.S. trade and international policy. Adina also served in the U.S. Government as Director for South Asia in the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and International Trade Specialist at the U.S. Department of Commerce, both assignments responsible for U.S. commercial and trade policy with the countries of South Asia. Adina has a B.A. in International Affairs from The George Washington University and M.A. in International Economics and International Law from The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and has lived in and traveled to more than 75 countries for business and pleasure.
Monique Rodriguez
Vice President, Government Affairs at Qualcomm IncorporatedMonique Rodriguez is Senior Director of Government Affairs for QUALCOMM Incorporated. In this capacity she manages part of QUALCOMM's international public policy agenda on a range issues, including international trade, technology policy, competition and innovation, and intellectual property. In addition to maintaining and strengthening QUALCOMM's relationships with branches of the United States and foreign governments, she often represents the company before industry associations and multilateral institutions, such as the United Nations and World Trade Organization (WTO).
Ms. Rodriguez also manages all legislative matters at the local and state level, including political fundraising and acting as the QUALCOMM liaison to local and state government in all 50 states. In this capacity Ms. Rodriguez is responsible for creating and executing corporate strategy in areas ranging from quality of life, technology neutrality, environmental stewardship and taxation. Ms. Rodriguez also manages the Qualcomm Political Action Committee (QPAC).
Ms. Rodriguez serves as a member of the San Diego & Imperial District Export Council. She also serves on the boards of the National Center for APEC, National Foreign Trade Council and the New Children’s Museum.
Ms. Rodriguez graduated from the University of California, San Diego in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. She also received a Masters in Business Administration from the Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego in 2008.
Qualcomm is the world’s leading wireless technology innovator and the driving force behind the development, launch, and expansion of 5G. When we connected the phone to the internet, the mobile revolution was born. Today, our foundational technologies enable the mobile ecosystem and are found in every 3G, 4G and 5G smartphone. seamlessly.
Supant Mongkolsuthree
Chair, ABAC 2022, Chairman, The Federation of Thai IndustriesABAC Chair 2022, Supant Mongkolsuthree is Chairman of The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI). He is also the Chairman of Synnex (Thailand) PCL and Chairman of T.K.S. Technologies Public Company Limited. He founded Synnex (Thailand) in 1988 which has been recognized as the biggest IT distributor in Thailand while T.K.S. Technologies has been one of the leading companies in label packaging and security printing.
Supant has been elected as Chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) for three terms: 2014-2016, 2018-2020, and 2020-2022. FTI is a private sector organization, with approximately 13,000 companies, that brings together industrial leaders to promote Thailand's economic development. It is recognized by the government as the representative of Thai manufacturers at both national and international levels.
Supant serves as a member of the Thailand Board of Investment and of the Board of Trustees of the Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology, Thammasat University. He is also Chairman of the Activity Promotion Committee and Director of the Royal Police Cadet Academy. He previously served as Member of the National Legislative Assembly; Chairman of Export-Import Bank of Thailand; and Board Director of Krungthai Bank.
Supant obtained a Bachelor of General Management degree from Sukhothai Thammathirat University, Master of Business Administration from City University United States, and Master of
Political Science from Chulalongkorn University. He also obtained an Honorary Doctorate in Economics from Ramkhamhaeng University.
Monica Hardy Whaley
President at the National Center for APEC- Session One: 2022 Priorities for APEC and ABAC
- Session Two: U.S. Government Priorities for 2022
- Closing Session
Monica Hardy Whaley was named the President of the National Center for APEC in January of 2009. She served as NCAPEC’s Deputy Director at its founding in 1994 and as the Executive Director since November of 2002. Monica is responsible for management of NCAPEC’s policy and administrative staff, membership, fundraising and fiscal management, and serves as the public spokesperson and representative of the National Center for APEC.
Monica holds Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and French from the University of Santa Clara, and studied in Paris at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Sciences Pô). She is an Alternate Member of the U.S. APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), Chair of the US-APEC Business Coalition, and a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy.
Monica holds Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and French from the University of Santa Clara, and studied in Paris at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Sciences Pô). She is an Alternate Member of the U.S. APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), Chair of the US-APEC Business Coalition, and a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy.
Michael Beeman
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Japan, Korea, and APEC, Office of the United States Trade RepresentativeMichael Beeman serves as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative (AUSTR) for Japan, Korea and APEC. From 2004-14, he served in various positions at USTR, including Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Japan and Acting AUSTR for Japan, Korea and APEC. From 2015-16, he was Senior Advisor to the U.S.-Japan Business Council and the U.S.-Korea Business Council where he supported the promotion of American goods and services exports.
He began his Federal Government service in 1998 at the U.S. Department of Commerce, where he served from 2001-03 as Special Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Trade Development. He was an Advisor to the U.S. Executive Director to the World Bank from 2003-04.
He received a D.Phil. (Ph.D.) in Politics from the University of Oxford in 1998, focusing on Japan's political economy and the politics of antitrust policy. He received a masters degree in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University (SAIS) in 1991 and a bachelors degree from Southern Methodist University in 1988. He has been a Fulbright Fellow in Japan (1991-92), a Monbusho Fellow at the University of Tokyo (1996-97), and an Advanced Research Fellow at Harvard University (1997-98).
Edward Alden
Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign RelationsEdward Alden is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C., and author of Failure to Adjust: How Americans Got Left Behind in the Global Economy (Rowman & Littlefield, 2017). He was the project director for the Council’s Independent Task Force report The Work Ahead: Machines, Skills and U.S. Leadership in the 21st Century (2018). His first book, The Closing of the American Border: Terrorism, Immigration and Security Since 9/11 (Harper Collins, 2008), was a finalist for the J. Anthony Lukas book prize. He has testified to Congress numerous times, written widely for major newspapers including the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, and appeared on CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News, PBS News Hour and Bloomberg Surveillance. Prior to joining the Council, Mr. Alden was the Washington bureau chief for the Financial Times.
Ralph Carter
Staff Vice President Regulatory at FedEx CorporationAs Staff Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Mr. Carter leads a team of regulatory attorneys responsible for compliance and policy advocacy at FedEx Express. Areas of responsibility include aviation law, security, customs, export controls, workplace safety and trade policy. Mr. Carter also coordinates global regulatory and trade policy across all FedEx international regions. Mr. Carter’s team advocates for simpler, more open trade rules that reduce barriers and help FedEx customers expand their international business. Mr. Carter is a frequent speaker and contributor to international trade and economic policy organizations including APEC, the WTO, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum. Mr. Carter has also served as Managing Director in the legal department of FedEx’s Europe, Middle East and Africa headquarters in Brussels Belgium. Prior to FedEx, Mr. Carter served in the State Department as Special Assistant to the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union.
Charita Castro
Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for Labor Affairs at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)Charita Castro, PhD is currently a Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for Labor Affairs where she oversees its global forced labor and human trafficking portfolio, multilateral and regional fora concerning trade and labor (G7, G20, OECD, ASEAN, APEC, ILO), and trade-related labor issues in East Asia, including China, and Southeast Asia. She has 20 years of federal government experience in senior policy, research, and management positions working collaboratively to deliver concrete results that improve the lives of workers and children, especially those in or at-risk of child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking.
Prior to USTR (2011 – 2018), Dr. Castro served as the inaugural Chief of Research and Policy for the Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking at the U.S. Department of Labor, managing a 25-person staff of civil servants; overseeing a $80 million portfolio of international projects; and supervising the publication of the Department’s three Congressionally-mandated and Presidential Directive reports on child labor and forced labor, including the U.S. government’s Sweat & Toil app, the first-ever human rights focused mobile application for the federal government.
Dr. Castro began her federal career as a Presidential Management Fellow in 1999, and also served at the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Health and Human Services.
She received her Doctor of Philosophy in public policy from the George Washington University; Master of Social from Washington University in St. Louis; and Bachelor of Science in psychology from Tulane University. From 2004 – 2005, she was a Fulbright fellow to the Philippines researching the impact of hazardous work on child laborers in agriculture. She is currently serving one of 120 IF/THEN Women in STEM Ambassadors to promote the next generation of female scientists, and a 3D statue of her is being featured at the Smithsonian’s FUTURES exhibition.
Stephen Claeys
Senior Director of Trade Policy at Pfizer Inc.Stephen Claeys is Senior Director for Global Trade Policy at Pfizer. In addition to covering trade issues involving Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the ASEAN region, he is responsible for developing policy regarding trade-related pharmaceutical and IP pricing issues, digital trade and customs.
Steve has over 25 years of experience advising members of Congress, senior White House and U.S. Department of Commerce officials, and the private sector on international trade law and policy. He has served as Trade Counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives for the Committee on Ways & Means’ Subcommittee on Trade, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping/Countervailing Duty Operations at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Import Administration and as Special Advisor on National Security Affairs in the White House, Office of the Vice President.
Steve received his B.A., with high honors, from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D. from the Northwestern University School of Law.
Ed Gresser
Vice President and Director for Trade and Global Markets of the Progressive Policy InstituteEd Gresser is Vice President and Director for Trade and Global Markets at PPI.
Ed returns to PPI after working for the think tank from 2001-2011. He most recently served as the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Trade Policy and Economics at the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). In this position, he led USTR’s economic research unit from 2015-2021, and chaired the 21-agency Trade Policy Staff Committee.
Ed began his career on Capitol Hill before serving USTR as Policy Advisor to USTR Charlene Barshefsky from 1998 to 2001. He then led PPI’s Trade and Global Markets Project from 2001 to 2011. After PPI, he co-founded and directed the independent think tank ProgressiveEconomy until rejoining USTR in 2015. In 2013, the Washington International Trade Association presented him with its Lighthouse Award, awarded annually to an individual or group for significant contributions to trade policy.
Ed is the author of Freedom from Want: American Liberalism and the Global Economy (2007). He has published in a variety of journals and newspapers, and his research has been cited by leading academics and international organizations including the WTO, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund. He is a graduate of Stanford University and holds a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from Columbia Universities and a certificate from the Averell Harriman Institute for Advanced Study of the Soviet Union.
Vickie Gunderson
Senior Coordinator, Climate Task Force, Office of International Affairs at the U.S. Department of TreasuryVickie Gunderson serves as the Senior Coordinator with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Climate Task Force in the Office of International Affairs. In this role, she leads the development, advancement, and coordination of Treasury’s international climate policy. She serves as the U.S. Sherpa to the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action. Vickie joined the Climate Task Force after serving as Deputy Director for the Office of Investment, Energy, and Infrastructure. Prior to joining Treasury, she held policy and technical positions with the U.S. Departments of Commerce and State, U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U.S. National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, the National Academies, and Honeywell (UOP). She is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, holds a B.A. in chemistry from Carleton College, and earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from Northwestern University studying how to efficiently convert sunlight to electricity and liquid fuels.
Robert Holleyman
President & CEO of Crowell & Moring International LLCAmbassador Robert Holleyman is the president and CEO of Crowell & Moring International and a partner in Crowell & Moring’s International Trade, and Privacy and Security groups. He advises clients on a range of trade and investment issues, including market access, global trade negotiations, tariffs, cross-border data flows, and privacy/cybersecurity, among other matters.
In his most recent position, Ambassador Holleyman was responsible for U.S. trade and investment relations with Asia and with regional institutions, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. He led USTR’s negotiations with China, including the annual Joint Committee on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) and with India through the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum (TPF). He was responsible for global trade policy in the areas of services, investment, intellectual property, and innovation.
Ambassador Holleyman led the creation of a new Digital Trade Working Group within USTR to focus on trade policy and the digital economy and to advance U.S. negotiating priorities around digital trade. He developed and advanced USTR’s “Digital2Dozen,” a series of groundbreaking measures secured in the Asia-Pacific region that established rules promoting a free and open internet; expanded e-commerce; led to the free flow of cross-border data transfers; enhanced competition in telecommunications networks, and more. He also represented USTR on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS), reviewing foreign acquisitions of U.S. commercial entities for their impact on national security.
Ambassador Holleyman was appointed by President Obama to serve as a member of the U.S. Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiations (ACTPN). He previously served as a member of the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Services for the U.S. Department of Commerce and USTR. In earlier public service, Ambassador Holleyman was Senior Counsel for the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, and Legislative Director to U.S. Senator Russell B. Long (D-LA).
Ambassador Holleyman was President and CEO of BSA/The Software Alliance from 1990–2013, where he grew it into a global association representing the world’s software powerhouses across 65 countries. At BSA, he positioned companies to address emerging standards, competition, IP, and innovation issues. Ambassador Holleyman has testified frequently before Congress aand appeared in major media outlets in the U.S. and internationally on the topics of innovation, IP, emerging markets, export controls, cybersecurity, digital transformation, and cloud computing. He was named by Managing IP magazine as one of the “50 Most Influential People” in the intellectual property world, by the The Washington Post as a key private sector player in cybersecurity policy, and by Computer Reseller News as one of “20 To Watch” in the software industry.
Ambassador Holleyman received his Juris Doctor degree from Louisiana State University and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity University. He studied at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.
Jake Jennings
Head of Global Trade Policy at AT&TJake Jennings is Assistant Vice President, Head of Global Trade Policy, in Washington DC, where he is responsible for AT&T’s policy development and advocacy on trade focusing on the digital economy and Internet Policy. Jake works closely with AT&T’s diverse business units, and the team of international external affairs advocates around the world. AT&T provides wholesale services to over 220 countries and territories, and provides enterprise services to over 130 countries.
His work includes efforts on market liberalization, pro-competitive licensing procedures, reasonable compliance requirements, and polices to promote a secure and stable internet. Mr. Jennings is based in AT&T’s Washington D.C. office.
Prior to joining AT&T in 2008, Mr. Jennings had been an Associate Bureau Chief for the Federal Communications Commission focused on domestic and international broadband and internet policies. He worked for the Chairman on a new healthcare telemedicine program, “Rural Health Care Pilot Program” and international issues, including Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and International Telecommunications Union). His focus was on broadband deployment, network management, and universal service.
He has previously he worked for a competitive local exchange company as Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Illinois Commerce Commission. He has a graduate degree in Economics from the University of Central Oklahoma.
JJ Ong
Vice President-Federal Government Relations and International Affairs at Freeport-McMoRanJ.J. Ong is an experienced government affairs professional with nearly twenty years of experience in the public and private sectors managing government engagement on policy, trade, and strategic matters. He currently serves as Vice President of Federal Government Relations and International Affairs for Freeport-McMoRan Inc., where he heads the company’s government relations office in Washington, D.C. In this role, J.J. is responsible for overseeing the company’s domestic U.S. political activity and global stakeholder engagement on behalf of Freeport’s U.S. and international business segments.
Prior to joining Freeport, J.J. served as Director for Government Affairs at Chevron Corporation. Before working in the private sector, he previously served in senior staff positions in the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs and with the U.S. Government.
Michael Pergine
Head of Global Policy, Government Relations and ESG Strategy at OrganonMichael is the Head of Global Policy, Government Relations and ESG Strategy for Organon, a US-based multi-national biopharmaceutical company that is the world’s largest MNC focused on improving the health of women. As a founding executive of the multi-billion-dollar Fortune 500 startup, he is responsible for directing global strategic policy-shaping efforts across the full portfolio of Women’s Health, Biosimilars and Legacy Brands franchises, leading international government relations activities, and overseeing the strategic direction of Organon’s comprehensive Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) program.
Prior to joining Organon, Michael spent twenty-five years at Merck & Co., one of the world’s largest and oldest innovative biopharmaceutical companies, preceded by time as a Senior Performance Improvement Consultant at Ernst & Young, and as a Senior Logistics Analyst at BDM Technologies. While at BDM and E&Y, Michael engaged with eight different companies on three continents, across multiple industry sectors including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, medical devices, consumer goods, telecommunications, electronics, industrial paper and packaging, and transportation.
During his career at Merck, Michael took on twelve different roles across the company. He managed a $1.5 Billion annual P&L, delivered profitable sustained growth and dramatic increases in volume and market share, owned and shaped the global strategy and operations for the GARDASIL franchise (the world’s leading HPV cancer prevention vaccine available in more than 130 countries and generating over $3 Billion annually), engaged in product development activities for multiple assets, managed global supply chains, transformed and led critical functions, negotiated contracts worth more than $100 million annual spend in support of global basic research, designed and implemented innovative business process improvements, led business development and alliance management activities, led 10-year-horizon strategic planning efforts across an integrated R&D, manufacturing & supply and commercial vaccine enterprise, built trusting stakeholder relationships, represented Merck to government officials around the world, and built, led and motivated high-performing global teams.
Michael has a degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from Penn State University and has completed extensive executive education and certification programs at Harvard Business School, Wharton, Duke and Georgetown. He is a Board Member for the National Center for APEC where he also serves on the Executive Committee. Michael is a Lecturer for the Preparing Global Leaders Forum, teaching leadership and career development to over 500 students across 85 countries for the US State Department’s flagship youth development program, as well as for the Schmidt Futures / Rhodes Trust RISE program. He also is a guest lecturer for the Preparing to be President course at Georgetown University.
Michael lives in Collegeville, Pennsylvania with his wife of over 25 years. They have two college-age children and a dog. He is proud to be known as “Coach” to so many families in his community for his two-decades long commitment to local youth sports programs.
Marta Prado
Director, Global Government Engagement of Visa Inc.Marta Prado is Director of Global Government Engagement at Visa Inc. based in Washington, DC. In this role, Ms. Prado supports the company’s global business priorities and leads Visa’s engagements with U.S. and foreign government officials and Washington, DC-based advocacy groups, trade associations, and thought leaders.
Before joining Visa, she worked at the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), most recently serving as the Acting Assistant USTR for Southeast Asia & the Pacific and Deputy Assistant USTR for Southeast Asia & the Pacific, with responsibility for developing and implementing U.S. trade policy across the region. Prior to government service, Ms. Prado worked for the World Society for the Protection of Animals and Humane Society International, where she represented those organizations’ respective international trade and economic priorities before governments and international organizations. Earlier in her career, she practiced international trade law at the Law Offices of Stewart & Stewart.
Ms. Prado holds a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center as well as a Bachelor of Arts from Georgetown University.
Kurt Tong
Partner at The Asia Group LLCAmbassador Kurt Tong is a Partner at The Asia Group, where he leads the firm’s work in Japan and the broader East Asia region. A leading expert in diplomacy and economic affairs in East Asia, Ambassador Tong brings thirty years of experience in the Department of State as a career Foreign Service Officer and member of the Senior Foreign Service.
Prior to joining The Asia Group, Ambassador Tong served as Consul General and Chief of Mission in Hong Kong and Macau, leading U.S. political and economic engagement with that important free trade hub. Prior to that role, he served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs at the State Department from 2014 to 2016, guiding the Department’s institutional strengthening efforts as its most senior career diplomat handling economic affairs. He also served as the Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo from 2011 to 2014, where he played a key role in setting the stage for Japan’s entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership and supporting Japan’s recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake.
In 2013, he received the Cordell Hull Award for Economic Achievement by Senior Officers for his outstanding success in advancing U.S. economic interests by reducing trade barriers, increasing market access for American products, and enhancing international cooperation across the Asia Pacific region.
Prior to these positions, Ambassador Tong served as Ambassador for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 2011, leading the U.S. chairmanship of the organization during one of the most productive periods for APEC. As Director of Korean Affairs in the State Department’s Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs, he played a leadership role in negotiations with North Korea as part of the Six-Party Talks and in securing the release of captive Americans held there. He was one of the original architects of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement during the Bush and Obama administrations, including while serving as Director for Asian Economic Affairs at the White House National Security Council from 2006 to 2008.
Earlier in his career, Ambassador Tong served as Economic Minister-Counselor in Seoul, Counselor for Environment, Science and Health at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Deputy Treasury Attaché in Tokyo, and as an economic officer in Manila. He published research on Japanese macroeconomic trends and U.S.-Japan economic diplomacy as a Visiting Scholar with Tokyo University’s Faculty of Economics, and before joining the Foreign Service, was an Associate with the Boston Consulting Group in Tokyo.
Ambassador Tong holds a B.A. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and studied economics at the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. He has also studied at the Beijing Institute of Education, Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies in Taipei, Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Tokyo, and International Christian University in Tokyo.
Ambassador Tong speaks and reads both Japanese and Mandarin Chinese. He was born in Ohio and raised in New England. The son of a collegiate athletic coach, Ambassador Tong enjoys tennis, golf and other sports. He is married to Dr. Mika Marumoto. They have three grown children.