Source: Africa Regional Media Hub |

Africa Regional Media Hub | October 4, 2018 Telephonic Press Briefing ACE Awards (A/S Economic Affairs Singh, DAS African Affairs Harrington)

Established in 1999, the award recognizes U.S. companies that represent American values in their business practices worldwide

The winning U.S. companies are contributing to the growth and sustainable development of the local economies where they do business

NEW YORK, United States of America, October 1, 2018/APO Group/ --

Telephonic Press Briefing with Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, Manisha Singh, and Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, Ambassador Matthew T. Harrington on the Awards for Corporate Excellence.

EVENT:

Please join us on Thursday, October 4 at 8:30 EDT/12:30 UTC/14:30 SAST for a telephonic Press Briefing with Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, Manisha Singh and Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, Ambassador Matthew T. Harrington.  Assistant Secretary Singh and Deputy Assistant Secretary Harrington will discuss the 2018 Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) and U.S. private investment in Africa writ large.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs is pleased to announce the two winners for the 2018 ACE: PVH Corp., with operations in Ethiopia, and Alaffia, with operations in Togo. The winners will be presented with the award in a ceremony on October 5, 2018, at 4:00 p.m. EDT at the State Department.

Established in 1999, the award recognizes U.S. companies that represent American values in their business practices worldwide. The winning U.S. companies are contributing to the growth and sustainable development of the local economies where they do business. This year, the ACE categories are Sustainable Operations and Women’s Economic Empowerment.

The 2018 winners are:

Award for Corporate Excellence in Sustainable Operations: PVH Corp. (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)

Award for Corporate Excellence in Women’s Economic Empowerment: Alaffia (Lome, Togo)

DETAILS:

Speaker: Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, Manisha Singh

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, Ambassador Matthew T. Harrington

Date: October 4, 2018

Time: 8:30EDT/12:30 UTC/14:30 SAST

* Please use Time Zone Converter to determine the start time of the event in your time zone.

Language: English.  French and Portuguese interpretation will be offered.

Ground rules: On the record

Dial-in Info: To be provided once you RSVP

RSVP: RSVP to afmediahub@state.gov.  Please indicate if you will dial in (specify English/French/Portuguese line), or request that we dial out to you (provide the phone number and language to be used).

Twitter: We will use #AFHubPress as the hashtag for the call. Follow us on @AfricaMediaHub and @EconAtState.

LOGISTICS:

  • Callers should dial-in to the conference call 10-15 minutes early. 
  • When an individual journalist dials-in, the operator will collect the caller’s name, press affiliation, and location.  When an embassy dials in, the operator will ask the embassy’s name and location.
  • The moderator will facilitate the Q and A among the connected callers.  Journalists on the conference call will be instructed to press the “*” and “1” buttons on their phones in order to enter the question queue.  NOTE:  You can press “*1” at any time during the call to join the question queue, even before the moderator begins the Q and A portion.  We ask that journalists limit themselves to one question and indicate to which speaker the question is directed.  Journalists can also submit questions in English to afmediahub@state.gov prior to or during the call. 

BIO:

Manisha Singh

Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs

Manisha Singh was unanimously confirmed by the Senate and sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State on November 22, 2017. She leads a team of over 200 employees in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs which also serves as the home bureau for economic officers posted in embassies around the world. She is the first woman appointed to the role and is responsible for advancing American prosperity, entrepreneurship and innovation worldwide. This includes leveling the playing field and providing opportunities for U.S. companies and their workers to compete and succeed.

Ms. Singh previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs responsible for developing and promoting international trade policy. She also served as a senior aide to members of Congress and as Deputy Chief Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, where she managed international economic policy. Her private sector experience includes practicing law at multinational law firms and working in-house at an investment bank. She was also the Senior Fellow for International Economic Affairs at the American Foreign Policy Council as well as a term member at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Ms. Singh completed a Master of Laws (LLM) in International Legal Studies, with concentration in international trade, at the American University Washington College of Law. While completing this degree, she worked in the Office of General Counsel at the United States International Trade Commission. Her educational background also includes earning a Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of Florida College of Law and completing a Certificate at the University of Leiden in The Netherlands. She earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) with honors at the University of Miami at the age of 19. She is admitted to practice law in Florida, the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania. She speaks fluent Hindi and conversational Spanish.

Matthew T. Harrington

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs

Ambassador Matthew T. Harrington, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State since September 4, 2018. He previously served as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Southern Africa and Public Diplomacy/Public Affairs since January 8, 2018. He has spent much of his diplomatic career in Africa or working on African issues. He served as Ambassador to Lesotho from 2014-2017 and, before that, as Director of the Office of Analysis for Africa in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research. He spent two tours as a Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassies in Namibia and Togo, and also worked as a Political Officer in Harare, Zimbabwe, as Sudan Desk Officer in the Bureau of African Affairs, and as a Consular Officer in Accra, Ghana.

In addition, Ambassador Harrington also completed assignments as Counselor for Political-Economic Affairs in Lisbon, Portugal, as a Watch Officer in the Department of State’s Operations Center, and as a Political Officer in Brasilia, Brazil.

Prior to Joining the Foreign Service in 1991, Harrington served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zouerate, Mauritania. He earned a B.A. in history from Washington and Lee University.

Additional Resources

Announcing the 2018 ACE Winners

The Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Regional Media Hub.