The America-Eurasia Business Coalition’s first Star of Excellence Award went to The Ford Motor Company who sponsored AEBC’s first business roundtable discussion with representatives from countries in Europe and Asia.

Ford has announced the next phase of its European transformation, reinforcing its commitment to the region for both retail and commercial customers with a strategy focused on agility, cost efficiency, and a sharpened brand promise.

Ford’s strategy for Europe is built on three pillars – further strengthening its successful Ford Pro commercial vehicle division, expanding the Ford passenger car range with distinctive new vehicles, and optimizing its industrial system to drive scale and cost efficiencies.

Ford Motor Company is an iconic American manufacturer, assembling a large portion of its vehicles in the U.S. with popular models like the F-150, Bronco, Mustang, Explorer, and Ranger built in plants across Michigan, Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky, employing thousands of American workers and investing heavily in domestic production, including new EV facilities.  Nearly 80% of the vehicles Ford sells in the U.S. are assembled domestically.

Caterpillar Inc. has extensive operations across Europe and Asia, with major presences in the UK (manufacturing, R&D, distribution), China (manufacturing diverse equipment), Singapore (Asia Pacific HQ, parts, manufacturing), India (manufacturing), and significant dealer networks and sales in countries like Italy, France, and Russia/Eurasia, serving vital sectors like construction, mining, and energy with localized manufacturing, distribution, and dedicated sales support. These regions are crucial for Caterpillar's global strategy, balancing regional economic conditions, like weaker excavator demand in China, with long-term growth opportunities, supported by local dealer networks and facilities. 

Caterpillar employs thousands in the U.S. and operates over 65 key locations in 25 states, including major facilities in Illinois (East Peoria, Decatur) and Indiana (Lafayette). Caterpillar workers in the U.S. build products that are shipped worldwide, making it a significant U.S. net exporter. In essence, Caterpillar is a quintessential American manufacturing success story, deeply rooted in the U.S. and serving global markets from its American production base. 

The EBRD was originally established in 1991 to help post-Communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe transition to market economies and democracy. The bank is a major investor in the region, focusing on developing the private sector, infrastructure, and green economy projects. Central Europe and the Baltic states (e.g., Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia, where projects often benefit from EU funding). Eastern Europe and the Caucasus (e.g., Ukraine, where the EBRD has a significant resilience package following the invasion; Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova). Southeastern Europe and the Western Balkans; and Türkiye. 

The EBRD has expanded its reach into Asia, primarily focusing on the Central Asian region to foster market-oriented economies and support sustainable development. The bank is a leading institutional investor in Central Asia, providing financing for vital infrastructure, energy projects, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Central Asia (e.g., Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan). The bank has invested over €10 billion in Kazakhstan and surpassed €5 billion in Uzbekistan, supporting projects such as renewable energy, transport infrastructure (like the Transcaspian Corridor), and water management. 

Citi is strategically shifting focus in Europe and Asia from consumer banking to wealth management and institutional clients, exiting retail operations in 13 markets (like India, China, Australia) since 2021 to streamline, while strengthening its presence in core markets like Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and major European financial hubs (London, Frankfurt, etc.) to serve global clients with cross-border needs. They leverage their global network for institutional banking, private banking, and wealth management in these regions, emphasizing growth in Asia's innovation and wealth hubs. 

Citi's overall approach is to be a preeminent banking partner for institutions with cross-border needs and a global leader in wealth management, leveraging its network spanning 160 jurisdictions worldwide.  Hong Kong and Singapore serve as primary wealth management hubs. The bank provides a full suite of services including investment banking, commercial banking, private banking, and transaction services to corporations and institutions. The investment banking pipeline, particularly in M&A in China and India, is predicted to be strong in 2026.

Boeing International’s global reach includes airlines and U.S.-allied government customers in 150 countries and employs approximately 145,000 employees across the United States and in more than 65 countries. Boeing is the United States’ largest exporter and works closely with its many manufacturing, service and technology partners around the world to create the greatest aerospace products. In fact, more than 70% of its total backlog is represented by customers outside the U.S. 

Boeing has significant operations and key markets in Asia and Europe, focusing on commercial aircraft sales to growing Asian economies (China, Southeast Asia) and established European carriers, alongside defense partnerships, supply chain development, and local technical support, driving demand for new planes like the 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner to meet expanding air travel needs, even while navigating production challenges and supply chain issues. Both regions face significant fleet replacement needs, with high demand for new aircraft as older planes are retired.  Boeing faces challenges meeting demand due to ongoing supply chain issues, impacting delivery rates. The 787 Dreamliner plays a key role in connecting Asia and Europe with long-haul flights. 

A 40-year Caterpillar Veteran and President Emeritus of the US Global Leadership Coalition, Bill Lane is one of the business community's leading advocates for free trade and global engagement. As the leader of a global team of government affairs professionals, Bill has been responsible for Caterpillar's advocacy in support of competitiveness, trade liberalization and economic growth. An alumni of Penn State, Bill has given back to the University by supporting scholarships in international business.

Bill Lane is Board Member of the Washington International Trade Association. President Emeritus of the US Global Leadership Coalition. From supporting free trade agreements to opposing unilateral sanctions and protectionist schemes, Bill has been center stage during many of the most contentious trade debates of the past three decades. He was a leader of the Cuba normalization effort while continuing to play a leadership role in support of America's diplomacy and development efforts. Mr. Lane was chairman of the U.S. Latin America Trade Coalition, a group that led the advocacy effort in support of the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with Colombia and Panama. 

Dechert lawyers have been actively advising clients on a wide range of transactions and disputes throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia (“EECA”) for over 30 years. It has a  dedicated regional team of multi-lingual lawyers who are qualified in various EECA jurisdictions including recognized authorities on doing business in this region. Where needed, Dechert partner with select local counsel to ensure the highest quality service on all matters and focuses on delivering results-oriented solutions that bridge business cultures to achieve its clients’ goals.

The team has advised on matters in nearly every country of the former Soviet Union, as well as in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey. Its sectoral expertise includes agribusiness, automotive, energy, hospitality, life sciences, manufacturing, mining, retail and TMT (telecommunications, media and technology).

Laura Brank has been a corporate and finance lawyer focused on cross-border transactions. For more than 30 years, she has advised multinational corporations, investment funds, banks, multilateral institutions and high-net-worth individuals on complex cross-border corporate and finance matters, as well as on corporate governance and compliance issues, with a focus on economic sanctions and export controls. Her work spans emerging markets, particularly Eastern Europe and Central Asia. She has extensive experience in the mining, energy, technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, agribusiness, hospitality and manufacturing sectors. 

United Technologies (UTC) had significant operations in Europe and Asia, focusing on aerospace (Pratt & Whitney, UTC Aerospace Systems) and building technologies (Carrier, Otis, UTC Climate, Controls & Security), with major R&D hubs like the UTC Research Centre in Ireland and extensive engineering/manufacturing for local markets, though the corporate structure evolved with its merger into Raytheon Technologies in 2020, integrating its aerospace side. 

RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon Technologies) now focuses on: Aerospace and defense units which includes Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace, both of which maintain extensive service centers and supply chains across Europe and Asia to support commercial and military aviation. 

RTX has a significant presence in Europe, with over 65 sites and 21,000 employees across the continent. Pratt & Whitney opened a new European Technology and Innovation Center in the Netherlands. Manufacturing Expansion: Collins Aerospace has expanded its major facility in Tajęcina, Poland, and operates numerous other engineering and manufacturing sites in countries including France, Germany, and the UK. RTX has many facilities across the U.S., involved in design, engineering, and production for both commercial and defense sectors, from advanced radars in Andover, MA, to missile production in Arkansas. RTX continuously invests in expanding its domestic manufacturing, creating American jobs and bolstering domestic supply chains for critical defense technologies.

The EBRD was originally established in 1991 to help post-Communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe transition to market economies and democracy. The bank is a major investor in the region, focusing on developing the private sector, infrastructure, and green economy projects. Central Europe and the Baltic states (e.g., Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia, where projects often benefit from EU funding). Eastern Europe and the Caucasus (e.g., Ukraine, where the EBRD has a significant resilience package following the invasion; Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova). Southeastern Europe and the Western Balkans; and Türkiye. 

The EBRD has expanded its reach into Asia, primarily focusing on the Central Asian region to foster market-oriented economies and support sustainable development. The bank is a leading institutional investor in Central Asia, providing financing for vital infrastructure, energy projects, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Central Asia (e.g., Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan). The bank has invested over €10 billion in Kazakhstan and surpassed €5 billion in Uzbekistan, supporting projects such as renewable energy, transport infrastructure (like the Transcaspian Corridor), and water management.