The Northwest Seaport Alliance : Ports of Seattle & Tacoma a Critical Link in Trade with the U.S

Columbia Bank Going Global Series THE NORTHWEST SEAPORT ALLIANCE : PORTS OF SEATTLE & TACOMA A CRITICAL LINK IN TRADE WITH THE U.S.

Consistent and reliable port connections are key for satisfied customers and supply chain performance. As Vietnam has grown in importance as a global manufacturing and sourcing location, so has the need for more options and better access for Vietnamese companies to the U.S. marketplace. The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), a revolutionary marine cargo operating partnership of the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, has created one of the largest port gateways in North America and yielded new efficiencies for shipping from Vietnam to destinations throughout the U.S. The NWSA’s geographic location on the Transpacific trade route and abundance of port-owned and nearby industrial lands has fueled interest in warehousing, manufacturing and logistics services to support this two-way trade and growing cargo volumes between Vietnam and the U.S. Hear an overview of trade and trade prospects between Vietnam and the Pacific Northwest from the World Trade Center Tacoma. The NWSA Team will discuss the competitive advantages for shippers using the Seattle-Tacoma gateway and the extensive supply chain network and trade opportunities that make the NWSA the choice for Vietnam-U.S. trade. Register today: bit.ly/NWSAVietnam

JOHN WOLFE DON ESTERBROOK CEO, Northwest Seaport Alliance Deputy CEO, Northwest Seaport Alliance John Wolfe is chief executive officer of The North- Don Esterbrook is the deputy CEO leading the west Seaport Alliance. He sets the organization’s commercial and operations groups. vision and strategy, and guides the NWSA’s He has nearly 30 years of maritime industry expe- unique customer-focused culture. rience, with 15 years in senior leadership. Wolfe previously served as the CEO of the Port of Tacoma, a position Before joining the NWSA, Esterbrook spent the past three years as he was named to in 2010. the Port of Tacoma’s chief operating officer and deputy CEO, where Prior to joining the Port of Tacoma, Wolfe served for two years as the he oversaw the Port’s operations, maintenance, security, labor rela- executive director of the Port of Olympia, and before that as Olym- tions and asset management. pia’s director of operations and marine terminal general manager. Esterbrook’s past experience also includes 16 years with Orient Wolfe also spent 10 years with Maersk Sealand/APM Terminals in Overseas Container Line, most recently as regional sales director for Tacoma, most recently as the terminal’s operations manager. nine western states.

TONG ZHU MICHAEL FOWLER Chief Commercial & Strategy Officer, Senior Trade Consultant, Northwest Seaport Alliance World Trade Center Tacoma Tong Zhu Tong oversees the organization’s com- Michael Fowler serves as Senior Trade Consultant mercial team, including the alliance’s cargo and at the World Trade Center Tacoma. real estate businesses, marketing and research. Michael is fluent in Chinese and Japanese and has Zhu most recently served as the chief commercial officer at the Port extensive experience as a consultant assisting US firms access Asian of Tacoma since 2010. She joined the Port of Tacoma in 2007. As markets. chief commercial officer, she managed the activities of the Port’s Chair Emeritus of the Pacific Northwest International Trade Alliance, diversified business portfolio, including container, non-container he currently serves on the Board of Directors of World Affairs Coun- (breakbulk and RoRo), intermodal and real estate. She also oversaw cil in Tacoma. the marketing, research and customer outreach activities of the Port’s business development teams. A former Senior Editor of Business Tokyo magazine, Mike holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from Sophia University Before joining the Port of Tacoma, Zhu managed international re- Graduate School of Comparative Culture in Tokyo and a Bachelor of lations at the Port of Seattle and directed the State of Washington’s Arts in Chinese from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. greater China trade development programs.

WORLD TRADE CENTER TACOMA • 950 Pacific Ave • (253) 396-1022 • www.wtcta.org • [email protected]