Panellists Speaker
Panel 2: Imperatives for Securing the Food Production Base
Mr Bruce Blakeman
Prior to joining Cargill in October 2005, Bruce served four years as a Presidential Appointee in the Bush Administration. He was first appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Department of Commerce where he ran the domestic operations of the U.S. Commercial Service (2001-2003). He was then asked to serve as the Secretary of Commerce Donald Evan’s special envoy to China stationed in the Beijing Embassy where he served for two years (2003-2005).
Before joining the government, Bruce was a Senior Vice President for Wirthlin Worldwide, living in Washington, D.C., Singapore and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Wirthlin Worldwide was a global communications & branding strategy consultancy and political consulting firm headed by President Ronald Reagan’s chief strategist, Dr. Richard Wirthlin.
In the early 1990s, Bruce was the first foreign political campaign advisor to the Liberal Party of Australia, based in Canberra for two-and-a-half years. Bruce began his career as a political campaign manager and consultant. He has also worked for the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Bruce is from Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA and grew up on a blueberry farm.
Vice President, Corporate Affairs Asia Pacific, Cargill, and Chair of the US-ASEAN Business Council Food & Agriculture Committee
Bruce Blakeman is the Vice President for Corporate Affairs in the Asia-Pacific region for Cargill stationed in Singapore. His responsibilities include managing government relations, stakeholder management, M&A, internal & external communications, issues management, and corporate social responsibility activities in the Asia-Pacific region.Prior to joining Cargill in October 2005, Bruce served four years as a Presidential Appointee in the Bush Administration. He was first appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Department of Commerce where he ran the domestic operations of the U.S. Commercial Service (2001-2003). He was then asked to serve as the Secretary of Commerce Donald Evan’s special envoy to China stationed in the Beijing Embassy where he served for two years (2003-2005).
Before joining the government, Bruce was a Senior Vice President for Wirthlin Worldwide, living in Washington, D.C., Singapore and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Wirthlin Worldwide was a global communications & branding strategy consultancy and political consulting firm headed by President Ronald Reagan’s chief strategist, Dr. Richard Wirthlin.
In the early 1990s, Bruce was the first foreign political campaign advisor to the Liberal Party of Australia, based in Canberra for two-and-a-half years. Bruce began his career as a political campaign manager and consultant. He has also worked for the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Bruce is from Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA and grew up on a blueberry farm.