The United States in the Asia Pacific

United States regional strategy in the Asia Pacific, often referred to as the Rebalance, seeks to capitalize on significant political and economic opportunities in the region while addressing challenges that may inhibit this level of engagement. The Asia Pacific represents half of the world's population, a third of global GDP, and includes major U.S. allies and players on the world stage. In this light, Washington encourages security and stability in the region, a fabric that is often stressed with ongoing disputes and good-governance concerns.

On June 2, join the World Affairs Council for a discussion on securing U.S. interests and involvement in the Asia Pacific. Our panel for this conversation will include Lieutenant General Stephen R. Lanza, Commanding General of the U.S. Army's First Corps and Senior Commander of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and John Macpherson, Senior Managing Director - Consulting Practices, Greater China and North Asia, Control Risks. The conversation will be moderated by Josh Gaul, Partner, K&L Gates.

This event is part of the 2015-2016 Community Programs Policy & Thought Leaders Series.

About our speakers:

Lieutenant General Stephen R. Lanza assumed command I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on February 6, 2014. I Corps is a globally responsive and regionally aligned force that supports the Pacific region. Through military-to-military engagements, partnership capacity building exercises, and security force assistance operations, America’s Corps provides agile mission command and trained forces to support the Army’s Prevent, Shape, and Win Strategy. I Corps is comprised of the 7th Infantry Division at JBLM, the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, I Corps (Forward) at Camp Zama, Japan, the 593rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command at JBLM, and the United States Army-Alaska brigade combat teams located at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Fort Wainwright.

Lieutenant General Stephen R. Lanza was commissioned into the Field Artillery in 1980 after graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He is a graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the School for Advanced Military Studies at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He has a bachelor of science degree from the United States Military Academy, a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University and a Master of Science in National Security and Strategic Studies from the National War College at Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C. He has also served as a National Security Fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

LTG Lanza has commanded Soldiers at all levels including the 7th Infantry Division at JBLM; 5th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq; and the 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

His senior staff assignments include the Aide-De-Camp to the Commander in Chief, United States Army Europe/Commander, NATO Peace Stabilization Force; Concepts Team Chief for the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, G3, Pentagon; Chief, Joint Capabilities Division, J8, the Joint Staff, Pentagon; Deputy Commanding General for V Corps, U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany; G3, Chief of Operations, U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany; J9, Director for Strategic Effects, Multi-National Forces-Iraq (MNF-I), Iraq; Spokesman, United States Force-Iraq (USF-I), Iraq; and the Army’s Chief of Public Affairs for the Secretary of the Army, Washington D.C.

LTG Lanza’s operational deployment experience includes Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Saudi Arabia; Operation Joint Guard, Bosnia-Herzegovina; Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq; and Operation New Dawn, Iraq.

John Macpherson is the Senior Partner for Control Risks, Greater China and North Asia. He has responsibility for Control Risks’ business intelligence, political risk, fraud and forensics, ethics and compliance, crisis and consulting practices across mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, the Koreas and Mongolia and working with Chinese companies outbound to complex environments in the Middle East and Africa.

John is an expert in complex problem-solving. He advises companies on how to successfully manage the commercial and operational challenges posed by China’s political, economic and regulatory environments, and governance and security issues. He works with companies in China to mitigate and develop strategic responses to political crises, complex governance and compliance issues, and disputes with third parties and competitors. John is one of the region’s leading experts in responding to Chinese regulatory investigations and in negotiation of coercive commercial and labour disputes.

Recent projects include:

• Led the response and recovery for a number of high-profile corruption and anti-trust regulatory investigations in the healthcare and automotive sectors in China.
• Designed the strategy to negotiate and resolve large commercial disputes for multinational manufacturing companies in China.
• Designed anti-bribery and corruption risk assessments for companies reviewing their compliance with local laws and regulations.
• Advised multinational companies on investment and third party risk, M&A transaction and divestment risks
• In-depth stakeholder analysis for industrial reform and government relations engagement strategies

Over the past 11 years, John has held various roles with Control Risks: Director of Crisis and Security Consulting, based in Shanghai; General Manager in Hong Kong; Manager for Global Client Services and Senior Consultant in Crisis and Security Consulting for Australia Pacific. Prior to joining Control Risks, John was a Senior Advisor in the Australian Government.

John has a degree in social science (international relations) from the University of NSW and qualifications in risk assessment.

Josh Gaul is a partner in the Seattle office of K&L Gates, where he practices corporate, mergers and acquisitions, and securities law. His experience includes a wide range of corporate and transactional matters, including entity formation, corporate governance, venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, SEC compliance matters, and commercial contracts. He has worked with clients from a variety of industries, including aerospace and defense, transportation, logistics, energy, media, food production, technology, and sports and entertainment in North America, Europe, and Asia.