Christopher A. Padilla is vice president, government and regulatory affairs, at IBM Corporation. Prior to joining IBM, Padilla served as undersecretary for international trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce. He led the International Trade Administration, a 2,000-person agency which works to develop U.S. trade policy, promotes and reviews foreign direct investment in the United States, supports U.S. exports, and ensures compliance with international trade agreements and trade laws. Padilla was also appointed by the president to serve on the Congressional-Executive Commission on the People’s Republic of China. Prior to serving as undersecretary, Padilla was assistant secretary of commerce for export administration.