María Baron

Global Executive Director, Directorio Legislativo, and Co-Chair, Steering Committee, Open Government Partnership (2020-2021)

María Baron is the Global Executive Director of Directorio Legislativo in Argentina. She is a journalist, has received a Masters Degree in International Relations from the University of Bologna, Italy, and is a PhD candidate in Political Science at Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Argentina. She is also a Fulbright-APSA Congressional Fellow and holder of the 2013 NDI’s Civic Innovator Prize. She has worked for civil society nonprofit organizations in Argentina and abroad with the aim of reducing unethical practices of lawmakers and public officials. Ms. Baron initiated and currently chairs the Latin American Network for Legislative Transparency composed of 24 organizations in 12 countries of the region. Ms. Baron has been a civil society member of the Open Government Partnership Steering Committee since 2016. She is the currently serving as the Lead Civil Society Co-Chair (2020 – 2021).

Kendra L. Gaither

Vice President, Africa Division, and Executive Director, Coalition for the Rule of Law in Global Markets, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Kendra L. Gaither serves as Vice President for the Africa Division and Executive Director for the Coalition for the Rule of Law in Global Markets at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 2015 as senior director for policy in the Americas. She joined the Chamber from Carnegie Mellon University, where she was a global initiatives adviser in the College of Engineering and executive director of the Center for International Policy and Innovation. An alumna of the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship, Ms. Gaither began her career in international affairs at the U.S. Department of State. There she spent more than 10 years as a career diplomat and civil servant specialized in international economic and trade issues in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Ms. Gaither holds a B.S. in economics from North Carolina A&T State University, as well as an M.A. in international affairs and an M.B.A. in international business finance from The George Washington University.

Charles R. Johnston

Managing Director, Global Government Affairs, Citigroup, and Chair, Business at OECD (BIAC)

Charles R. Johnston is responsible for management of Citi’s relationships with governments and political figures in more than 100 countries around the world. Mr. Johnston is an internationally-recognized expert in international trade and investment, and has advised both U.S. and foreign-government leaders as well as major multinational corporations on a broad array of commercial and strategic transnational issues. Mr. Johnston served as an attorney adviser to a Commissioner at the U.S. International Trade Commission from 1976-78. He then served as International Trade Counsel to the Finance Committee of the United States Senate, advising senators and their staffs on international trade and investment issues as well as representing the U.S. Senate in the conduct of Congressional oversight of international trade negotiations performed by the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government. In 1980 he entered the private practice of law, forming a partnership to specialize in international commercial issues. Mr. Johnston earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1970 and a juris doctorate degree from California Western School of Law in 1973.

Welby Leaman

Senior Director, Global Government Affairs, Walmart

Welby Leaman is Senior Director of Global Government Affairs at Walmart and the lead on Latin America. Previously, in a decade of U.S. government service, he served as Trade Counsel to the House Ways & Means Committee chairman, was Director of International Investment at the National Security Council, and did two stints as a Senior Advisor at the U.S. Treasury. He negotiated trade agreements, was the lead author of the CFIUS regulations, and managed U.S. House passage of the Colombia trade agreement. He has practiced law at Debevoise & Plimpton (NY) and Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering (DC), was placed for several years into the Peruvian government by the UNDP, and held other positions in Latin America. Mr. Leaman is a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, chairs the board of the Nazareth Project, and serves on the advisory boards of INCAE Business School, the Aspen Institute Socrates Program, and the Rosenthal Fellowship. He holds a B.S. from Messiah College and a J.D. from Yale Law School. During his 2014 Eisenhower Fellowship in Brazil, Mr. Leaman identified foreign investment best practices in intellectual property-intensive sectors.

David B. Moyer

Deputy General Counsel for Organizational Capability, Chevron

David Moyer is Chevron’s Deputy General Counsel for Organizational Capability. He previously served as Chevron’s Chief Corporate Counsel; General Counsel, Chevron Africa and Latin America Exploration and Production Company; Managing Counsel, Latin America Business Unit; and Senior Counsel, Upstream International Litigation Management. Mr. Moyer joined Chevron in 2008 after 12 years of law firm practice. He has been a member of the adjunct faculty for Stanford Law School’s Trial Advocacy Workshop since 2005, and also is a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators, the Advisory Board of the Institute for Energy Law, the International Bar Association, and the State Bar of California. Mr. Moyer earned a BA in International Relations from Stanford University and a JD from the University of Illinois. He served on active duty in the U.S. Army from 1983 to 1989.

Ted Piccone

Chief Engagement Officer, World Justice Project

Ted Piccone is the Chief Engagement Officer at the World Justice Project, where he leads WJP’s efforts to advance the rule of law through strategic partnerships and convenings, coordinated advocacy, and locally-led initiatives around the world. Mr. Piccone is a recognized expert on global democracy and human rights policies, emerging powers, multilateral affairs, and U.S.-Latin American relations. He has more than 30 years' experience in international relations, policy, and law, most recently as a Senior Fellow specializing in international order and strategy and Latin America at the Brookings Institution. Previously, he served as the acting vice president and deputy director for Brookings’ Foreign Policy program and remains affiliated as a nonresident scholar. Mr. Piccone was a senior foreign policy advisor at the State Department, National Security Council and the Pentagon, and Executive Director of the Democracy Coalition Project. He was also the Washington office director for the Club de Madrid and continues as an advisor. Mr. Piccone holds honor degrees from Columbia University’s Law School and the University of Pennsylvania and teaches international human rights law at American University’s Washington College of Law.

David Torstensson

Partner, Pugatch Consilium

Dr. David Torstensson is a partner with Pugatch Consilium. Dr. Torstensson focuses on policy and economic analysis related to innovation, intellectual property, the rule of law, tax, health care and pharmaceuticals. He is the author of several commissioned research papers and academic publications. Dr. Torstensson has wide experience in quantitative research methods, including index-building and data sampling. Most recently Dr. Torstensson designed and co-authored the 2019 editions of the International IP Index and the Global Rule of Law and Business Dashboard, both commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the sixth edition of Building the Bioeconomy, commissioned by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization. His knowledge spans from North America and Europe to the BRIC economies, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Prior to his work with Pugatch Consilium, Dr. Torstensson was with Deloitte LLP. Dr. Torstensson holds a Master of Studies and DPhil (PhD) from Oxford University.