Trade & investment

ICC elects Secretary General and Vice-Chairman

  • 24 January 2011

Jean-Guy Carrier was elected the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Secretary General today, having served as Acting Secretary General since July 2010.

He is also Director of Programmes for ICC’s Research Foundation. Harold McGraw III, Chairman of the United States Council for International Business and President and Chief Executive Officer of The McGraw-Hill Companies, becomes ICC Vice-Chairman. He replaces Stephen Green, former Chairman of HSBC, who has moved on to become Trade Minister for the UK government.

More than 80 business members of the ICC World Council – the organization’s governing body – met today in Paris to elect the new leaders. 

Vote of approval for ICC Secretary General

As chief executive of the world business organization, Mr Carrier oversees an array of activities to represent the interests of world business to governments and intergovernmental organizations.

In his wide-ranging international career, Mr Carrier has led various research-based publishing and public information programmes, notably for the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 1996 to 2008, where he was publisher and chief editor. He set up the WTO Reference Centre programme, a network of computerized WTO information and research centres in the trade ministries of over 100 developing countries.

Mr Carrier has authored six books and numerous articles. He has held senior positions with the International Institute for Systems Analysis in Vienna, Austria, the Economic Council of Canada, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and global communications consulting firms.

“It is an honour to be part of such a unique global business organization. ICC provides a forum for companies and other business organizations to examine and better comprehend the major shifts happening in the world economy,” said Mr Carrier as he took on the full role of ICC Secretary General. “Working with the business community worldwide to help shape the economy of the future is an exciting challenge and responsibility.”

McGraw elected ICC Vice-Chairman

Mr McGraw has held increasingly high-ranking positions at The McGraw-Hill Companies since joining the corporation in 1980. These include Vice President, Corporate Planning; Publisher, Aviation Week & Space Technology; President, McGraw-Hill Publications Company; and President, McGraw-Hill Financial Services Company. He was elected Chairman of McGraw-Hill Companies in December 1999 and has been a member of their Board of Directors since 1987. 

Appointed by US President Barack Obama to the US-India CEO Forum in November 2009, Mr McGraw is also a member of the US Trade Representative’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations. He serves on the Boards of Directors of United Technologies and ConocoPhillips, and chairs the Emergency Committee for American Trade and the US-India Business Council.