WTO Forum Misses Mark WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a well meaning leader who has correctly focused on some of the organization’s bureaucratic management problems. However, like too many of her predecessors, she misses out on some tactics that could move the ball forward on trade liberalization. The annual Public Forum has just concluded and like the agendas of previous years, there is nothing compelling about it for the core agenda – removing trade barriers. The agenda was entitled, “The Missing Peace” looked into how to involve youth in trade, policymaking and peacebuilding for a more sustainable future. The core mission of the WTO is not youth or sustainability. The main hurdle to mission progress i...
Weighing in on strategic realignment
WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.