David Cottrell Email & Phone Number

Washington Dc

QuikRelations is one of the few firms in India that really understands the markets in the smaller non-metros and emerging rural areas in India. It has the ability and experience to be able to reach out to both small and large cities/regions in India. As well as in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Its extensive reach in India covers more than 300 cities across the country with a 100+ member strong team spread across 8 cities and 50+ partner offices.QuikRelations' experienced professionals bring in-depth knowledge of Indian trade, media, consumer trends, government, business, communities and key opinion leaders. They have in-depth existing relationships with key stakeholders in the supply and distribution chain across India including key importers, retail networks, cash and carry players and wholesalers.QuikRelations also has in-house capability for media planning, media buying, creative, research and long-standing relationships with key media houses across the country.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

I managed 25 FAS field offices in Europe (including Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Georgia). I supervised the office heads and oversaw their annual strategy and budgetary process. I ensured workforce plans met FAS/USDA goals and objectives. My visits to assess operations via on-site consultations with local staff and stakeholders, and Chief of Mission were essential to the job.I ensured that officers understand our expectations, reviewed their performance, and suggested areas of improvement. I made sure they had the skills and knowledge to do their jobs, or a plan to obtain them. I insisted that they maintained high moral and ethical standards.I worked with FAS Washington program areas to develop strategies to market US agricultural products in Europe, especially for new/innovative products (including genetically edited crops), I provided field offices with policy guidance and personnel/administrative support. I led partnerships with FAS/USDA Washington (FSIS, APHIS, AMS), USTR, and other US government agencies on behalf of FAS field offices, physically representing them on administrative and policy. I provided opportunities for, and encouraged employees to attend, training to increase interpersonal skills, e.g., cross-cultural communication, negotiation, dispute resolution, problem solving, active listening, etc.Building EEO/Civil Rights awareness and providing pro-active assistance to employees to help with problem solving and resolving conflicts is an important part of the position. I recruited and selected new employees based on organizational goals, budgets, and staffing needs, while building a diverse workforce. I was the adviser for a weekly afternoon seminar in Washington that brings together all the new foreign service hires to introduce them to topics and issues that they will face overseas. I advocated for professional development resources and served as a professional mentor for selected junior officers.

Pretoria Area, South Africa

I led a team of 11 professionals representing FAS/USDA in the following countries: South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. We partnered with governments and the private sector to promote the adoption of trade-facilitation policies, science based regulations, and improved agricultural statistics. I worked with US Ambassadors, US Commerce and State Department officers (USAID, Economic Bureau), to articulate and advance USG positions to promote US policies and programs that expand agricultural trade and capacity building. We engaged with host government officials and NGOs on developing reasonable regulations and policies relating to international standards and issues connected to WTO SPS and TBT agreements, OIE, IPPC and CODEX guidance, and biotechnology protocols, We supported food security programs and help US exporters develop and maintain markets in our region. I encouraged staff to build and maintain strong working relationships and develop exceptional analytical, written and oral communication skills. I fostered a tight working team environment and insisted that all staff constantly strive to train themselves to translate complex issues so that they are easily understood by non-technical audiences.

Washington Dc

As Director of the Processed Products and Technical Regulations Division (PPTRD) in FAS' Office of Agreements and Scientific Affairs (OASA), I led 13 experts to confront unfair trade regulations and standards around the world. Focusing on unreasonable labeling, registration, and certification regulations, my division reviewed hundreds of such WTO TBT and SPS notifications annually which potentially affect billions of dollars of US exports. Using our strategic relationships with staff and leadership at the State Department, Commerce, USTR, HHS, USDA (FSIS, APHIS, AMS), FDA, US agricultural associations and and NGOs, we generate in-depth technical and policy strategies to advocate US government policies, with the goal of convincing countries to revise their regulations. My responsibilities included covering the WTO TBT committees in Geneva and six CODEX committees for FAS. I also led a team of intra-agency experts to UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain to leverage a combination of technical and diplomatic arguments that successfully reversed their stance on a processed foods certificate that will allow more than $3 billion of US exports to flow to the region.I led FAS’ organic policy interaction, together with USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and the US Trade Representative (USTR) to negotiate equivalency agreements that facilitate US organic exports to Mexico. I was also the Designated Federal Official (DFO) for the USDA/USTR Agricultural Technical Advisory Group on Processed Foods, 35 high level representatives from associations and food industries (such as Kraft, Campbell Soup, Land O’Lakes) that advise USDA and USTR on trade policy.

Beijing City, China

Managed six American officers and seven local staff in the FAS/USDA Beijing Office of Agricultural Affairs (OAA). Beijing is FAS' largest office and has the greatest number of high level delegations. Provided timely reports on agriculture and trade in China, assisted US companies with market access issues, and responded to daily requests from within the Embassy. Worked with USTR, Commerce, USTDA, agricultural associations, and NGOs to convince the Chinese government to allow more varieties of soybeans (worth hundreds of millions of dollars) into China and to streamline their biotechnology approval system.Developed a "One USDA China" concept to mobilize all USDA China resources to tackle issues through multiple angles and more efficiently distribute the workload, leveraging the expertise of the ATO (Agricultural Trade Office) staff. ATO staff now gather relevant policy information while also reporting on promotions, and OAA staff focused on resolving priority issues.I initiated weekly attaché, admin, and ATO meetings to increase awareness of issues across programs and reduce the insularity among staff as they struggled to keep up with demands. These meetings created an opportunity for staff to share the current market intelligence on issues, contribute complementary updates, and track meetings, visitors, and deadlines.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

As the FAS/USDA point person for the USDA Regulatory Cooperation Task Force (comprised of high level officials from the main regulatory agencies in USDA-AMS, FSIS, APHIS), I managed and led the team’s interaction with a myriad of White House initiatives. I coordinated USDA contributions to the U.S.-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) and the U.S.- Canada Beyond the Border initiative. As the primary task force representative at National Security Council and other high-level meetings, I advocated on USDA’s behalf with the White House appointed political officials that were driving these initiatives forward. Along the way I assisted the team in developing the right type of vision, strategies, and tools for obtaining results as these initiatives unfolded.I coordinated USDA bilateral work with Canada and Mexico, such as with the Consultative Committees on Agriculture (CCA). I led crosscutting initiatives to address trade policy concerns with Canada and Mexico, our 2nd and 3rd largest agricultural markets. I prepared the USDA Secretary for his participation at the 2014 Global Forum in Mexico and was part of the delegation supporting the USDA Deputy Under Secretary in the Canada CCA in Ottawa. I carefully monitored a delicate issue following the absence of progress in discussions with the Canadians on their special privileges under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. Canada’s special privileges were later withdrawn when it was clear that an impasse in the discussions had been reached. I helped create agreement between Canadian representatives and USDA on the agricultural elements of the greater Joint Forward Plan, including RCC USDA commitments. This plan covers 29 specific initiatives in four main sectors (agriculture and food, transportation, health and personal care products, environment). The nature of the work includes pilot projects, scientific and technical collaborations, harmonized testing procedures, and joint standards.

Algeria, France, The Netherlands, Malaysia And Venezuela

These are the Posts that I served in between 1992 and 2013. In between Posts I would be back in the USDA Headquarters in Washington DC.2011 to 2013: Caracas, Venezuela. Head of office2007 to 2011:Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (also covered Singapore and Papua New Guinea). Head of Office1999 to 2002: The Hague, The Netherlands. Agricultural Attache1995 to 1998: Paris, France. Agricultural Attache1992 to 1993: Algiers, Algeria. Assistant Agricultural Trade Officer

Washington

2005 to 2007: Office of Capacity Building and Development. Special Asst. to the Deputy Administrator2003 to 2005: International Trade Policy. Special Assistant to the Deputy Administrator2002 to 2003: International Trade Policy. International Economist, Europe.1994 to 1995: Dairy, Livestock, and Products. International Economist, Poultry and Eggs1989 to 1992: Horticultural and Tropical Products. International Economist, Canada and Mexico Horticultural Trade and Technical Policies1987 to 1989: International Economist. Japan and China Trade Policy

Ms, Geography, Agricultural Economics, Teaching

Studied Agricultural Economics, geography, teaching.

Bachelor'S Degree, Geography, Liberal Studies

Studied geography and liberal studies