April 4th, 2008

Chris Israel

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Author: Chris Israel || Location: Washington, DC, USA

Mr. Israel is a Senior Research Fellow with the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI), and co-founder and managing partner of PCT Government Relations, LLC, a bipartisan, public policy advisory firm focused on issues involving an emerging asset class - Intellectual Property (i.e., patents, copyrights and trademarks) and technology.

Mr. Israel is an accomplished public and private sector executive with an extraordinary record of leadership, including senior-level appointments by the President of the United States, service on Capitol Hill and holding a senior-level position within a Fortune 50 company. He is an expert in developing and executing effective policy and communications strategies. He is a frequent international speaker on IP and innovation issues and was named one of the 50 "Most Influential People on IP" by Managing Intellectual Property magazine in 2006. In addition, he currently serves as a Senior Research Fellow with the Institute for Policy Innovation specializing in intellectual property and technology issues.  

Prior to PCT, Mr. Israel was appointed to be the first U.S. Coordinator for International Intellectual Property Enforcement by President Bush in July of 2005. As Coordinator, Mr. Israel was responsible for coordinating and leveraging the resources within the federal government to protect U.S. intellectual property at home and abroad. His accomplishments include leading the STOP! (Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy) initiative and the National Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Coordination Council.

Prior to being appointed Coordinator, Mr. Israel was Deputy Chief of Staff to Commerce Secretaries Donald L. Evans and Carlos Gutierrez, where he assisted in the leadership and management of all major Commerce Department priorities such as passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement, the Secretary’s Manufacturing Initiative and engagement with major trading partners, as well as serving as senior liaison to the White House and other federal agencies.

Prior to being Deputy Chief of Staff, he was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy at the Commerce Department by President Bush. While there, he led the development and execution of the Administration's policies that enable the maximization of technology's contribution to the U.S. economy.

Before serving at the Commerce Department, Mr. Israel was Deputy Director for International Policy at Time Warner where he worked on issues such as the protection of personal data collected on-line, management and protection of digital content and international e-commerce. Earlier in his career, he served on Capitol Hill for U.S. Representative Jan Meyers (R-KS) and later with U.S. Representative Todd Tiahrt (R-KS).

Mr. Israel received his B.A. from the University of Kansas and an M.B.A. from The George Washington University.