The International Trade Administration at the Commerce Department has found a replacement for its former leader Grant Aldonas, who left last year to join the Washington law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld

Manufacturing & Technology News, Feb 6, 2006

The International Trade Administration at the Commerce Department has found a replacement for its former leader Grant Aldonas, who left last year to join the Washington law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. Franklin Lavin was sworn into the post as Under Secretary for International Trade in November. He is in charge of 2,500 employees and is responsible for developing U.S. trade policy, administering trade laws, resolving market access issues and promoting trade for U.S. businesses overseas. ITA has a budget of $400 million.

Lavin was U.S. Ambassador to Singapore from 2001 to 2005. Between 1996 and 2001, he worked as a banker and venture capitalist for Bank of America and Citibank in Hong Kong and Singapore. During the first Bush administration, he served as deputy assistant secretary of commerce for Asia and the Pacific. During the Reagan administration, he served in the White House as director of the Office of Political Affairs. He graduated from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and received an M.Sc. in Chinese language and history, also from Georgetown.