Kekepana International Services

Steve Craven has more than three decades in international business.  Most of that was spent working as an American diplomat for the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce.  Steve’s “clients” in government service include companies in a vast spectrum of industries, and range from one-person operations to the Fortune 500.  Some of those include Boeing, United Technologies, Xcel Energy, Adtranz, Fluor, Stewart & Stevenson, Alliant Techsystems, General Electric, Chrysler and many, many more.  Steve’s efforts and those of his staff achieved proven sales of more than $50 billion.

Steve established Kekepana International Services in 2004.

Steve’s History

2002-2003    Senior Counselor, U.S. Commercial Service
Steve advised the Director General of the U.S. Commercial Service about business policy issues, such as planning for the U.S.-Russia Energy Summit, coping with dwindling trade promotion budgets, and using domestic trade shows to promote American exports.

2000-2002    Director, Rocky Mountain/Southwest Region, U.S. Commercial Service
Based in Denver, Steve managed U.S. Export Assistance Centers in Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona and Nevada.  He helped smaller companies get ready for exporting and win their initial deals in foreign markets, with $243 million in sales in his last year in the job.  His Denver operation was named “2002 Office of the Year” ahead of 106 other U.S. Commercial Service offices.

1996-2000    Commercial Minister, American Embassies in Austria and Slovakia
Steve negotiated intellectual property issues with the governments of Austria and Slovakia.  He advised the Slovak government on import licensing and customs valuation issues.  Based in Vienna, he successfully lobbied the Austrian Government to buy Sikorsky Blackhawk helicopters worth $200 million, the company’s breakthrough sale of the Blackhawk to a European government.  

1993-1996    Commercial Counselor, American Embassy in Singapore
Steve won the Department of Commerce’s Silver Medal for advocacy that led to $110 million for U.S. companies on Singapore’s light rail system.  He initiated U.S. Government commercial operations in Vietnam following the end of the trade embargo.  His policy advice contributed to Boeing’s sale of seventy-seven 777’s to Singapore Airlines, the largest sale in commercial aviation history.  

1989-1993    Commercial Counselor, American Embassy in Germany
Steve was chief operating officer for eight offices in Germany.  He spearheaded a campaign to enable U.S. power producers to break into Germany’s energy market, resulting in a $5 billion deal by Xcel Energy.  He won the Commerce Department’s Bronze Medal for lobbying that enabled McDonnell Douglas to break the French monopoly on European space launches.  Steve managed the American pavilions at CeBIT, the world’s largest trade fair, helping American companies win more than $500 million in off-the-floor sales.  He led the first U.S. environmental mission into eastern Europe.
    
1986-1988    Chief, Commercial Unit, American Institute in Taiwan
Steve led the lobbying for U.S. suppliers that the prime contracts for the heavy rail lines of the Taipei subway system.  He lobbied successfully for General Electric’s victory on a power plant in Taichung.  He helped negotiate an end to Taiwan’s embargo on American wine, beer and tobacco products, and persuaded Taiwan to buy U.S. equipment for their first island-wide environmental monitoring system.

1982-1986    Director, U.S. Export Assistance Center in Honolulu
Steve introduced companies from Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas to international markets.  As an example, he positioned a small woman-owned firm to supply automotive polish to Mazda and Toyota.  He represented the Commerce Department in economic development missions to the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and China, and drafted the commercial provisions for the Compacts of Free Association with the Marshalls and the Federated States.  [The Compacts ended the old Trust Territory of the Pacific and defined U.S. relations with these fledgling nations.]

1981-1982    Director, European Community Policy Division, U.S. Department of Commerce
Steve created the Commerce Department’s first unit devoted to trade policy negotiations with the European Union.  
    
1980-1981    Director, Industry Consultations Program, U.S. Department of Commerce
Steve managed 26 Industry Sector Advisory Committees, the primary means by which American industry provides input to the U.S. Government for trade negotiations.  He testified to Congressional committees on negotiating and trade policy issues.

1974-1980    Director & Negotiator, Trade Negotiations Division, U.S. Department of Commerce
Steve was a U.S. negotiator in the Tokyo Round of multilateral trade talks.  Based in Washington, he was often in Geneva at meetings of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) – now the World Trade Organization.  He negotiated provisions of agreements on subsidies, antidumping duties, import licensing, customs valuation, treatment of least developed countries, dispute settlement, trade in civil aircraft and more.  He conducted bilateral talks with Japan, the European Union, New Zealand, Argentina, Uruguay, Indonesia, Colombia, Canada and others on such subjects as telecommunications liberalization, tariff reductions and intellectual property rights.  

1971-1972    Economist, Africa Division, U.S. Department of Commerce
Steve drafted proposals for the National Security Council on business responsibilities vis-à-vis apartheid in South Africa.  

1970-1971    Economist, Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
Steve developed U.S. positions for NATO negotiations on maritime safety and marine pollution prevention.  

Education

Steve holds an MA in Economics from the University of Hawaii, an MBA in International Business from George Washington University, and a BSFS in International Trade from Georgetown University.  

Other things you might want to know   

Chair, Hawaii/Pacific Export Council, 2007-present       (member since 2004)

Chair, Saipan DOW LLC, 2006-present

Treasurer & Board Member, Common Heritage                 Corporation, 2004-present    

Chair, PlanSEA Foundation, 2009-present

Executive Director, Rocky Mountain Export Council,         2000–2002
Board & Executive Committee, Rocky Mountain               World Trade Center, 2000–2003
International Committee, Colorado Environmental           Business Alliance, 2000-2002
Board of Directors, American Chamber of Commerce       in Austria, 1996–2000
U.S. Delegate, Trans-Atlantic Business Dialog CEO           Conference, 1998
President, Foreign Trade Representatives in                     Singapore, 1994-1996
Board of Directors, American Chamber of Commerce       in Singapore, 1993–1996
Board of Directors, German-American Business Club,       1989–1993
Board of Directors, American Chamber of Commerce       in Taiwan, 1986–1988
Board of Directors, Taipei Youth Program                    Association, 1986-1988
Executive Director, Hawaii/Pacific Export Council,              1982-1986
Chair, Aerospace Industry Advisory Committee,                1979-1980

Languages: professional German, college French

Steve is a competitive outrigger canoe paddler.

Get in touch with Kekepana.  Email is often the best due to travel commitments, but we are always willing to "talk story."

And check out our international business blog, Business Beyond the Reef.