There is no question, the transatlantic trade and investment relationship between the UK and the United States (U.S.) is one of the world’s greatest success stories. Products proudly made in Britain fill the shelves in American stores and vice versa. The economic integration of the UK and USA continues to inspire and benefit thousands on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs across both countries. Transatlantic trade has become part of the inner fabric of many British and American companies. The companies behind it are #ChampionsofTrade.

Champions of Trade is an initiative produced by BritishAmerican Business in partnership with the U.S. Embassy London. It tells the stories of businesses, from SMEs to household names, across the entire United Kingdom (UK) and how trading with the United States (U.S.) has become a key part of their transatlantic journey.

It is a key initiative guided and supported by the U.S. Embassy in London and integrated in BAB’s wider portfolio in support of the UK-U.S. trade talks.

Over the past three months, we have identified and featured companies that are true #ChampionsofTrade. Through short video clips these companies told their story and how the transatlantic corridor is a driver for their ambitions and growth.

This event is being organised to acknowledge #ChampionsofTrade who participate in the project; companies that have a transatlantic story to tell; Companies that represent the thousands of others in the corridor; Companies that serve as an inspiration and encouragement to others.

During the event, we will learn about the products being traded, the companies that make them, and the people behind them. We will showcase the tangible and concrete positive impact of transatlantic trade and investment across the UK.

Yael Lempert,
Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy London

Yael Lempert is a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, and served as acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Egypt and North Africa from June 2017 to December 2018. Yael was the Senior Director for the Levant, Israel and Egypt at the National Security Council from 2014 to 2017, and also served as Special Assistant to the President from 2015 to 2017. Prior to her assignment at the NSC, Yael served for three years as the Deputy Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem. She worked from 2009 to 2011 at the U.S. Embassy in Libya, where she spent more than half of her tour as the Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, including during the February 2011 evacuation of the U.S. citizen community and Embassy personnel. From 2006 to 2009 she was the chief of the Internal Political Affairs Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Egypt. Her other previous assignments include Director for Iraq at the National Security Council (2004); Governance Officer at the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, Iraq (2003); Special Assistant for South Asian and Near Eastern Affairs to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs; Iraq desk officer; and tours in the Department of State’s Bureau of Nonproliferation and the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai.

Yael earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, and is the recipient of several State Department Superior and Meritorious Honor awards, as well as the National Security Council’s Outstanding Service Award, which she received in May 2017.

Graham Stuart MP,
Minister for Exports at the Department for International Trade

Graham Stuart was elected as the Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness in 2005. He joined the Department for International Trade in January 2018 as Minister for Investment. In February 2020 he was appointed Minister for Exports.

Graham was born in Carlisle. He attended school in Scotland before going to Selwyn College, Cambridge to read philosophy and law.

At Cambridge he chaired the Cambridge University Conservative Association, and founded ‘What’s On in Cambridge’

After university Graham developed a successful career in publishing, and was a member of Cambridge City Council from 1998 to 2004.

In Parliament Graham chaired the Education Select Committee (2010 to 2015) and was Assistant Government Whip with responsibility for the Department of Health, and later for HM Treasury and the Ministry of Defence (2016 to 2018)

Emanuel Adam,
Executive Director London, BritishAmerican Business

Emanuel Adam is Executive Director of BritishAmerican Business in London. He is also Director of Policy & Trade at BritishAmerican Business (BAB) covering the work in the UK and the US,

In his role as Executive Director, Emanuel oversees the day to day operations of the London office. In his role as Director of Policy & Trade, Emanuel is responsible for the development and execution of the organisation’s policy advocacy and trade & investment portfolio.

Emanuel is a widely known expert and stakeholder in the field of transatlantic economic relations with businesses, governments and academia. Over the course of his career, Emanuel has coordinated business input to several major trade negotiation, such as TTIP, the Brexit talks, the UK-U.S. FTA and other bilateral agreements around innovation, mobility, aviation, tariffs and data flows.

Emanuel is regularly invited as a guest speaker at events, expert forums and lectures. His work is regularly quoted in national and international media on matters relating to the transatlantic corridor. Emanuel has been officially recognized for his trade outreach campaigns and work on trade promotion mechanisms.

Before assuming his current position, Emanuel worked at BritishAmerican Business as Analyst, Policy and Public Affairs Manager and Head of Policy & Trade. Prior to joining BAB, Emanuel was a Policy Advisor at the Trans-Atlantic Business Council (TABC) and EU Administrator at the former TransAtlantic Business Dialogue (TABD), in Brussels.

Emanuel holds a MA in Public Policy and Administration from University of Potsdam, Germany; further academic institutions he studied at include the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt/Oder, Germany; Sciences at Sciences Po Paris, France, and Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, US. Emanuel is an Alumni of the Foundation of German Business (SDW) and the Fulbright Commission. Emanuel is a German-born national, fluent in German, English and French

Duncan Edwards,
CEO, BritishAmerican Business

Duncan Edwards is the chief executive of BritishAmerican Business, the leading transatlantic trade organization of some 450 companies, which has an ongoing mission to support policies which protect and enhance the environment for trade and investment in, and between, the USA and the UK.  He is a regular contributor to policy debates and is a frequent media commentator on US UK relations.

Prior to this, Duncan Edwards spent over 30 years as a media executive in London and New York of which 27 years were spent at the Hearst Corporation.  His most recent role at Hearst was president and CEO of the international magazine and digital media company, a business with activities in more than 60 countries which he led to record levels through acquisition and organic growth.

A British citizen, he currently lives in New York and Connecticut where he can often be found on long runs in the hills.