Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi’s career has spanned across wide waters, he had been Deputy Finance Minister, Commerce Minister, and twice as Deputy Prime Minister. He was also appointed Director General of the World Trade Organization (2002-2005), followed by two terms as Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (2005-2013). At present, he is a board member of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin, a founding member of the Asia-New Zealand Foundation.