CSI Staff

Bob Vastine

President, US Coalition of Service Industries

J. Robert Vastine has served as the President of CSI since his appointment to that position in January 1996. Prior to joining CSI, Vastine served as President of the Congressional Economic Leadership Institute, a bi-partisan, non-profit foundation that helps educate Congress on issues affecting US economic competitiveness. His extensive Capitol Hill experience includes posts as Staff Director of the Senate Republican Conference, Minority Staff Director of the Senate Committee on Government Affairs; Legislative Director for Senator John H. Chafee of Rhode Island; and Legislative Assistant for Congressman Thomas B. Curtis of Missouri.

Mr. Vastine’s Executive Branch experience includes service as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for International Trade and Raw Materials Policy. He also served as Vice President of the Oversight Board of the Resolution Trust Corporation, which was chaired by Secretaries of the Treasury Brady and Bentsen.

In the private sector, Robert Vastine was Manager of National Government Affairs for CPC International, Inc., a major multinational food manufacturer headquartered in New Jersey. He founded the San Francisco, California-based Alliance for American Innovation, an association of small, high technology companies. In recognition of his work, the Governor of California appointed Vastine to the state’s Advisory Commission on Economic Development.

Mr. Vastine is Chairman of the official Industry Trade Advisory Committee for International Trade in Services (ITAC 10), which advises the US Trade Representative.

Vastine was a fellow of the Institute of Politics of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is co-author of "The Kennedy Round and the Future of American Trade" as well as articles on US trade policy.

Mr. Vastine is a graduate of Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania and of the Johns Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C.

VACANT
Vice President
International Trade Negotiations & Investment

Steve Simchak
Program Manager

James Lim
Program Associate

Andrew Jensen

Associate

Services Drive Growth

The Service Economy

Services represents approximately 75% of US economic output and about 80% of US private sector employment. In 2010, US private services exports exceeded $526 billion, and had a services trade surplus of approximately $168 billion.

Services are essential inputs into the production of virtually all products. The price and quality of services influence costs and productivity in all other sectors in an economy, including manufacturing and agriculture. Thus, when liberalized and made more efficient, services have a strong effect in the competitiveness of an entire economy. For more data and statistics on the service economy, click here.

About CSI

CSI is the leading business organization dedicated to the development of U.S. domestic and international policies that enhance the global competitiveness of the U.S. service sector through bilateral, regional, multilateral, and other trade and investment initiatives.
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