Full Biography
For more than fifty years, Prestowitz has studied, lived, and worked in Asia,
Europe, and Latin America as well as in the United States and has become noted as a leading
writer and strategist on globalization and competitiveness. His best-selling books include:
Trading Places , Rogue Nation , Three Billion New Capitalists , The Betrayal of American
Prosperity and Japan Restored .
Prestowitz was a leader of the first U.S. trade mission to China in 1982 and has served as an
advisor to Presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and Obama. He has also worked
closely with CEOs such as Intel’s Andy Grove, Chrysler’s Lee Iacocca, and Fred Smith of
Fedex. In addition, Prestowitz has served on the Advisory Boards of Indonesia’s Center for
International Studies and of Israel’s Ministry of Industry and Labor.As Counselor to the Secretary of Commerce in the Reagan administration, Mr. Prestowitz headed negotiations with Japan, South Korea, and China. Under the Clinton administration he
served as Vice Chairman of the Presidential Commission on Trade and Investment in the
Asia-Pacific Region. He was also on the Board of Advisors to the Export/Import Bank.
Prior to these posts, Prestowitz had a successful corporate marketing career, working for such
companies as Scott Paper Company Europe in Brussels, Egon Zehnder International in Tokyo,
and the American Can Company.
Mr. Prestowitz holds a B.A. with honors from Swarthmore College; an M.A. in Asia Studies
from the University of Hawaii and Tokyo’s Keio University, and an M.B.A. from the Wharton
Graduate School of Business. He speaks Japanese, Dutch, German, and French.
