The Taiwan Foreign Correspondents’ Club and the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) will co-host a panel discussion about business and resilience on Tuesday, January 13. We will be joined by business leaders from Taiwan, Japan and Europe. Prior registration is required.
Date: January 13, 2026
Time: 10.00am-11.30am
Location: Regent Hotel, Taipei
Language: English
Rule: TFCC members; on the record
Registration link: https://forms.gle/EPMG2uNcVibo3oMM6
EVENT SUMMARY
As geopolitical risks continue to rise, businesses are increasingly central to economic resilience. How do businesses perceive these risks, and what strategies are they adopting to mitigate them?
This panel discussion will examine how different approaches shape private-sector resilience. Taiwan and Finland have adopted whole-of-society resilience models, while Japan has developed a comprehensive economic security regulatory framework. Panelists will assess how these approaches are working in practice, where they are effective, and where adjustments may be needed to better respond to today’s evolving challenges.
Leaders from the American Chambers of Commerce in Finland, Taiwan, and Japan will share perspectives on the most pressing challenges facing their business communities and engage in a strategic discussion on opportunities to strengthen economic resilience. The discussion will highlight the transformative role of the private sector and business associations in advancing resilience and shaping responses to an increasingly complex geopolitical environment.
We’ll be joined by:
- Alexandra Pasternak-Jackson, CEO, AmCham Finland
- Carl Wegner, President, AmCham Taiwan
- Eric Sedlak, Chair of Economic Security Committee, AmCham Japan
- Jeff Lightfoot, Senior Director for Strategy and Impact, Center for International Private Enterprise
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Alexandra Pasternak-Jackson is the CEO of AmCham Finland, bringing significant experience, energy, and leadership to the international business community. She previously spent nearly a decade at AmCham in multiple roles, including Managing Director, Program Director, and Head of Professional Networks. Alexandra holds an MBA from Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences and a BA in International Affairs from George Washington University’s Elliott School. Having lived in eight countries and speaking multiple languages, she embodies the organization’s global outlook. She is recognized for her commitment to advancing AmCham Finland’s growth, strengthening its role as an international business hub, and working closely with members to enhance the impact and reach of the community.
Carl Wegner joined AmCham Taiwan as President in May 2025. Carl brings more than three decades of leadership experience in trade finance, fintech innovation, and banking across the region. His distinguished career has included senior roles at global institutions such as Deutsche Bank and Standard Chartered, and leadership positions in cutting-edge fintech firms including R3 and Contour, where he served as CEO until early 2024. Carl previously served on the AmCham Board of Governors from 2009 to 2012, including as Treasurer from 2010 to 2012. He has also been an active member of the broader Taipei community, serving on the board of the Taipei American School and teaching as an adjunct professor at National Chengchi University. Originally from New Jersey, Carl holds a bachelor’s degree in Chinese and Asian Studies from Georgetown University and is fluent in Mandarin. He first lived in Taiwan in the early 1980s as a student at National Taiwan Normal University and has remained closely connected to the island throughout his professional life.
Eric Sedlak is the Chair of AmCham Japan’s Economic Security Committee. He previously chaired AmCham Ho Chi Minh City and served on the Board of AmCham Singapore. Professionally, Eric is a cross-border transactional lawyer with more than 20 years of practice in Asia. His work spans mergers and acquisitions, foreign direct investment, financial transactions, private equity, projects and infrastructure, hydrogen, FPSOs, LNG, and joint ventures. He represents clients across manufacturing, energy, construction, technology, financial services, automotive, food and beverage, chemicals, real estate, and data centers. Eric’s experience also includes complex insolvency matters, such as protecting Japanese banks’ interests in U.S. real estate after Japan’s economic bubble, advising lenders following the Asian Financial Crisis, supporting manufacturers after the Internet Bubble, and leading a broad range of work for LBHI in Japan after its Chapter 11 filing.
Jeff Lightfoot is the Senior Director for Strategy and Impact at the CIPE, where he leads institutional strategy and oversees initiatives that advance economic resilience and democratic governance. He previously served as CIPE’s Program Director for Europe and headed CIPE’s regional office in Bratislava, directing programs across EU member states and expanding engagement with European institutions. Jeff is also a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Security Initiative. Before joining CIPE, he was a vice president at Jones Group International, an advisory firm led by former NATO commander and U.S. National Security Advisor General James L. Jones. He earlier spent more than six years at the Atlantic Council, rising to deputy director of the Brent Scowcroft Center and contributing to major studies on U.S. foreign policy. Jeff holds a master’s in European and Eurasian Studies from the George Washington University and bachelor’s degrees in French, business, and international affairs from Indiana University. He is fluent in French and is learning Slovak.