Former Executive Directors

Ms. Arancha González (2013-2020)

Arancha González served as the Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC) from September 2013 to January 2020.Ms. González, a Spanish national, has extensive knowledge about international relations, trade and economics, coupled with broad experience both in the public and private sectors, as well as in management at multilateral organizations.>Before joining ITC, Ms. González served as Chief of Staff to World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy from 2005 to 2013. During her tenure at the WTO, she played an active role in launching the Aid for Trade initiative and served as Mr. Lamy’s representative (Sherpa) at the G-20.Prior to working at the WTO, Ms. González held several positions at the European Commission, conducting negotiations of trade agreements and assisting developing countries in trade-development efforts. Between 2002 and 2004, she was the European Commission spokeswoman for trade and adviser to the European Union Trade Commissioner.

Speeches and statements

Photo gallery

Ms. Patricia R. Francis (2006-2013)

Patricia R. Francis served as the Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC) from June 2006 to June 2013. During her tenure at ITC, the annual project implementation almost doubled the delivery of technical assistance from US$ 25.3 million to US$ 47.8 million in 2011 with larger, multi-year programmes representing more than 50% of the portfolio. She also led a change-management process which established a strategic planning and reporting cycle; mainstreamed Millennium Development Goals programmes for gender, environment and poverty; and introduced results based on management and accountability principles. A new brand identity has aligned ITC values to its profile. Access to information for developing countries was enhanced through free online Trade Analysis Tools, the publications programme and Trade Forum magazine, all of which were supported by a new website. Clients’ needs were reviewed annually through the ITC client survey, and partnerships were strengthened through active participation in the World Trade Organization’s Aid for Trade and One United Nations initiatives, which seek to achieve greater coherence among international and trade-related organizations. ITC also conducted a major study of programme-support functions to streamline processes, and it is reviewing financial administration systems to ensure greater efficiencies and transparency in its operations. Ms. Francis came to ITC from Jamaica Trade and Invest, where she served as president for ten years. She was a member of Jamaica’s Cabinet Committee for Development. During her tenure, Jamaica attracted more than US$ 5 billion in foreign direct investment. She served twice as president of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies and the China-Caribbean Business Council. She is currently on the advisory board of IESE graduate business school of the University of Navarra and is a former member of the Eminent Persons Group for the Commonwealth, a group created to examine options for reform of the Commonwealth’s many institutions.

Mr. J. Denis Bélisle (1994-2006)

Mr. Bélisle has more than 30 years of experience in international trade and development, having worked in the private sector, public sector and the international civil service. He launched his career in the Canadian foreign service as an Assistant Trade Commissioner in Washington, DC. He later worked for Canadian Pacific Consulting Services, as Executive Vice President. He then worked for the federal government as Vice President of Canadian International Development Agency. Prior to his appointment as Executive Director of ITC, he served as Canada’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and Niger. Mr. Bélisle joined ITC in 1994 and served for 12 years, during which time ITC created programmes, tools and publications for use throughout the developing world. During the last five years of his tenure, ITC increased the delivery of services by over 80%.

Mr. Göran Engblom (1981-1992)

Mr. Engblom studied law at the University of Uppsala before joining his country’s foreign service. During his more than 20 years in the diplomatic service, he served in Bogota, Beijing, Guatemala City, Stockholm and Washington. For some years he was Head of Section in the Swedish Foreign Ministry, responsible for trade with Latin America and Eastern Europe, and during a three-year period he served as Swedish Ambassador to Bolivia and Peru. For nine years he was engaged in various managerial posts by the General Export Association of Sweden and he was later appointed General Manager of the Swedish Export Council. He has published several articles and a book dealing with exporting and international commerce. Prior to joining to ITC he served as chairman of several Swedish Government commissions, including one concerned with the re-organization of Sweden’s diplomatic and consular service and another with Sweden’s industrial cooperation with developing countries.

Mr. Padinjarethalakal C. Alexander (1979-1981)

Mr. Alexander studied economics and history at Travancore University in India before joining the civil service. He held various posts related to industrial development and foreign trade, including Development Commissioner, Joint Secretary, Additional Secretary and Commerce Secretary for the Government of India. He also held a number of chairmanships, including those of the Trade Fairs Authority, the Trade Development Authority, the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade and the Export Inspection Council. He spent seven years as a senior technical adviser to the United Nations in industrial development, specializing in small-scale industries and industrial estates, during which time he was, among other assignments, Chief Adviser to the Government of Iran in industrial development. He led Indian delegations to a number of international conferences dealing with trade and industrial development during the 1970s, and also took part in his country’s trade negotiations with other countries.

Mr. Victor E. Santiapillai (1975-1979)

Mr. Santiapillai studied economics at the then University of Ceylon, after which he pursued a career in the civil service. During a period of 16 years he held various positions concerned with Ceylon’s bilateral trading relationships and with various international trade organizations. This experience brought him into activities revolving around commercial policy, trade and commodity agreements, market research, trade promotion and trade representation. He spent four years as Ceylon’s Trade Commissioner in the United Kingdom in the early 1960s. This was followed by a period as Head of the International Commercial Relations Division of the Ministry of Commerce in Colombo, after which he joined ITC.

Speeches and statements
Mr. Herbert L. Jacobson (1964-1971)
Mr. Jacobson studied social sciences at Columbia University in the United States and spent the first part of his career in journalism and mass media activities in that country. For 11 years he was Director-General of radio networks successively in Trieste and Berlin. After that he worked as a foreign business consultant to a large Italian publishing house and as export manager of a major Italian pharmaceuticals company. Immediately before joining ITC he was southern European regional representative of the Cotton Council International for five years, covering market research, sales promotion and media publicity.