AAEI is recognizing AAEI members— Trade Champions— whose careers in international trade have had significant impact on the development of trade policy and practice. This month, AAEI honors Michelle Forte of H.B. Fuller.
Michelle is a former member of AAEI’s Board of Governors and currently is co-chair of AAEI’s Export Committee. Her trade expertise comes from an accomplished career that began after she left criminal law in New York and became a law clerk at the Court of International Trade. From there, Michelle became partner in private practice at Ross and Hardies (now known as McGuire Woods). But she was just getting started.
Michelle’s career achievements include top positions at CIBA Specialty Chemicals Corporation and BASF, Charter Brokerage LLC, Amazon Web Services, Ernst & Young, and now H.B. Fuller. Currently, Michelle is leading global trade strategy to support business growth and facilitating compliance in all functional areas globally that engage in trade activities.
Along with these high-profile position in trade and at AAEI, Michelle also works on multiple AAEI working groups that have led to important AAEI actions, such as written comments and position papers, including AAEI’s work on Forced Labor compliance and 21st Century Customs Framework. On the Export Committee, Michelle currently leads AAEI’s work to achieve export modernization.
Longtime AAEI members know Michelle’s valuable contributions then and now. With gratitude, AAEI is pleased to confer another career achievement to Michelle as an AAEI Trade Champion.