Keith Kirkham
Acting Senior Commercial Officer,
US Department of Commerce,
Sydney
Keith Kirkham is a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Commercial Service. In July 2003 he was made Deputy Senior Commercial Officer of the U.S. Consulate General Sydney, Australia, but has also served as Acting Senior Commercial Officer for extended periods. His work includes providing strategic advice and practical help to American companies seeking to enter or expand in the markets of Australia and New Zealand. His tenure has been marked by a dramatic increase in the commercial results his operation has produced for U.S. companies, and in its profile in the local Australian and New Zealand business communities. He is a frequent speaker and writer on the Australia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and other international business topics.
Prior to this work, Kirkham served two years as Director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Export Assistance Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From 1996-2001, he was Commercial Attaché at the American Embassy in Tokyo, where he introduced Japanese buyers to U.S. suppliers, participated in bilateral trade talks, managed the country’s trade event program, and served as liaison to Japanese business groups.
Before joining the U. S. Government, Kirkham served as Director of International Commerce for the State of Maine under two governors, and worked for a private sector management consulting firm specializing in high-tech manufacturing clients.
Kirkham holds a Masters in Public Administration from Michigan State University, and a B.A. in political science and international relations from Indiana University. He speaks French and Japanese.
