COBE International Business Department

Guest Lectures

One of the major advantages of our program is our close access to experienced and talented executives from the local business community.  Idaho’s International Business community has been contributing to our courses for several years.  In all classes, students have the opportunity to listen to experts in their fields.

Select Guest Lecturers

Jason Prince- Experienced international business lawyer with Stoel Rives LLP Attorneys at Law and current President of the Idaho District Export Council.

Everett Wohlers- Consultant for the World Bank Group who has, for the past decade, worked in numerous underdeveloped countries to help improve and reform their legal and financial networks to allow for secure transactions and greater business development.

Kent Ernest- Newly retired VP of International Sales and Marketing with the JR Simplot Company for the past 27 years.  Previously, Ernest was with Eli Lilly & Company and the Stanford Research Institute.

Damien Bard- Administrator of the International Division of the Idaho Department of Commerce, responsible for managing Idaho’s international trade and investment promotion activities globally. Bard teaches an Import/Export class for COBE.

Laura Johnson- Section Manager, International Trade and Domestic Market Development, Idaho Department of Agriculture who consults with agricultural companies to export their goods around the world and assists with Trade Missions for the Governor’s Office.

Alex Sinclair- Worked as an accountant for Price Waterhouse & Co. He moved into the commodities and currency trading business as a member of both the New York Mercantile Exchange and the Pacific Stock Exchange. The software he developed to run his commodities business is now used by major firms such as Cargill and ADM to run their commodities divisions.  He served as President of Sinclair & Company which continues as a full service commodity futures and options trading firm. Today, Alex continues to trade currencies and interest rates and is considered a leading thinker on economic policy and is a regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal economic and financial forums.