Abu Dhabi – The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council welcomed over 300 senior American and Emirati business executives, government officials, and industry stakeholders for dinner on Sunday at the St. Regis Hotel, Abu Dhabi, to kick off the 2015 International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX). The dinner included three honored keynote speakers, as well as introductory remarks by the new U.S. Ambassador to the U.A.E., the Honorable Barbara Leaf, who welcomed guests and extolled the virtues of the U.S.-U.A.E. defense relationship. Following Ambassador Leaf’s introduction, Council President Danny Sebright took to the podium to articulate the importance of this year’s IDEX and what it means for the future of the Emirati defense industry.

“This is a relationship based not only on high-level defense cooperation, but also in 27 billion dollars of two-way trade, making the U.A.E. America’s largest trading partner in the broader Middle East,” said Mr. Sebright. “It’s also a true partnership of shared values and common interests.”

Following his scene-setting remarks, Sebright introduced keynote speakers, Mr. Puneet Talwar, Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, the Honorable Frank Kendall III, Undersecretary for Acquisitions, Technology, and Logistics (AT&L) at the U.S. Department of Defense, and Mr. Luc Vigneron, CEO of the newly established Emirates Defense Industries Company (EDIC).

Assistant Secretary Talwar began his remarks by recognizing Ambassador Leaf and congratulating her on her new post, before discussing the strength of the U.S.-U.A.E strategic, military, and commercial defense relationship. He outlined how defense trade and the President’s Export Control Reform Initiative will help enhance the bilateral relationship, and reiterated the importance of the U.S.-U.A.E. security partnership in addressing common threats in the region.

“I’ve worked on the Middle East for a long time and from a variety of vantage points – including in Congress, at the White House, and at the State Department. In each of these roles, I’ve witnessed first-hand the tremendous importance of our partnership with the United Arab Emirates. In a region roiled by threats from ISIL to the brutal Assad regime; from sectarian conflict to the danger of ungoverned regions, the importance of the U.S.-U.A.E. partnership only comes into sharper focus,” said Assistant Secretary Talwar.

Undersecretary Kendall began by noting the long relationship between the U.S. and U.A.E., having worked together to promote regional peace and stability, and thanked the U.A.E. for its multitude of contributions to the coalition fight. He continued to emphasize the increasing importance of the interconnected global industrial base.

“In our dynamic budget and security environment, we are placing even greater emphasis on efficiency, getting products quickly in the hands of our warfighters and ensuring our partnerships with other nations become increasingly interoperable. A renewed focus and joint investment in research and development for solutions to operational challenges faced by both our militaries is essential to securing our shared future.”

Upon thanking the U.S. government speakers, Mr. Vigneron described how EDIC’s formation marks the creation of a new national champion to support the U.A.E.’s growing defense services industry. According to Mr. Vigneron, “EDIC will bring together the U.A.E.’s combined capabilities in manufacturing, technology development, training and support services across land, air, sea and digital platforms.”

The EDIC CEO went on to outline how the new integrated defence industries platform will unlock synergies through inter-company collaboration and strive to become best in class through establishing partnerships with the world’s leading defense companies.

Following Mr. Vigneron’s speech, the floor was opened for questions. During the exchange, industry stakeholders were given the opportunity to engage the three speakers on a broad range of topics from conducting business in the U.A.E. to the wider global security situation.

Mr. Sebright concluded the dinner by thanking the honored speakers, Ambassador Leaf, and the business community for their participation.

For your information, the biographies of Assistant Secretary Talwar, Undersecretary Kendall, and Mr. Vigneron can be found below.
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Mr. Puneet Talwar
Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs
U.S. Department of State

Puneet Talwar was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs on April 9, 2014. Assistant Secretary Talwar manages several critical components of U.S. foreign policy, including the maintenance of the State Department’s global security relationships, the provision of international security assistance, the negotiation of international security agreements, and the implementation of the President’s Export Control Reform Initiative. Mr. Talwar is also the State Department’s principal liaison with the Department of Defense. From 2009-2014, Mr. Talwar served as the SpecialAssistant to the President and Senior Director for Iraq, Iran, and the GulfStates at the White House National Security Council. From 1995-1999 and 2001-2008, Mr. Talwar was the Chief Middle East Advisor to Vice President Biden on theSenate Foreign Relations Committee. He also served on the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff from 1999-2001, and was a foreign policy advisor in the House of Representatives. He holds a Master’s degree from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University.

The Honorable Frank Kendall III
Under Secretary for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L)
U.S. Department of Defense

Senate Confirmed in May 2012, Mr. Frank Kendall currently serves as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L). In this capacity, he is responsible to the Secretary of Defense for all matters pertaining to acquisition; research and engineering; developmental testing;contract administration; logistics and materiel readiness; installations and environment; operational energy; chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons; the acquisition workforce; and the defense industrial base. He is the leader of the Department of Defense’s efforts to increase the Department’s buying power and improve the performance of the defense acquisition enterprise.
Prior to this appointment, from March 2010 – May 2012 he served as the Principal Deputy Under Secretary and also as the Acting Under Secretary.

Mr. Kendall has over 40 years of experience in engineering, management, defense acquisition, and national security affairs in private industry, government, and the military. He has been a consultant to defense industry firms, non-profit research organizations, and the Department of Defense in the areas of strategic planning, engineering management, and technology assessment. Mr. Kendall was Vice President of Engineering for Raytheon Company, where he was responsible for management direction to the engineering functions throughout the company and for internal research and development. Before assuming his current position, Mr. Kendall was a Managing Partner at Renaissance Strategic Advisors, a Virginia-based aerospace and defense sector consulting firm.

Within government, Mr. Kendall held the position of Director of Tactical Warfare Programs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the position of Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Strategic Defense Systems. Mr. Kendall is a former member of the Army Science Board and the Defense Intelligence Agency Science and Technology Advisory Board and he has been a consultant to the Defense Science Board and a Senior Advisor to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Mr. Kendall also spent ten years on active duty with the Army serving in Germany, teaching Engineering at West Point, and holding research and development positions.

Mr. Kendall is an attorney and has been active in the field of human rights, working primarily on a pro bono basis. He has worked with Amnesty International USA, where he served as a member of the Board of Directors, with Human Rights First, for which he was an observer at Guantanamo, and with the Tahirih Justice Center, where he was Chair of the Board of Directors.

Over the course of his career as a public servant, Mr. Kendall was awarded the following federal civilian awards: Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Medal, Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Executive (Senior Executive Service), Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive (Senior Executive Service), and Army Commander’s Award for Civilian Service. He also holds the following military awards (US Army): MeritoriousService Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal, and National Defense Service Medal.

Mr. Kendall is a Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and he holds a Masters Degree in Aerospace Engineering from California Institute of Technology, a Master of Business Administration degree from the C.W. Post Center of Long Island University, and a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University LawCenter.

Mr. Luc Vigneron
Chief Executive Officer
Emirates Defence Industries Company (EDIC)

Luc Vigneron is the Chief Executive Officer of EDIC. Previously, he was Chairman and CEO of Thales Group from 2009 to 2012.
Prior to that, he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Giat Industries. During his time atGiat, he managed an extensive restructuring, which led to a relaunch of thecompany under the Nexter name in 2001.

Mr Vigneron began his career in 1978 at the French Ministry of Infrastructure and Territorial Development and in 1982 he was appointed as an advisor at the Budget Department of the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Budget. In 1984, he was appointed as a special advisor at the Finance Department of Compagnie Générale d’Electricité (now Alcatel-Lucent).

After serving as Director of Strategy and New Businesses at Alcatel RSD (Radio, Space and Defence) and Managing Director of Alcatel Radiotéléphone, Mr Vigneron was appointed Executive Vice President of Alcatel Mobile Communication Group in 1994.

He is a graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique and holds an engineering degree from the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées.

About Emirates Defence Industries Company (EDIC):

EDIC is the region’s premier integrated national defence services and manufacturing platform, providing world-class facilities, technology and support services. Based in the UAE, the company brings together the combined capabilities of the UAE’s defence industries into a single integrated platform to enhance value for our clients, shareholders, partners and other stakeholders.

About IDEX 2015:

The International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2015), held under the patronage of His Highness SheikhKhalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the U.A.E. and Supreme Commander of the U.A.E. Armed Forces, is the most strategically important tri-service defence exhibition in the world.

IDEX is the only international defence exhibition and conference in the MENA region demonstrating the latest technology across land, sea and air sectors of defence. It is a unique platform to establish and strengthen relationships with government departments, businesses and armed forces throughout the region.

For more information and to register for the conference, visit: www.idexuae.ae.