British-American Business Connections (BABC-PNW) Appoints Four New Board Members

Global business experience and expertise further strengthen organization’s leadership team

Seattle, Wash., February 14, 2018 – The Pacific Northwest chapter of British-American Business Connections (BABC-PNW) today announced the appointment of four new members to its regional board of directors, adding robust international business backgrounds from the banking, tourism, communications, and consulting sectors to its governing leadership.

Richard Biggs is the managing partner of international consultancy Atlantric, based in Portland, Ore. An international business development expert, former CEO, and serial entrepreneur, Richard has held senior positions at many U.S. companies while based in Europe, Asia, and North America over the past 25 years. He has guided companies’ global development in such sectors as software, manufacturing, technology, and consumer electronics. In addition to starting six companies of his own in the U.S. and the UK, Richard has mentored Oregon and SW Washington start-ups for many years. He currently serves on the Federally Appointed District Export Council of Oregon and recently joined the Mayor of London’s International Business Program as a mentor.

MariaLuisa “Kikis” Tame serves as the business relationship manager for HSBC Bank’s retail banking and wealth management group, a division of HSBC Bank USA, N.A., and a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HSBC), one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organizations. Kikis joined HSBC Bank in January 2017 and has more than 13 years of experience in the financial services industry, including a broad range of roles within retail banking. Prior to joining HSBC Bank, Kikis spent four years as business relationship manager with Chase and nine years with Bank of America.

Richard Firth is vice president of maritime audit services for the risk advisory and assurance services group of Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest travel and leisure cruise company. He provides oversight for audits, investigations, and focused reviews for wholly owned subsidiaries Holland America Line, Seabourn, Princess Cruises, and P & O Australia. Prior to working in Seattle, Richard sailed at sea for 17 years as a deck officer for numerous cruise lines, including Cunard, Seabourn, and Princess Cruises. His final appointment was staff captain, second in command with Princess Cruises culminating in 2010. He is a member of the Citizens Academy Alumni Association for the FBI in Seattle.

Matt Hultman serves as director of sales and marketing for GCI, the largest communications provider headquartered in Alaska. He is responsible for spearheading the company’s Pacific Northwest growth and development strategy, specializing in the delivery of GCI’s suite of managed and professional services, including unified communications, network architecture, and software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) services. Matt has more than 20 years of experience driving technology solution sales in enterprise, government, education, and healthcare markets. Prior to joining GCI, Matt was a vertical account manager for Polycom where he managed sales in the Western United States.

“We continue to grow a dynamic regional leadership team with members who further strengthen our board with their global experience and expertise,” said Gareth Wade, chair of BABC-PNW. “Sound organizational guidance and management by our board of directors is essential to the continued successful growth and expansion of the BABC’s programs, activities, and connections in the Pacific Northwest. The global business experience and expertise of our new members further strengthens BABC’s dynamic leadership team and its endeavors to advance its reach and impact across the region and across the pond.”

The full BABC-PNW board is comprised of 15 business professionals, including the newly appointed members, an ex-officio role, and a staff position. To view the board slate, including photos and biographies, please visit www.babcpnw.org/our-leadership-team.

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About British-American Business Connections (BABC-PNW)

The Pacific Northwest chapter of British-American Business Connections (BABC-PNW) fosters a robust and collaborative business network. The chapter has been successfully connecting people, companies, and organizations engaged in business, trade, and transatlantic interests for more than 20 years. As a premiere forum for British and American companies and professionals, BABC-PNW fosters relationships, helps build networks, and engages a regional and international community exchange. BABC-PNW is part of the global network of the British-American Business Council (BABC), the largest transatlantic business network, with 22 chapters and 2,000 member companies, including many of the world’s largest multinationals, based in major business centers throughout North America and the UK. For more information, please visit www.babcpnw.org or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Vimeo.