Meet the Speakers

Martha Barcena

Former mexican ambassador to the us

Ambassador Barcena is a leading Mexican diplomat and the top expert on Mexico-US relations. She joined the Mexican Foreign Service in 1979 and became an ambassador in 2005, serving as the ambassador of Mexico to the United States from 2018-2021. During her tenure, the USMCA was ratified and entered into force.

Kenneth Smith

Former Chief Negotiator for USMCA

Kenneth is Mexico’s pre-eminent expert on foreign trade relations. He served as Mexico´s Chief Negotiator for the modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that led to the signing of the USMCA. He was a key member of Mexico’s negotiating team representing several government agencies and began his career with the team negotiating NAFTA in 1992.