Mr. Jovan Jekic serves as a Senior WTO/Trade Advisor for USAID’s Competitiveness, Trade and Jobs (CTJ) in Central Asia Activity, based in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He is a senior attorney with over 35 years of experience in international commercial law, intellectual property, customs rules and procedures, business regulatory environment, trade and investment policies. For the past 15 years, he has worked on donor-funded projects covering areas such as World Trade Organization (WTO) accession and business environment improvement, trade facilitation and related institutional capacity building. Mr. Jekic has worked extensively with USAID in Central Asia on economic development and trade projects. He served as the key advisor to the Minister of Economic Development and Trade in Tajikistan, on all matters related to the World Trade Organization, including fulfillment of commitments taken during the accession process, and compliance of laws and regulations with WTO rules and disciplines. He was instrumental in drafting the Post WTO Accession Action Plan, providing a detailed plan of further reform and trade liberalization in the period of five years following accession to the WTO. He also provided assistance in reorganizing the WTO Department within the Ministry and establishing a dedicated WTO Section within Tajikistan’s diplomatic mission in Geneva, Switzerland. Prior to that, for the USAID Regional Trade Liberalization and Customs Project (RTLC) in Central Asia, he led technical assistance related to WTO accession, customs reform and improved implementation of the business enabling policies in Tajikistan. Earlier, Mr. Jekic served as Chief of Party on the USAID WTO Accession Project for Serbia and Montenegro, where he played a key role in assisting Montenegro to conclude its WTO accession proceedings and bringing its foreign trade regime into full conformity with the WTO requirements. His work advanced the accession of Serbia and assisted in undertaking major legal and institutional reforms related to foreign trade regimes.

Javier Piedra serves as Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Asia, where he provides oversight and management for the South and Central Asia and Technical Services portfolios, with the exception of USAID/India.
Piedra brings 35 years of private and public sector experience to USAID. He has also spent several years in Asia working on investment banking, USAID-funded credit initiatives and as a Senior Advisor on the World Bank’s Central Asia Trans-Biodiversity Project. He has 20 years combined experience living in Central Asia and Latin America.
Piedra received his master’s degree in international affairs from John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, a bachelor’s degree in history from Boston College and attended Manufacturers Hanover Bank’s Management Training Program in Finance, Economics, and Banking. He is fluent in Russian and Spanish.

Mr. Geoff Wright is a private sector development advisor with 20 years of experience advising governments and the private sector on regulatory, trade policy and facilitation reform in emerging markets.
He began his career with New Zealand Treasury and then worked for that country’s largest investment bank. He has subsequently served in long and short-term field roles across Asia and the Middle East and is currently Chief of Party for USAID Competitiveness, Trade, and Jobs in Central Asia project, implemented by DAI. He is admitted to practice law in Australia and has masters’ degrees in law and economics.