Your International Business Window

Welcome to the Minnesota International Business Council. We sponsor and curate connections and information for businesses that want to or are doing business internationally.

Bob Oberlies - Co-President, Tom Hanson - Co-President and fellow board members lead the Minnesota International Business Council; world-renowned experts on China, International and political affairs.  The board of directors is listed below and boasts vast international business experience.

The mission of MIBC is to educate:

        We do this by bringing our membership valuable programs presented by world-class experts.

Additionally, our mission is to provide networking opportunities:

-         expert legal and financial support

-         sales opportunities in Asia

-         manufacturing and sourcing opportunities in Asia

Thomas Hanson

 Thomas Hanson is a former U.S. Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State whose diplomatic postings included East Germany, France, Norway, the Soviet Union, Sweden, and the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. He also participated in the opening of new U.S. embassies in Mongolia and Estonia, worked on the Foreign Relations Committees of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and served as Director for NATO and European Affairs at the Atlantic Council of the United States in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Hanson currently is Diplomat in Residence at the Alworth Institute for International Affairs at the University of Minnesota – Duluth.  He also serves as Chair of the Minnesota Committee on Foreign Relations.

Robert Oberlies

As a mergers and acquisitions partner at Fredrikson and Byron, where he is also chair of the Asia Practice and co-chair of the Cross-Border M&A Practice, Robert Oberlies advises global companies on complex U.S. and international transactions. He was based in Asia for 12 years and has counseled clients across a broad range of industry sectors, including life sciences and health care, consumer products, agribusiness, energy, retail, and logistics. He has devoted much of his practice to counseling clients on their transactions in Asia, Europe and the Americas, navigating U.S. tariffs on foreign sourced goods, diversifying supply chains, data privacy, and cyber security issues.

The author and co-author of articles for Twin Cities Business magazine, he has also written for the Star Tribune, among other outlets. He frequently presents before organizations such as Global Minnesota, the American Bar Association, and the Shanghai Business Review Forum. Fluent in Mandarin Chinese and English, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Holy Cross College in 1996 and earned his J.D. at Northwestern University School of Law in 2002. He is a member of the American Bar Association and the International Bar Association, and serves on the board member of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Don Johnson

Don is a senior executive leader consistently delivering impressive results, growth and sustainability across Business Development, Business Unit Leadership and Corporate Development disciplines. Inspirational leader with demonstrated success in mapping and executing strategy leading to effective strong growth. Possesses solid financial acumen and perceptive negotiation skills. Respected, mature, ethical and engaged leader who motivates and empowers peers, steers collaborative efforts and guides focus on goal-achievement. Customer-centric with genuine passion for winning. Deep experience and expertise in accomplishing Family Business challenges, managing and leading diverse cohesive teams toward success, and successfully implementing SOC II data security compliance throughout operations. In depth procurement experience derived from diverse product sourcing and bilateral trade projects in China. 

Su Ye

Su Ye serves as Chief Economist and Director of Market Research at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.  She is also the China trade expert helping Minnesota companies export agricultural and food products to the Chinese market as well as other major export destinations around world.

Su Ye’s previous international trade experience included working as the International Trade Representative for the Ministry of Agriculture in China, and China Trade Consultant for U.S. Fortune 500 companies.

Su Ye holds a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Minnesota, and a Bachelor’s Degree from Beijing Languages University.  She is also a United Nation’s Certified English-Chinese translator and simultaneous interpreter.