Anyone who has had the pleasure to meet Frederick Baehner, President and Publisher, has undoubtedly been captivated by his stories. His thirst for knowledge serves him well at www.IBNewsmag.com, where he enjoys interviewing CEOs from all over the USA about their international business. He began IBNewsmag in 2004 focusing specifically on small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that conduct international trade with practical news and information in support of their business. This in turn lead Fred to be nominated for the US Industry Trade Advisory Council (ITAC 9) for SMEs as a cleared advisor to the US Trade Representative (USTR) for free trade agreements.
Fred has been a long standing member of ITC, holding numerous positions within the organization, and even President twice! Former member Mayor Dick Berkley and current member Doris Ganser, who was long-time ITC Secretary, first encouraged him to join the ITC. Two years later he was elected President for the first time. "Back then we held our Board meetings at the old Rockhill Tennis Club for lunch. (We all loved the location and the food.)"
His stories and memories aren't limited to just international trade and ITC. This raconteur has a variety of interests and stories to tell. He even once auditioned for a part, and got it, in a community musical, “Somebody to Love,” inspired by Freddie Mercury with intermittent one-on-one humorous dialogs as seen in the movie, “When Harry Met Sally.” While it only played for three nights, it sold out every night.
More Fun Facts & Interesting Info in his own words...
Something unique about you, that many people don't know?
- I’m also a big fan of Formula One racing.
What was the last book you read?
- The last book I read was The Code Breaker about advances in gene editing (CRISPR) by Walter Isaacson. I’ve just begun reading Quantum Biology (Sub -title). I guess I’m part nerd.
Who inspires you?
- To that point, the person who inspires me is Dr. Jennifer Doudna who developed a pursuit of science and gene editing based on her reading of The Double Helix.
What is your favorite place to visit?
- I’ve traveled to many countries. One of my favorite cities is Sydney, Australia, where I lived for a couple of months on an assignment for Telstra International (Australia Telecom).
What are your current professional goals?
- My primary goal is to expand readership of IBNewsmag.com to 17,000 SMEs.
What advice would you give those getting into International Trade?
- My advice to young wanting to get into international business is to immerse themselves in international news and events from around the world and read widely.
