Speakers

Tom James
President & CEO, TRALA

Thomas M. James is the President and CEO for the Truck Renting and Leasing Association (TRALA).  TRALA’s mission is to foster a positive legislative and regulatory climate within which companies engaged in leasing and renting trucks and trailers can compete without discrimination in the marketplace.  Representing the owners of over one million commercial trucks and the purchasers of between 35% and 40% of new trucks put into commercial service each year, TRALA is actively involved in issues on both the state and federal levels of government.

Mr. James has over twenty-eight years of public and private sector experience working on legislative and regulatory issues.  James has been with TRALA for more than ten years.  Prior to becoming President and CEO in 2009, he led the association’s government relations team as Senior Vice President in achieving federal and state reforms saving the industry hundreds of millions of dollars in excessive and unnecessary costs.  Mr. James is dedicated to ensuring that the truck renting and leasing industry continues to lead the way in introducing the safest, cleanest, and most technologically advanced trucks into commercial service.

On Capitol Hill, Mr. James worked on energy, transportation, and infrastructure issues as the Legislative Director for U.S. Congressman Bob Lagomarsino (R-CA). Prior to joining TRALA, Mr. James served as the Senior Vice President for The Furman Group, a government relations and public affairs firm focusing on infrastructure and resources issues.

Dan North
Chief Economist, Euler Hermes ACI

Dan North has been with Euler Hermes ACI (EH ACI) since 1996, using macroeconomic and quantitative analyses to help develop, price, and manage EH ACI’s risk portfolio of more than $200 billion in annual U.S. trade transactions.

Prior to joining the company, he worked for Citicorp using similar quantitative techniques to analyze the macroeconomic and financial market environments to create outperforming investment strategies. Mr. North has written and presented macroeconomic forecasts on behalf of the Credit Research Foundation and provides regular commentary on the National Association of Credit Management’s monthly Credit Manager’s Index. His macroeconomic analysis has been featured on ABC, CNBC, Fox Business Network, and Bloomberg Television, and he has been quoted by numerous national and international media entities, including USA Today, Barron’s, Forbes, Business Week, The Los Angeles Times, The London Daily Telegraph, Reuters, Le Monde, and Al-Jazeerah. Mr. North holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business.