Founder
Francisco J. Sánchez founded CNS Global Advisors in 2001, part of a long career focused on providing strategic advice to companies and governments looking to expand in or resolve issues in foreign markets, including the United States. Sánchez currently leads the international trade practice for Holland & Knight.
Sánchez served as Under Secretary for International Trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce until 2013, a post President Barack Obama nominated him to in 2009. As Under Secretary, Sánchez lead the International Trade Administration in its efforts to improve the global business environment by helping U.S. businesses compete abroad. As one of the architects of President Obama’s National Export Initiative (NEI), with the ambitious goal of doubling U.S. exports by the end of 2014, Sánchez directed programs and policies that promote and protect the competitiveness of American businesses.
Sánchez has a long and distinguished career in both the public and private sectors. During the Clinton Administration, he served as the Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Sánchez previously served in the White House as a Special Assistant to President Clinton, and Chief of Staff to the Special Envoy to the Americas.
Sánchez serves on the board of directors for Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), as well as the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. He is a non-resident fellow at The Brookings Institute and is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations. Sánchez has been awarded the National Point of Light Award and the Governor’s Point of Light Award for Outstanding Community Service. In 2010, he was named to the National Hall of Fame for the Boys and Girls Club of America. Sánchez was named one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics by Hispanic Business Magazine and one of the top Hispanics nationwide by Poder Magazine.
Sánchez obtained his B.A. and J.D. from Florida State University. He also received a Masters in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.