Mr. Michael T. Byrnes

"Globalization poses a challenge to the economic health and well being of our nation that is every bit as serious as the strategic challenges of the Cold War.  It is a challenge where economic competitiveness and not military power is central to the outcome for all Americans.  One of the keys to meet this challenge of globalization is language and cultural education.  The Language Flagship initiative is an effort which brings together the key stakeholders of government, academia, and business to develop creative language solutions to address this challenge." - Michael Byrnes

Former president of Tyco International China and retired Brigadier General of the U.S. Army, Mr. Byrnes brings a wealth of international experience to his role as a Business Champion for The Language Flagship. Mr. Byrnes is currently the President of Middle Kingdom Advisors as well as a Senior Advisor to Yuan Associates, a Beijing based government affairs services firm that assists US enterprises to enter, expand and operate in the China market. He serves on the Advisory Board of the International Education Program at the University of Rhode Island and speaks publicly about the importance of language skills for business success.  Mr. Byrnes is based in Rhode Island.  

E: mtbyrnes@sprynet.com