CalChamber Policy Staff & Executive Team: Susanne T. Stirling

Susanne-Stirling-2012-300x300 Susanne T. Stirling
Vice President, International Affairs

Susanne Thorsen Stirling has headed CalChamber international activities for nearly four decades.

She is a gubernatorial appointee to the California International Trade and Investment Advisory Council, which advises the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development on strategies to expand international trade and investment for California businesses.

She also serves on the District Export Council (appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce), the National Export Council Steering Committee, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce International Policy Committee, the California International Relations Foundation, and the Chile-California Council.

The CalChamber is a past recipient of the U.S. Presidential Award for Export Service, and received the Presidential Citation from the government of the Republic of Korea.

Before joining the CalChamber, Stirling held positions in public affairs and public relations for Burmeister & Wain A/S, an international shipbuilding company based in Copenhagen.

Stirling, originally from Denmark, studied at the University of Copenhagen and holds a B.A. in international relations from the University of the Pacific, where she now serves as a member of the Board of Regents. She earned an M.A. from the School of International Relations at the University of Southern California.