Ian Steff, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing, U.S. Department of Commerce

Ian Steff was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration in June 2017. In addition to this capacity, he is currently performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Global Markets and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service at the request of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. He oversees approximately 1,400 trade and investment professionals based in more than 100 U.S. cities and 70 markets around the world. He manages a $300 million budget and a broad portfolio of International Trade Administration initiatives aimed at increasing the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers and service providers. In this capacity, he is among those senior officials responsible for executing the administration’s plans to foster growth in U.S. jobs, exports, and investments. Before joining the U.S. Department of Commerce, Steff served as the state of Indiana’s first Chief Innovation Officer under then-Governor Pence and subsequently Governor Holcomb. He was executive vice president for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and the state’s senior advisor for science, technology, and advanced manufacturing. Steff served on the Board of the Battery Innovation Center, the Dean of Engineering’s Advisory Council at Purdue University, and the Vice Chancellor for Research’s Advisory Board at IUPUI. Steff also served on the Board of the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation. Prior to his roles in the state of Indiana, Steff worked for the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) for nearly a decade. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from American University where he possesses a B.A. in International Studies and he received an M.A. in International Science and Technology Policy from the George Washington University.