Caitlin Cain
CEO, World Trade Center
On January 17, Caitlin Cain became the new CEO of the World Trade Center (WTC), a nonprofit organization with over 1,000 members dedicated to promoting international trade in Louisiana. Cain’s more than 15 years of experience in governmental and organizational leadership includes serving as the regional advocate of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy for Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, as well as director of economic development for the New Orleans Regional Planning Commission.
Cain oversaw the WTC’s first Future of Trade Summit on May 9 in Baton Rouge, which Cain called an important achievement for the organization. “We were able to bring together the different stakeholders and combat the negative narrative regarding international trade that we keep hearing,” she said.
Cain says the WTC’s biggest challenge is to keep up a constant dialogue with members. “Our goal is to keep creating relevant programs that provide our members with what’s happening at the 10,000-foot level and bring it down to the local level while providing relevant programs and technical assistance,” she said.
Among the WTC’s new program offerings was a two-hour informational session on doing business in India on June 26. On July 19, the WTC will present its annual C. Alvin Bertel Award honoring a person who has made significant contributions to the state’s port economy to Robert “Rusty” Barkerding Jr., president of Admiral Security Services.
“We want them to stay current and engaged,” she added. “It’s important that everyone has a voice, and I see our job as amplifying that voice.”
