Gunnar Light

Gunnar Lars Light: Bio 480-239-4219 Gunnar Light is an international management and business development executive with over 25 years of hands-on experience working with high growth technology companies ranging from startups to Fortune 20. Over his career, Mr. Light has negotiated deals and managed projects in over 120 countries, working with 500 plus channel partners covering Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Russia and Latin America. Gunnar is currently co-founder and Managing Partner of the Global G Group, an international management consulting firm which provides SME’s with the strategic tools required for export success in world markets, expanding global access and increasing overall company value. Prior, from various roles as CEO, EVP, EGM, and MD International, Gunnar has led teams to expand global coverage into new markets and industries, building company value and generating profitable revenues in the process. In these roles, his teams have worked successfully in a wide variety of industries, including: justice, telecom, law enforcement, military, aerospace, satellite, energy, retail, security, broadcast & entertainment, computer networking, healthcare, corporate, education, legislative and government. As managing director worldwide sales and marketing for a local satellite integration company, Gunnar led his team to exceed 1,600 percent growth in sales in just two years, resulting in the company being awarded the prestigious Export Achievement Award from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Continued international success over his 7 year tenure resulted in the company being showcased for export excellence in the US President’s Office of Management and Budget Report. In Africa, for example, Gunnar’s team partnered with Huawei Technologies, China’s $45 billion telecom solution provider, to build the first IPTV broadcast network in the region. In Latin America, his international team was awarded a multi-million dollar contract by the Ministry of Education in Mexico for the installation of a satellite broadcast center which was the largest distance learning network in Latin America, reaching over 30,000 schools and 5 million students. Over the past 10 years, Mr. Light has specialized in global Public Safety, Justice, Rule of Law and Human Rights markets which often have required close involvement with donor agencies such as USAID, U.S. State Department, World Bank, UNDP, Europe Aid, African Development Bank, and a wide variety of NGO’s, among others. During this period he managed justice projects in over 50 countries from all major global regions, including Asia, Africa, Middle East, Europe and the Americas. In addition to his global sales management experience, Mr. Light has also had significant international consulting experience including engagements with IBM, Teléfonos de Mexico, Mitsubishi Electric, Apple Computer, All Nippon Airways, Nissho Iwai, Omron, Denwa, JAL and Hitachi. He is an active member of numerous humanitarian and non-profit organizations and boards. Most recently, Mr. Light was invited to join the Metro Phoenix Export Alliance (MPEXA) board to help manage the execution of the Greater Phoenix Export Plan focusing on positioning Phoenix among the top exporting regions by 2025 . In addition, he was recently nominated to join the International Rotary Club of South Africa and is active on sustainability projects throughout the continent. In 2007, he was appointed by the US Secretary of Commerce as a member of the Arizona District Export Council, where he presently serves as Vice-Chair and Chair of the Export Resource Committee. The Export Resource Committee provides international training, mentoring and networking programs for Arizona companies interested in expanding into global markets. Gunnar is a graduate from the Thunderbird School of Global Management with a concentration in Global Trade and Countertrade, as well as from Arizona State University’s MBA program, with a concentration on Supply Chain Management and Global Marketing. Gunnar is a frequent speaker at international seminars and conferences. Originally from Seattle, Washington, Mr. Light has lived, worked, studied and traveled as an expatriate in a variety of locations in Asia, Latin America and Europe for a total of 10 years.