On February 11, join Asia Society Northern California for a public program exploring the QUAD's pivotal role in Indo-Pacific security with Consuls General from QUAD economies. The United States, India, Japan, and Australia have emerged as a key grouping in addressing regional challenges, from maritime security to countering terrorism and fostering economic resilience. During the QUAD Leader’s Summit in September 2024, the governments laid out their priorities and new projects on global health, humanitarian assistance, infrastructure, and critical and emerging technology. With the QUAD Foreign Ministers and Leader’s Summits planned for 2025, this program will feature expert insights into the strategic initiatives and efforts, as well as successes and challenges, of the QUAD to enhance stability and freedom in the Indo-Pacific. Join us to understand how the QUAD is shaping the future of security in this vital region in an increasingly complex global landscape. 

Speakers include Consul General Chris Ketter, Australian Consul General and Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner, San Francisco; Consul General OSUMI Yo, Consul General of Japan in San Francisco; and Consul General Dr. K. Srikar Reddy, Consul General of India at San Francisco. Asha Jadeja, Silicon Valley-based venture capitalist and philanthropist, will provide opening remarks. During the networking sessions, guests can enjoy light bites and drinks. 

March 22, 2023: Consuls General on International Security and the Path to Peace
May 19, 2022: Four Consuls General on Emerging Tech in Asia
August 9, 2021: Standing in Solidarity Against Asian Hate
February 27, 2020: Southeast Asia in 2020 with Four Consuls General
July 24, 2019: The Case for "America First" with Four Consuls General

This event is open to members and non-members. Stay tuned for more information on ticket pricing and registration. We appreciate additional donations, which help further our global mission of building bridges. Press must email [email protected] for registration inquiries. Registration and confirmation are required at least 24 hours before the event.

AGENDA

• 4:30-5:00 PM - Registration
• 5:00-6:00 PM - Moderated Discussion and Q&A
• 6:00-6:30 PM - Networking

Location: Silicon Valley Bank Experience Center (532 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94104)

SPEAKER BIOS

Mr Chris Ketter was appointed Australian Consul-General San Francisco in 2023. He is a former Senator for Queensland. He was subsequently a senior adviser in the office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence.

As a Senator, Mr Ketter served on numerous Parliamentary committees including as Chair of the Senate Economics References Committee.

Prior to entering Parliament, Mr Ketter was Queensland Branch Secretary of the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association. He has over 30 years’ experience in workplace relations and the commerce sector.

Mr Ketter has served as an Alternate Director on the Board of the REST Industry Superannuation fund. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) degree and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Queensland.

OSUMI Yo was appointed Consul General of Japan in San Francisco in August 2023. Born in Japan in 1966, he graduated from the University of Tokyo (Faculty of Economics) and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in 1990. His recent posts in Tokyo include those of Deputy Assistant Minister for Crisis Management and Cyber Security and Information Technology Management (2019-21), Deputy Director General for Consular Affairs (2019-20), Latin American and Caribbean Affairs (2019-20) and Intelligence and Analysis Service (2020-21). Most recently, he was Director General, Counter-Terrorism Unit Japan and Councillor, Cabinet Secretariat (2021- 23). He has also served as Director of Economic Security Division in MOFA, Senior Coordinator for Global Environment Division, and Principal Deputy Director of Southwest Asia Division. 

His experiences in North America include his service as Assistant Director of Japan-U.S. Security Treaty Division and Status of U.S. Forces Division, as well as an officer at the First North America Division at the start of his diplomatic career. He earned his Master’s Degree at Columbia University in New York in May 1993. He has had overseas assignments in Israel (Deputy Chief of Mission, 2017-19), the United Kingdom (Political Minister, 2014-17), the Netherlands (First Secretary, 2003-05) and Saudi Arabia (Second Secretary, 1993-95). He has also served as Director for Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Africa at the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) from 2005 to 2009. During this time, he was responsible for the Agency’s engagement with, inter alia, China, India, and Southeast Asia in the areas of energy and climate change. 

He is married and has two children. As his name “Yo” means “ocean,” he loves various marine sports and has acquired an operator’s (skipper’s) certificate in Israel. He is an avid student of history and an extensive traveler who has been all over Japan and the world. He is a practitioner of the Way of Tea (tea ceremony)

Dr. K. Srikar Reddy before taking over as the Consul General of India at San Francisco, served at the Department of Commerce, Government of India as Joint Secretary where he oversaw India’s commercial relations with countries in Africa and the Middle-East. He was the Chief Negotiator of India for the India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) and India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that entered into force on 01 April 2021 and 01 May 2022 respectively.

He joined the Indian Foreign Service in the year 2001 and served in various positions at Indian Missions including Germany and Switzerland. Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of India to the World Trade Organization (WTO) from August 2014 to October 2017. He was India's Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from October 2017 to March 2020.

He also served at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), New Delhi and handled India’s relations with Pakistan and East and Southern Africa (E&SA). He served as Regional Passport Officer, Hyderabad (July 2011 – August 2014) where he transformed the delivery of passport services in then undivided state of Andhra Pradesh, India for which he was awarded the “Passport Seva Puraskar (Best Passport Officer)” in June 2013.

Dr. Reddy was born in the district of Warangal, Telangana. He studied Medicine (MBBS) at Kakatiya Medical College, Warangal India. He speaks Telugu, Hindi, English and German.

He is married to Prathima Koppula, an IT professional and has one son.

With Opening Remarks by 

 As one of Silicon Valley’s most highly respected venture capitalists, Asha Jadeja has invested in over 100 well-known technology startups in the Valley such as Paypal, Mimosa, AppDynamics, Meraki, and Pinterest. As founding stakeholders in Google, Asha & her late husband Prof Rajeev Motwani played a critical role in building & crafting the DNA of Google the startup. Asha continues to work closely with Google Ventures and Google Foundation on various joint investments. As an active philanthropist, Asha helped create MakerFaire Africa in 2009 and later launched dozens of Maker festivals in India with the objective of showcasing alternative means of learning and earning through local problem-solving. Asha set up India’s most advanced Fablab at Cept University (her Alma mater), and placed key engineers and architects from MIT and CEPT in it, to integrate Fablab into the course curriculum. The results have been spectacular.

Asha launched the RajeevCircle fellowship for Indian entrepreneurs from smaller towns dedicated to local problem-solving. The idea was to create a platform to expand, globalize & connect the entrepreneurs to the Indian diaspora in Silicon Valley. We have over 150 stellar fellows now that work closely together helping each other scale, learn from, and contribute towards a stronger fellowship of problem solvers.

Currently, Asha’s interests are in creating a strategic partnership between various Indian and American universities, think tanks, and research groups to help accelerate the US-India partnership on economic growth, technology, climate, and women’s entrepreneurship.

Thank you to 

Motwani Jadeja Family Foundation