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Ira Kasoff
Principal Commercial Officer, U.S. Consulate, Shanghai China

Dr. Ira Kasoff has had extensive experience in Asia. He has had five commercial service assignments in the region, in addition to private sector and academic experience.

Before assuming his present position in Shanghai, he served as Commercial Counselor in Tokyo from 2000 - 2004. Prior to that, he served as Senior Commercial Officer at the US Consulate General in Hong Kong from 1998 - 2000, and as Deputy SCO in Hong Kong from 1995 - 1998. From 1993 - 1995, he was Principal Commercial Officer at the US Consulate General in Osaka-Kobe, and from 1990-92, served as First Secretary for Commercial Affairs at the American Embassy in Tokyo. From 1987-89, he worked for the Boston Consulting Group, where he specialized in Asia business, based in San Francisco and Hong Kong. From 1985-87, he served as Principal Commercial Officer at the US Consulate General in Shanghai. Prior to that, he worked at the National Committee on US-China Relations, and as the Beijing representative for Fuqua World Trade Corporation.

Mr. Kasoff received his B.A. from Harvard University in 1973, and his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1982. His specialty was Chinese history, with a secondary specialization in Japanese history. He is the author of a book on Chinese intellectual history, published in 1984 by Cambridge University Press, entitled The Thought of Chang Tsai.

Dr. Kasoff is married to Ms. Ellen Eliasoph, Senior Vice President, Warner Bros. Inc., and has one daughter.