Power Meets Policy: Why Diplomacy Needs the Private Sector

Business Diplomacy

Diplomacy has long been the domain of state actors, formal negotiations, and closed-door strategies. But in a world where global corporations rival national economies in size and reach, that model is no longer enough.

As a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Chief of Staff, Arizona border mayor, and Director of the Arizona Department of Commerce, I’ve seen the blind spots in diplomacy that arise when business realities are excluded. Now, as CEO of Intermestic Partners—an international business advisory firm I founded in 2011 to specialize in cross-border trade and development—I work with global firms confronting the consequences of diplomacy that doesn’t reflect market complexity.

The Case for Business at the Table

• Diplomats focus on policy.

• Business leaders understand execution.

When trade agreements are negotiated without corporate insight, they risk becoming symbolic gestures instead of actionable frameworks. Companies bring real-time insights about supply chains, sanctions impact, labor demands, and investment climate—insights that should shape, not follow, diplomatic moves.

In 2014, companies like Airbnb and Netflix helped reopen the U.S.-Cuba relationship—not by lobbying, but by deploying services that normalized relations more quickly than politics ever could.

Case Studies that Prove the Point

• U.S.-Cuba thaw: business helped build bridges faster than diplomacy

• Paris Agreement: private-sector buy-in shaped climate commitments

• Germany’s Chambers of Commerce: an embedded model of public-private collaboration in diplomacy

Breaking Through Resistance

Understandably, some fear conflict of interest or national sovereignty erosion. But success depends on balanced frameworks:

• Permanent private-sector advisory boards within diplomatic bodies

• Business delegates on trade missions

• Public-private forums before major international summits

The Win-Win Possibility

For governments:

• Richer data and ground-level insight

• Policy alignment with economic strategy

• Stronger global reputation for pragmatism

For businesses:

• Early input on regulatory direction

• Opportunities in new markets

• A more stable, cooperative global landscape

Toward Smarter Diplomacy

At Intermestic Partners, we’ve seen how sidelining business voices can create friction, delay, and unintended consequences in cross-border trade. The future of diplomacy depends on collaboration—not as an afterthought, but as a core principle.

Join the Conversation

Policymakers, CEOs, and diplomats alike must adapt. If you believe diplomacy should reflect the realities of international commerce, I invite you to partner with Intermestic Partners. Together, we can shape a model of diplomacy that’s inclusive, forward-looking, and equipped for 21st-century challenges.