Albert Beckford Jones

Founder, Chairman & CEO

Mr. Albert Beckford Jones has worked in the United States and in international environments for more 30 years with people from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and languages; this has contributed to the meaning of success for Mr. Jones.

Mr. Jones has worked for American businesses that enabled U.S. companies and institutions to bridge the gap between global ambitions and the realities of profitable international business. He has assisted U.S. institutions in the development and implementation of international strategies and business development throughout the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and South America; he served as the interlocutor for numerous U.S. institutions doing business with foreign entities, as an executive-level leader, and senior expert advisor, and since 2008, for leading mission driven institutions desiring to improve the lives of all (U.S. and globally).

Iin 2020-01/2023, Mr. Jones was the former Director of Global Business Development at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, with a department of Federal Affairs office in Washington, D.C.  The AAP is a not-for-profit institution, founded in 1930s and the largest pediatric society in the world. AAP is, also, the largest pediatric publishing program in the world with 67,000 pediatricians “committed to the optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults”. Mr. Jones led the organization’s global business development and partners with foreign governments, corporations and ministries of health and medical institutions; his responsibilities included leveraging current external partners and the technical expertise of AAP’s members to promote AAP products, services, and trainings and to support AAP global programs “dedicated to the health of all children.”

From, 2017-2020, Mr. Jones was the Special Advisor to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Research Competitiveness Program based in Washington, DC. (AAAS founded 1848 and is the world’s largest general scientific society, with 120,000 members, and publisher of the leading scientific journal, Science). Mr. Jones assisted AAAS in their business development efforts with foreign governments, and institutional programmatic work in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), health, research, and innovation to advance its mission throughout the world for the benefit of all people

In 2011-2012, Mr. Jones was appointed the Manager of Business Development at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology | KAUST, a U.S. multi-billion-dollar endowed, international, co-educational graduate science and Research university on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia. Mr. Jones is credited with establishing KAUST’s Business Development Department, where he lead major business opportunities and commercial projects that attracted investors to generate long-term revenue, support capital/operation requirements, and lessen the University’s dependence on their endowment. From 2008 through 2010 he was the Senior Advisor to the president of the U.S. Civilian Research Development Foundation (CRDF Global – Strengthen Individuals | Build Relationships | Improve Our World also known as “CRDF Global”). CRDF Global is a non-profit organization authorized by the U.S. Congress, established in 1995 by the National Science Foundation and active in over 30 countries. At CRDF Global, Mr. Jones led their global business development and international scientific and technical partnerships with foreign governments, corporations, and institutions throughout the Middle East and North Africa regions (MENA). From 2006-2007, in his role as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Executive Director of General Motors’ largest operations in the Middle East (Aljomaih/AAC), and one of their largest in the world, he oversaw the human resource and administrative affairs of more than 3000 employees. He also managed $370 million associated with assets in excess of $1.5 billion and a financial organization comprised of 85 regional financial professionals.

Albert Jones’ career began in 1983 as Financial Controller and Management Information Systems Executive for ASTC Corporation, a leading contracting, trading, and investment company based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He managed a budget of $90 million associated with $2 billion in assets. Back in the U.S., in 1989, he joined First National Bank of Chicago (now JP Morgan Chase) as Corporate Planning Officer and a member of a five-person Executive Support Unit for the Bank’s executive management team and the Vice Chairman of the Board. He then spent two years as a special Business Analyst for the executive management of British Petroleum (BP) evaluating capital investments on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Later, in 1993, Mr. Jones was named Vice President and Senior Manager of Corporate Strategic Planning for Society Corporation, where he managed the strategy development function for the merger between Society Corporation and Key-Bank (KeyCorp) that formed an $80 billion corporation. In 1995 Albert founded Trading and Consulting International, Inc. (GoInternationally.com), based in Chicago, and is currently the Chairman Emeritus and CEO. At Trading & Consulting International, Inc. he leads international strategic planning and business development initiatives. He has advised United Technologies and the Manufacturing Advocacy Growth Network (formerly CAMP) on selection and set-up of overseas joint ventures, served as International Investment Consultant to Key-Bank’s senior management to raise global capital for private equity deals, and has served as a Financial Advisor for Merrill Lynch’s Global Private Client Group.