This episode features Keith Krach, the former CEO of DocuSign and Ariba who served as the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment.

The conversation was recorded on April 29th in preparation for the first season of the Policy2050.com podcast. In this interview, the former Under Secretary of State and ongoing policy advisor recalls his engineering background and career milestones, which directly translated into his efforts at the State Department. He also describes his experiences and concerns with the CCP, emphasizes the role of trust in international affairs, and explains his view of the dynamics behind IP theft. He concludes by recommending the use of contingency plans and risk mitigation strategies by the business community, given the increasing tensions between democracy and authoritarianism on the world stage.

This episode touches upon the following key questions:

• How should U.S. businesses navigate the political and economic relationship with China?
• How do the cultures of Silicon Valley and Washington D.C. intersect?
• Why are American business leaders privately expressing concerns about Chinese trade?
• How is China tipping the scales of business competition through IP theft, unfair labor practices, and a lack of transparency?
• Is the Russian invasion of Ukraine a prelude to a CCP takeover of Taiwan?
• What is the best policy framework for the U.S. government and its allies?

Keith Krach, the former DocuSign and Ariba CEO and Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, recently inaugurated the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue University to advance U.S. leadership in emerging technologies on the world stage. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his steadfast advocacy for Taiwan and opposition to China’s imperial ambitions, which has gotten him and his family sanctioned by Beijing.