Export-Import Bank of the United States Announces Initial Trump Administration “Beachhead” Staff Appointments
Washington, DC – Immediately following the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as 47th President of the United States, yesterday, the first three senior members of the incoming Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) “Beachhead Team” – David Slade, José Cunningham, and Bryce McFerran – were sworn as Senior Counselor and Senior Advisors, respectively.
The team, which combined, has decades of relevant experience, is excited and honored to join the talented EXIM career staff to further the agency’s mission and help implement President Trump’s vision for America.
Two previous Trump Administration officials – former EXIM President and Chair Kimberly Reed and former EXIM Senior Advisor Lauren Fuller – along with current EXIM career staff were present for the virtual ceremony.
“During President Trump’s first term, we were proud to work with the extraordinary career staff to re-open EXIM and secure the longest Congressional reauthorization in the agency’s nearly-91-year history and launch EXIM’s China and Transformational Exports Program (CTEP),” said former EXIM Chair Reed. “Now, as EXIM’s 2026 Congressional reauthorization approaches, this team will continue our important work of getting deals done to empower U.S. workers to compete and win in the face of fierce global competition and advance our nation’s economic and national security.”
Biographies of the appointees are listed below, in alphabetical order:
José Cunningham, Senior Advisor
José Cunningham is an international business development professional who has lived and worked in more than 40 countries to enable his private sector, professional services, and U.S. government clients to compete in the global marketplace. During the first Trump Administration, José was Executive Director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Advocacy Center, where he oversaw and ensured the team's mission to coordinate U.S. government resources and authority in order to level the playing field on behalf of U.S. business interests as they compete against foreign firms for specific public international contracts, both commercial and defense sales. During his tenure, he managed a team that met and exceeded its goals and metrics with 102 client wins representing $25.3 billion in U.S. export content and $33.8 billion project value, supporting 135,600 new U.S. jobs. José is a former U.S. Foreign Service Officer and previously was Chief Sales and Business Development Officer at three of the world’s largest law firms, Nixon Peabody LLP, Crowell & Moring LLP, and Shaw Pittman LLP.
Bryce McFerran, Senior Advisor
Bryce McFerran has extensive experience in international management, trade, banking, finance, and logistics, having begun his career at Morgan Stanley in the U.S. and more recently leading various international physical commodities trading and financing businesses. Prior to EXIM, Bryce was Vice President of the Zug Commodities Association and Director of Black Bay Services AG, an international trading and logistics firm.
David Slade, Senior Counselor (Beachhead Team Lead)
David Slade served in the first Trump Administration as General Counsel of EXIM. He received EXIM’s Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his continuous and distinctive accomplishment and leadership that significantly benefitted EXIM and the nation. He has spent more than three decades in the private sector as an international project finance lawyer representing official credit agencies, as well as private sector lenders and equity sponsor on complex multi-jurisdictional projects around the globe in sectors including energy, transformational technologies, natural resources, and various levels of infrastructure.
More staff announcements will be made soon.
ABOUT EXIM:
The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) is the nation’s official export credit agency with the mission of supporting American jobs by facilitating U.S. exports. To advance American competitiveness and assist U.S. businesses as they compete for global sales, EXIM offers financing including export credit insurance, working capital guarantees, loan guarantees, and direct loans. As an independent federal agency, EXIM contributes to U.S. economic growth by supporting tens of thousands of jobs in exporting businesses and their supply chains across the United States. Learn more at www.exim.gov.