International Commission on Workforce Development

The International Commission on Workforce Development (ICWFD) "is a California based 501(c)3 Non-Profit public charity organization (Tax ID # 20-3097851) that is enabling the workforce of G77 Developing Countries (DC’s) to compete in the current and future global economy." [1]

Board Members

• Bradford R. Kane is Chief Executive Officer of the ICWFD. With a background in technology and advocacy initiatives on bridging the Digital Divide, broadening the reach of broadband and wireless connectivity to underserved communities, advancing e-health, and deploying economic development tools, Brad has infused ICWFD with his own brand of energetic leadership, vision and spirit. Also an attorney, Brad began his career working in Congress, where he served as Legislative Counsel to Congresswoman Cardiss Collins (D-IL), and as Counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Competitiveness, focusing on the expansion of equal economic opportunity for minority-owned and women-owned businesses, among other issues. He also served on the President's Health Care Task Force, and as Executive Director of both the Coalition on Media Concerns and the Work Opportunity Response Commission. Brad has previously served as Deputy Secretary for Information Technology and Deputy Controller in the State of California government.

• Dr. Asad U. Shah is the Chairman of the Board of the ICWFD. A social entrepreneur who not only recognized the barriers to education and ICT in the developing countries but provided new ways to give free access to the highest quality content and skills for 21st century employment to the underprivileged countries. Dr. Shah has over 20 years experience in international consultancy, working with UN agencies, public and private sectors. His forte is electronic trade facilitation, e-government and education. He is also the founder and CEO of one of the largest offshore software development houses. A graduate from University of Houston USA, he Initiated a global workforce and human resource development program that is one of a kind. Dr. Shah has also provided real life and tangible technological solutions to meet the UN’s Millennium Development Goals and as someone who hails from a developing country but who has been exposed to ICT in work and experience; he is able to give the developing countries perspective as well as a multidisciplinary perspective to the Commission.

• Jim Kohlenberger is a Member of the Board of Directors of ICWFD.

• John Gage

• Dr. Carlos Chanduvi – Suarez is a Member of the Board of Directors of ICWFD. Dr. Carlos serves as the Managing and Team Leader of UNIDO technical operations in Algeria, Djibouti, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Palestine, Somalia, Tunisia, and Yemen and is responsible for coordinating UNIDO technical assistance activities in the fields of SME development, Waste and Environmental management, Knowledge and E-learning and Market Access interventions. Dr. Carlos has also managed UNIDO technical operations in Pakistan and Afghanistan, identifying educational, business and technical needs and opportunities for TA programs, coordinating and monitoring implementation of TA implemented by the various UNIDO sections in the countries in SME, Quality, Montreal Protocol and Renewable Energy. Dr. Carlos has advised the Government of Pakistan (Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology) in Innovation, Quality and Productivity Programs including education and skills development. Dr. Carlos has also received a number of recognitions for his work including the National Award from the Minister of Science and Technology for contribution to Pakistan’s Industrial and Educational Development among various others. Dr. Carlos possesses multilingual skills sustained with PhD in Advanced Materials, plus degrees in Economics and International Relations from London School of Economics. He is Vice-Chairman of the Executive Board, Austrian-Venezuelan Association; Member of British Open University Business School Associated Lecturers; Member of the Executive Committee of the Austrian Foundation for Quality; Founder-Member and Honorary Austrian Focal Point (Since 1994) of Material Science Educational Network Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Mexico, France and Germany; Associate Professor of Strategy and Knowledge Management at the MBA program of the British Open University Business School in Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and the Russian Federation.

• Ms. Sadaf Shah is a Member of the Board of Directors of ICWFD. Ms. Shah is an accomplished marketing professional with over 12 years of professional and academic experience. She is the former Country head for Trade Info Net and Project Coordinator for Time Life Inc. ( a division of Time Warner AOL) in Pakistan. In addition to her position as Secretary, Ms. Shah acts as the Commission’s Director of Strategic Alliances. She also sits on the board of RESCUE an NGO focused on Education and poverty alleviation. She received a Masters degree in Business Administration from Punjab University in Lahore, Pakistan, and Bachelors of Arts degrees from Kinnaird College in Lahore, Pakistan.

• Nadir Shafi is a Member of the Board of Directors of ICWFD. Mr. Shafi is currently Vice President at Wells Fargo Bank in San Jose, California. Prior to this he worked at J. Tim Lynch & Co., CPA as Business Development Manager, Marketing Director and Director of Technology. He has a Masters in Business Administration from Indiana University and Lahore University in Pakistan. He has an International Diploma in Computer Sciences from the National Computer College in London, UK.

• Dr. Eugenia Soboleva is a Member of the Board of Directors of ICWFD. Dr. Soboleva is a Director at Quality Austria, a training, certification and evaluation organization in Vienna, Austria. Formerly she was European Quality Director and the European Auditor for Quality with the Austrian Quality Foundation. She received PhD in Chemistry from the Institute of Physical Chemistry, in Moscow, Russia. She has also worked at the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, and has extensive experience with UN agencies (FAO, IAEA, UNIDO, UNODC, UNEP, WHO, WTO, ITC etc), private companies and governments. [2]