Real-world experience fosters innovation

The Economic Strategy Institute is a think tank based in Washington, D.C. From its inception, the Institute has prioritized empirical evidence and practical realities over academic theory. The Institute, also known as ESI, is a private, non-profit, and non-partisan organization that aims to optimize benefits from globalization by interacting with market forces, rather than distorting markets and imposing costs. Clyde Prestowit, the president and founder, advocates for pursuing this goal through principles, policies, and institutions that align with democratic values. As security and national welfare increasingly rely on performance in the global marketplace, the Economic Strategy Institute is particularly focused on formulating national and corporate strategies that promote a level playing field and ensure that globalization is mutually beneficial.

Clyde is an honors graduate of Swarthmore College, holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, and an MA in Asian studies from the University of Hawaii. He is proficient in five languages: German, Dutch, French, Japanese, and English. Clyde dedicated the early part of his career to business and government roles, gaining practical experience outside of think tanks and academia. He is a prominent analyst and commentator on foreign affairs, globalization, the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, Mexico, technology, and international economics. He has spent several years living and working internationally as a sales, marketing, and corporate planning manager for companies such as Scott Paper and American Can Company in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, and Hong Kong. He served as a White House adviser during the Obama administration and held the position of vice chairman of President Clinton’s Commission on Trade and Investment in the Asia-Pacific region. Additionally, he was a director of the Export-Import Bank of the United States under Clinton while concurrently serving as president of the Pacific Basin Economic Council.

Clyde frequently contributes to prominent publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal, L.A. Times, The Washington Monthly, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The American Prospect, The Spectator, and others. His notable works include Trading Places: How We Are Giving Our Future to Japan (1988), Rogue Nation (2003), Three Billion New Capitalists: How Wealth and Power are Flowing to the East (2005), The Betrayal of American Prosperity (2010), and Japan Restored (2016). He anticipates the publication of his forthcoming book, The World Turned Upside Down: America, China, and the Struggle for Global Leadership, in January 2021.

Clyde has consistently sought originality in his approach to business strategy. For instance, as a headhunter in Japan during the 1970s, he frequently initiated new companies to address challenges instead of sourcing candidates from existing firms. After establishing these companies, he sold them for significantly greater profits than those he could have made merely by replacing one CEO with another.

Encouraging initiative by enabling staff members to make the most of their abilities is a key component of Clyde's leadership philosophy. He believes that for a group to foster strong collaboration, it must operate as a cohesive team with a clear understanding of each member's roles and objectives, enabling interoperability. He consistently engages in productive work by aligning his interests with his professional responsibilities. Besides, Clyde perceives his supporters not as customers but as partners in pursuit of mutually beneficial solutions. Additionally, he encourages his colleagues to take the initiative in establishing their own performance goals.

In practice, Clyde has direct experience with both effective and ineffective tactics. His leadership has elevated ESI to a significant position in the public policy process, shaping and frequently defining the terms of the debate regarding international trade policy, economic competitiveness, and the impacts of globalization. ESI differs from most of its competitors by focusing on real-world issues rather than academic theoretical issues, asserts Clyde. Its focus is the competitiveness of the U.S. economy in actual practice. Most of Clyde’s competitors operate academically, just as he does in the real world!