Trade Winds Europe/Eurasia

As Regional Senior Commercial Officer for Eurasia, based in the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Heather Byrnes manages Commerce’s five offices in Türkiye, Ukraine and Kazakhstan as well as partner post commercial activities in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In this role, Heather develops and implements policies, strategies and programs to advance U.S. economic and commercial interests throughout Eurasia and solves market access issues facing U.S. firms seeking to expand or enter the region.

Promoted to the Senior Foreign Service in 2018, Heather’s previous overseas assignments have been as Counselor for Commercial Affairs in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Principal Commercial Officer in the U.S. Consulate in St. Petersburg, Senior Commercial Officer in the U.S. Embassy in Accra and Commercial Officer in the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg. Heather’s next assignment will be as Deputy Chief of Mission in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, beginning in summer 2024. Prior to joining the Commercial Service, Heather served on the board of directors of one of Europe’s largest market research agencies. Based in Dublin for over a decade, Heather led client account teams servicing both multi-nationals and medium-sized companies. 

Born and raised in Alaska, Heather was a Rhodes Scholarship finalist and received a B.A., cum laude, from Georgetown University. She was a Fulbright Scholar and Lois P. Roth Fellow in Public Administration at the University of Tampere, Finland.

John began his assignment as Commercial Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid in August 2022.  .  He and his team of industry specialists enable U.S. companies to succeed in the Spanish market, coordinating with other U.S. government agencies to strengthen the commercial ties between the United States and Spain.  Prior to his arrival in Madrid, John served as Commercial Counselor in Pakistan, where he led commercial activities in one of the largest missions in the U.S. Foreign Service that includes our embassy and three consulates general.  

From 2017 to 2020 John was Commercial Consul in Istanbul, serving as principal advisor on trade issues in the Turkish business capital.  Prior, he was Senior Commercial Officer in Panama, during which time he helped U.S. firms compete for security and infrastructure projects, including on the expansion of the Panama Canal.  John completed a two-year assignment at the U.S. Commerce Department field office in Chicago, where he helped Illinois manufacturers increase their global sales in key industries, including aerospace & defense, and information technologies, and also served as the Commerce Department liaison to Illinois members of Congress.  His previous diplomatic assignments include the U.S. embassies in London and Tel Aviv.  John began his career with the U.S. Commercial Service in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Originally from California, John speaks Spanish and French.   He completed his studies in California and Spain, as well as additional coursework in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

William (Bill) Czajkowski currently serves as the Regional Senior Commercial Officer for Central Europe. Prior to his current assignment, he served at the U.S. Embassy, Ankara, Turkey, as the Regional Senior Commercial Officer for Eurasia. From 2012-2015, he also served as the Regional Senior Commercial Officer covering Poland, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania. Bill was previously the Senior Advisor for the Career Development and Assignments Staff and the Assignments Officer for the U.S. Commercial Service from 2009-2011. The Career Development and Assignments Staff (CDAS) is a service entity within the Commerce Department’s U.S. Commercial Service dedicated to recruiting, competitively selecting and equitably assigning Commercial Officers to both domestic and international postings. Prior to his tenure in the CDAS office, Bill served as Deputy Senior Commercial Officer in Berlin, Germany from 2005 to 2009. Among his widespread duties, he assisted in the management of the Commercial Service’s four offices located throughout Germany. From 2002-2005, Bill was Principal Commercial Officer at the U.S. Consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was responsible for all Commercial Service activity throughout Northwest Russia. Prior to his tour in Russia, Bill was Commercial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Prior to his joining the Kuala Lumpur office, he worked as an International Trade Specialist for the U.S. Commercial Service Chicago office, where he helped American small- to medium-sized enterprises expand their businesses overseas. From 1993 to 1995, Bill worked as an International Trade Analyst for the Department of Commerce’s Import Administration, where he worked on anti-dumping cases in Asia and South America.

Bill received his B.A. from California State University, Sacramento in 1989. He later received his M.A. from The George Washington University in 1991.

Rachel Duran serves as the senior commercial officer in Serbia and supports partner posts in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She works to strengthen the commercial relationship between the United States and these countries and supports U.S. businesses. Prior to this assignment, she served as a commercial officer at the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi, where she coordinated various programs to strengthen the U.S-UAE trade relationship and increase investment into the United States, overseeing the advocacy, energy, oil and gas, services, and IT portfolios. From 2015-2017, Rachel served as a commercial officer in New Delhi, assisting U.S. companies in the defense, aerospace, aviation, education and travel and tourism sectors to expand their sales into the Indian market and oversaw the country’s advocacy portfolio. She also worked at the U.S. Commercial Service office in Puerto Rico assisting local firms to expand their exports abroad. Rachel began her work with the Department of Commerce in 2009 in the Standards Liaison office, where she helped develop and implement trade policy related to technical barriers to trade and assisted companies with standards trade issues. Prior to working with the government, Rachel helped private companies, governments and non-profit organizations with business development, economic development and international expansion.  Some of the donors she worked with included the Asian Development Bank, USAID, SIDA, Danida, DFID, MCC, and the World Bank. Rachel graduated with an MBA from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, an MA in International Commerce and Policy from George Mason University, and a BA in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia.

Don is currently the Senior Commercial Officer with the U.S. Commercial Service posted at the U.S. Consulate Almaty. Prior to joining the Commercial Service, he was a patent attorney for the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, as well as a Lead Other Transactions Specialist, with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where his work was focused on vaccines, telemedicine, and surgical devices. From 2020-2021, Don worked on the Operation Warp Speed vaccine development effort, acting as the lead IP attorney negotiating the Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen vaccine contracts, and was awarded the Department of the Army Civilian Service Commendation Medal. From 2012 to 2017, he served as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Offices’ Regional Intellectual Property Attaché to Russia and the CIS, posted in Moscow, during which time he covered all of the countries of the former Soviet Union, as well as working on cross-border IP issues in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Prior to government service, Don was a practicing patent attorney focused on contracts, licensing and negotiations related to software, chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnical arts, and worked in East Asia, the U.S. and Europe, with his base in Tokyo, Japan. Don has a J.D. with a focus in securities law, a B.S. in chemistry, and an M.S. in biotechnology management.

Jim Lindley began his current assignment as Commercial Counselor to the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, in August 2022. In this capacity, he provides leadership and management oversight of the CS Poland Commercial Specialist and Administrative team. He specializes in innovative technologies, advanced manufacturing, cyber, aerospace and defense. 

Previously, Jim served as Commercial Counselor to the U.S. Embassy in London, UK, (2017-2021) where he focused extensively on Brexit implications and advancing the U.S. UK free trade agreement. He served as Senior Commercial Officer in Kyiv, Ukraine, (2014-2017), and led efforts to advise and collaborate with the Ukrainian government on business climate reform. Other assignments include Commercial Officer in the New Orleans Export Assistance Center, Commercial Consul at the U.S. Consulate General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Commercial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt.

Prior to joining the U.S. Commercial Service in 2010, Jim’s extensive international experience includes service as Deputy Director of International Programs with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) promoting capacity building and good governance among national energy regulatory authorities in Nigeria, Ghana, Jordan, Georgia, Nicaragua and South Eastern Europe. Jim received a unique fellowship opportunity from Alfa Bank Russia in Moscow, where he consulted on transparency, anti-monopoly and counterfeit product legislative issues to multi-national corporate clients, leadership from the European Union, and members of the Russian Duma. In another stage of his career, Jim oversaw international project management roles for State department and USAID portfolios focused on public health and education projects for NGOs and private companies. Additionally, Jim served as U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Western Russia from 1999-2001. 

Jim earned Master of Arts degrees from the University of Texas in Public Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies, and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics and Economics from Southern Methodist University.

Don is currently the Senior Commercial Officer with the U.S. Commercial Service posted at the U.S. Consulate Almaty. Prior to joining the Commercial Service, he was a patent attorney for the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, as well as a Lead Other Transactions Specialist, with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where his work was focused on vaccines, telemedicine, and surgical devices. From 2020-2021, Don worked on the Operation Warp Speed vaccine development effort, acting as the lead IP attorney negotiating the Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen vaccine contracts, and was awarded the Department of the Army Civilian Service Commendation Medal. From 2012 to 2017, he served as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Offices’ Regional Intellectual Property Attaché to Russia and the CIS, posted in Moscow, during which time he covered all of the countries of the former Soviet Union, as well as working on cross-border IP issues in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Prior to government service, Don was a practicing patent attorney focused on contracts, licensing and negotiations related to software, chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnical arts, and worked in East Asia, the U.S. and Europe, with his base in Tokyo, Japan. Don has a J.D. with a focus in securities law, a B.S. in chemistry, and an M.S. in biotechnology management.

Ken Walsh has served as Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Vienna, Austria since August   2023. In this role he is responsible for promoting U.S commercial interests in Austria and encouraging investment by Austrian firms in the U.S. market. He is also responsible for managing commercial activities in Slovenia via a partner post relationship with the Department of State. Immediately prior to his current role, he was the Senior Commercial Officer in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania managing commercial affairs in this key east African trading partner. He served as Principal Commercial Officer in Dusseldorf, Germany from 2015 to 2020 covering key industrial sectors including the healthcare, manufacturing, and chemicals portfolios. Ken also served in Moscow from 2011 to 2014, where his portfolio of responsibilities included the vital Russian oil and gas and agricultural machinery sectors. Ken began his career with the U.S. Commercial Service in 2008 serving in the St. Louis Export Assistance Center. Prior to the Department of Commerce, Ken spent 13 years in Washington, D.C. as a trade association executive with several major national and international trade associations.

Chris Wilken is the Senior Commercial Officer (SCO) at the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen, a position he took on in October 2020. In this capacity, he leads the Commercial Service and efforts to increase exports to, and inward investment from, the Kingdom of Denmark. During his previous tour, Chris served as the SCO of Embassy Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Chris has additional experience leading the commercial service offices of U.S. embassies and consulates on short term assignments in Casablanca, Tel Aviv, Jeddah, and Tripoli, Libya. He has served in Washington at the Commerce Department headquarters as a desk officer covering Maghreb and Saudi Arabia. Prior to joining the Commerce Department, Chris provided government relations services to internationally-oriented trade associations in Washington, DC.

 Chris holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Manhattanville College.