ATLANTA – Jerry Belle, executive chairman of Merial Ltd., will chair the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce’s newly formed Global Commerce Council. Along with Jim Whitehurst, chief operating officer of Delta Air Lines and Kenneth Cornelius, president and CEO of Siemens One, serving as vice-chairs to the council.

“ I look forward to leading the Global Commerce Council and to working to make our region an even stronger player in the global marketplace ,” said Jerry Belle, executive chairman of Merial Ltd. “ The Southeast is the fastest growing region of the country, and Atlanta sits at the heart of it. That means we’re in a unique position to leverage our assets -- not just those of Atlanta, but of our state and the entire southeast to promote global business.”

The council is charged with increasing the number of international companies locating to metro Atlanta which will result in the growth of jobs and investments for the area, and to increase the presence of Atlanta abroad.

“The newly formed Global Commerce Council, chaired by Jerry Belle and vice-chaired by Jim Whitehurst and Kenneth Cornelius, will enhance metro Atlanta’s commercial presence around the world,” said Sam A. Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. “T here are more opportunities than ever to expand our region’s reach around the world. And we’re ready to seize them.”

Metro Atlanta already has a strong international presence and the Chamber has been growing global commerce for decades. Atlanta is already home to more than 15 multinational companies with operations in at least 20 countries abroad. Top 10 countries by employment in Atlanta represent more than 71,000 jobs and 1,600 facilities in the metro area. And 52 governments around the world maintain consulate or trade offices here.

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