Rick C. Wade is Senior Vice President of Strategic Alliances and Outreach at the United States Chamber of Commerce - the world's largest business organization. He provides counsel on policy issues affecting America's private sector and develops initiatives to help the business community expand its relationships and impact across diverse audiences. Following the murder of George Floyd, he created the U.S. Chamber's Equality of Opportunity Initiative to advance private sector and public policy solutions that help to close opportunity gaps across America. One of his key priorities is connecting small and underserved businesses to corporate supply chains and the global marketplace. He also helps to lead the U.S. Chamber's Advance with Africa program which aims to promote Africa's commercial profile, strengthen relationships across the Diaspora, increase U.S. exports and investment, showcase tools to support new market entrants, and foster commercial opportunities for businesses in the United States and Africa. He recently hosted American Business Celebrates Team USA to not only celebrate the accomplishments of our country's Olympians and Paralympians, but also to connect them to corporations that can support their current and post-sport career goals and entrepreneurial interests.

Before joining the Chamber, Rick was President & CEO of The Wade Group, a communications and global business development firm. Previously, he was Senior Adviser and Deputy Chief of Staff for former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Ambassador to China Gary Locke. While at the Commerce Department, Rick was a forceful advocate for the department's priorities at many domestic and global forums, including the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT), Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), African Growth and Opportunity Act Forum (AGOA), Conference on the Caribbean and Central America (CCCA), and the Department of State Policy Coordinating Committee on Brazil. He was also Special Commerce Envoy to the Caribbean; oversaw private sector initiatives in Haiti following the 2010 devastating earthquake; and led trade missions around the world.

A former executive at Hoffman-La Roche and Blue Cross Blue Shield, Rick was a member of the Democratic National Committee and Senior Adviser for the 2008 Obama for America campaign. He currently serves on the boards of USA Track & Field, National Forest Foundation, Urban Alliance, and Folks Center for International Business. Rick received his B.S. from the University of South Carolina and M.P.A. from Harvard University and was awarded honorary doctorates from Benedict College and South Carolina State University. He has received numerous awards for exemplary leadership and public service.