William (Bill) C. Lane

Washington Director – Governmental Affairs
Caterpillar

William C. Lane is a leading business advocate for free trade and global engagement in Washington D.C. Bill has been with Caterpillar since 1975 and has been the company’s Washington Director for Government Affairs since 1998. Mr. Lane is a co-chair of the U.S. Latin America Trade Coalition and co-president of the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign, a group supporting a robust international affairs budget. In 2005, Speaker Hastert appointed Bill to the HELP Commission, a presidential committee examining the effectiveness of U.S. foreign aid. The Commission report which Bill helped author was released in December 2007.

Previously Mr. Lane founded and chaired the USA Engage Coalition and helped lead the business advocacy efforts in support of the Australia and Chile Free Trade Agreements, as well as Trade Promotion Authority.

Bill is a member of the U.S. Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Capital Goods and a Board Member of Partners for Democratic Change. He received his BA and MA degrees from Penn State and attended the University of Cologne in Germany. Mr. Lane is an Adjunct Professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University and a Board Member of the Penn State Smeal College Alumni Society.