Faculty

Christopher Lynch is a global business thought leader and founder of the International Business Accelerator (IBA). An economist by training, he was a career US Foreign Service Officer, dealing with economic and business policy issues in Washington DC and at five US Embassies in Europe and Latin America. His last post was as US Consul General to Hamburg, where he was the senior US Government representative in northern Germany.

After returning to the US, Chris has focused on local economic development and entrepreneurship. He has mentored more than 200 startups through business incubators, accelerators and small business development programs. Chris currently heads the Community Vitalization Council and was previously VP for Economic Development at the Irvine and Santa Rosa Chambers of Commerce in California. He founded the International Business Accelerator in 2013.

He is an adjunct professor of International Business at Golden Gate University and of economics at Long Beach City College. He speaks fluent German and Spanish.

Michael McClune has extensive experience in international business as a two-decade small business owner. His global perspective began in the 1980s while traveling to Europe as a middle-school athlete and studying Russian in high school. After graduating University of Pennsylvania and working for a software firm, he left to sell the software in Chile and enjoyed assisting small businesses with international trade. Two decades later, shortly before joining the IBA in early 2017, he co-owned a joint partnership with an Eastern European company.

Jim has traveled to and conducted business in 58 international cities in 28 countries in his roles as President of Pacer Warehouse & Distribution, Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing GATX Logistics, Chief Operating Officer of Tiger Intermodal, Vice President Marketing American President Domestic and a Licensed Merchant Mariner. Jim is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy and Pepperdine’s Presidential Key Executive MBA program.

He is currently Managing Director of Mucci Assessment and Neuropsychology Services while lecturing as Professor of Business & Logistics emphasizing Entrepreneurship, International Business & Logistics.