ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, U.S. — U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) announced on Oct. 10 that it has promoted Ian Flagg to regional director for Middle East and North African countries. Flagg will supervise USW staff and direct strategic planning and export market development activities in 28 countries served by USW offices in Cairo, Egypt, and Casablanca, Morocco, where Flagg is based.

"Ian has accumulated a great deal of experience in his time with USW in our domestic wheat market and in our overseas market development work,” said USW Vice-President of Overseas Operations Vince Peterson. “I am highly confident in Ian's ability to lead our regional team's work in a large and very competitive wheat market."

In 2009, Flagg accepted a position as assistant director for the Middle East, East and North Africa Region and relocated to Cairo. Flagg also served as market analyst in the Arlington, Virginia, U.S., headquarters and was assistant director of the West Coast Office in Portland, Oregon, U.S., where he was responsible for liaison work with the grain export trade and constituent state-level wheat commissions, hosting visiting foreign trade delegations, as well as servicing the needs of 16 overseas offices.  

Prior to joining USW in 2005, Flagg worked as a research assistant at North Dakota State University.  Flagg has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Moorhead State University and a master’s degree in agribusiness and applied economics from North Dakota State University.