The Commerce Department has a central role in the internet-driven economy, including issuing patents, managing spectrum resources, developing cybersecurity standards, and guiding Internet policy. Secretary Pritzker, who has made the digital economy a core departmental priority, will discuss her approach to critical questions of the day, such as: How can we defend our nation’s critical digital infrastructure from cyberattack? How can we combat protectionist Internet policies and promote global flows of information and technologies? And how can we do all this while preserving the fundamentally open nature of the Internet?

About Secretary Pritzker:

Penny Pritzker was sworn in as the 38th Secretary of Commerce by Vice President Joe Biden on June 26, 2013.

She is a civic and business leader with more than 25 years of experience in the real estate, hospitality, senior living, and financial services industries. Ms. Pritzker served as CEO of PSP Capital Partners, and has previously developed such diverse companies as Vi (formerly Classic Residence by Hyatt), a leader in luxury living for older adults; The Parking Spot, a large U.S. network of off-site airport parking facilities; and Pritzker Realty Group.

President Obama appointed Ms. Pritzker to the President’s Council for Jobs and Competitiveness, which formerly advised the administration on economic growth and job creation. Ms. Pritzker previously served on the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board. She has also served on the boards of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, Marmon Group and LaSalle Bank Corporation. She is past executive chairman of TransUnion, a global financial services information company.