Lives of Consequence
Jeff Werner '91
Vice President, Corporate and Government Affairs, Panasonic Corporation of North America
As vice president at Panasonic Corporation of North America, Jeff Werner ’91 manages the company’s engagement with all levels of government on a wide range of issues including trade policy, self-driving vehicles, smart highways, energy generation and storage, and video and entertainment media. An expert in government relations, Werner is Panasonic’s lead lobbyist and oversees the government and public affairs office in Washington, D.C., and product safety and environmental compliance units at the company’s Newark, N.J., headquarters.
Werner has spent much of his career in Washington, D.C. advocating for international engagement, open markets and strong transatlantic relations. "I feel that my time at the Colleges was central to being effective here in Washington, where being able to communicate and deal with uncertainty is key,” says Werner. “I credit the Colleges with teaching me how to write and to think critically, which has served me well in every facet of my life and career."
Before joining Panasonic in 2018, Werner served as general manager of international and public policy at Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz. Prior to joining Daimler, he served as executive director of the Transatlantic Business Dialogue and worked for the European-American Business Council.
Werner is a frequent participant of the German Marshall Fund’s Brussels Forum, an annual gathering of influential leaders from North America and Europe. He currently serves on the board of Cultural Tourism D.C., a nonprofit organization that works to deepen and diversify audiences for the arts in Washington, D.C.
As a student at HWS, Werner played on the JV soccer team, was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa and spent a semester abroad in Bath, England. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science, he spent a year working at a pub in England and another skiing in Colorado before earning a master’s degree in European politics from The London School of Economics.
An engaged alumnus, Werner has shared his expertise with students during the annual Day on the Hill program in Washington, D.C., and as a Professional in Residence speaker on campus. He has also mentored contestants in the annual Pitch entrepreneurial competition and volunteered for HWS Reunion.
"I'm really proud of my continued engagement with the Colleges, which is increasing despite 25 years since graduation,” he says. “I always jump at the chance to engage with current students and recent graduates, particularly as they consider a career in public policy."