Keith Cole

Vice President, Government Relations and Public Policy @ GM International Operations

Keith Cole

Keith Cole is Vice President, Government Relations and Public Policy, General Motors International Operations (GMIO). Based at GMIO’s headquarters in Shanghai, China, Cole is responsible for developing the company’s local government relations teams, and managing public policy advocacy and CSR activities in GMIO markets in Asia-Pacific, Africa, Middle East and CIS. He also supports GM’s expansion into new markets and new businesses throughout the region.

Prior to moving to China in 2010, Cole was for eight years, GM’s Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs in Washington, DC. In this position, he was responsible for developing and implementing strategies to shape U.S. public policy, particularly as related to energy, environment, climate change and government support for the development of advanced technology vehicles.

From 1997 until 2002, Cole was a partner at the law firms of Beveridge & Diamond, and then Swidler Berlin, specializing in energy, environment and natural resource matters before the U.S. Congress and federal government agencies.

Before that, he spent seven years working for the U.S. Congress, five as counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and two as counsel to the Senate Small Business Committee.

Prior to embarking on his legal career, Cole was a geophysical engineer with Schlumberger Technical Services in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Egypt and the Sudan.

Cole serves on Board of Governors of AmCham Shanghai, and has previously served as Chairman of the AmCham Shanghai Automotive Committee. Previously, he has served on the boards of Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, the Access Fund and the NFIB Legal Foundation. Cole has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and materials science from Duke University, and a law degree from the University of Virginia.