Neal Jansen is a native Arkansan, serving as Director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission’s Asia Office. His role focuses on interfacing with companies, governments, and organizations throughout the APAC region, promoting Arkansas as a prime location for inbound investment.

Neal is the current president of the American State Offices Association of Japan (ASOA), Arkansas’ previous representative to the Association of American State Offices in Korea (ASOK), and an executive board member of the Arkansas Association of Asian Businesses (AAAB). He is an also an active member of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, AMCHAM Korea, the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals, and the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, serving on the Foreign Direct Investment & Government Relations Committees.

Prior to joining the AEDC, Neal worked with Walmart International in strategy & operations. Neal is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, holding a BA in International Relations & Asian Studies. He also studied international business and economics at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, and is fluent in Japanese.

Neal is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) with the Washington D.C.-based International Economic Development Council.