LEADERSHIP : 
Frederick Baehner
Mr. Baehner co-founded InterMark3, Inc., in 1989 for the purpose of assisting small to medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) and organizations better penetrate domestic and international markets with strong business development, marketing and specialized communications.
His marketing communications background comes from training at Young & Rubicam, NY, where he worked with a number of consumer and business-to-business brands. His international marketing, consulting and communications work includes special programs for Canada, Austria, Australia, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Spain, Taiwan, as well as the USA. He has coordinated domestic and international trade shows; trade missions; and business and investment seminars for companies and organizations.
He has worked with several regional companies to help expand sales in international markets, including H&R Block, Shook Hardy & Bacon, Sprint, Unilever, Universal Manufacturing, Greenies, Top Innovations and others. This work includes international market assessments, identification of international and domestic partners/reps, targeted international trade shows, special events and articles written for specialized publications. His international contacts range from U.S. embassies, to foreign trade consuls, to trade publication editors in various countries.
Mr. Baehner publishes and edits IBNews, an online magazine targeted to SMEs in the Midwest. In addition, he writes content for ads, Web sites, brochures, newsletters, television, print ads, videos, as well as coordinates production. He has written articles for Business Week, World Trade Magazine, Fortune and several business journals.
He is twice past president and board member of the 500-member International Trade Council of Greater Kansas City, and organized the Heartland International Business Alliance. He also serves on the Mid-America District Export Council, and the U.S. Department of Commerce Industry Advisory Committee for small and minority business (ITAC 11), with a secret clearance.
He currently serves on the Foundation Board for Swope Health Services, Hate Crime Task Force, International Relations Council, and the newly-formed Pan American Association of Greater Kansas City. He earned a B.S. from Syracuse University, and followed with his work on toward an M.B.A. from the University of Nebraska (Omaha).
Paul Mastilak
Mr. Mastilak joins InterMark3 as Senior Associate to assist small to medium-sized companies (SMEs) and organizations seeking expanded sales through international market development. His international business experience is wide-ranging encompassing distribution, sales and marketing, and economic development, including the following:
Corporate :
Fike Corporation manufacturer of pressure relief devices, explosion protection systems and fire protection systems. While at Fike he managed subsidiaries in Belgium, Canada, Japan and Singapore. He was a member of corporate management team as well as management teams for two divisions. He managed strategic planning efforts for subsidiaries, and developed a competitive intelligence system. He helped establish a subsidiary in Brazil, and directed international sales efforts for all territories not managed by subsidiaries- Australia/New Zealand, China, the Caribbean, South America and South Korea.
Harmon Industries (GE Transportation) is a manufacturer of microprocessor-based signaling and control systems for railroads and transit systems. Here he managed international sales distribution network in Argentina, Australia/New Zealand, Brazil, Chile, China, Taiwan, Thailand and Venezuela; developed profiles of all markets; lead the effort to develop corporate sales literature; was responsible for international customer service, shipments, receipt of payments, contract administration and profitability for international sales; oversaw evaluation of bid documents and completion of bids for international projects; and managed all international contracts.
Economic Development :
Pennsylvania Department of Commerce – As International Trade/Investment Specialist he was editor of “Pennsylvania International Trademark” newsletter with a circulation of 8,000; recruited for and managed participation in trade shows in Argentina, China, Germany, Singapore and Venezuela; facilitated joint ventures between Pennsylvania and foreign companies. As Manager-International Investment he directed a program to attract foreign investment from Western Europe, Japan and Canada; developed investment proposals which included sections on financial assistance, labor, transportation, taxation etc.; and made presentations to prospective investors.
As Director of International Development, he was responsible for all aspects of international development program-international trade development, reverse investment attraction and joint venture facilitation; managed development offices in Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Mexico City and Tokyo; instituted international trade opportunities matchmaking program, international mentor program; and developed an international finance assistance program.
He was also Managing Director, International Development for the Washington Department of Trade and Economic Development where he managed international trade development and its reverse investment attraction effort and managed its development office in Japan;
instituted a reverse investment development program; oversaw efforts in developing trade with China; helped establish aquaculture industry through foreign investment; organized a reverse investment attraction mission to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan which visited over 150 companies; was part of the organization which helped Microsoft and Starbucks enter the international marketplace; and assisted companies in obtaining over $100 million in new export business.
Jo Anna (Jody) Edgerton
Ms. Edgerton is an inspired and enthusiastic internationalist who has worked with InterMark3 projects since 1991. She brought executive leadership and a career in global entrepreneurship, international economic development and marketing to her work as Executive Director of the successful Futurallia KC 2011. She now also serves as a board member of Futurallia in Poitiers, France.
Previously, she established and directed Kansas City, Missouri’s International Affairs/Trade Office and served as its first Director and Protocol Officer. She also developed and initially led the unique Kansas City-Mexico Business Development Complex. In that capacity she worked to brand Kansas City as the “Center of North America” and foster trade relations with partner cities.
With her focus on international economic development, Jody has worked extensively in Europe, Mexico, Canada, Latin America and Asia. Her work has taken her to more than 35 countries with business, government and/or academic purposes. She worked with public and private organizations in local, national and international settings, and has developed a vast global network.
With her entrepreneurial background, Jody has had a variety of consulting, training and special project assignments in Spain, Portugal and Germany. A career highlight was working as President/CEO of Kansas City/Seville, the multi-faceted World’s Fair organization. Under her leadership Kansas City was the only city to exhibit at the World’s Fair in its Sister City of Seville, Spain.
Additionally, she has worked with the United States Department of State in locations such as Bolivia and Poland, the Ford Foundation throughout Latin America and the United Nations in New York. She has been involved in all segments of the Sister Cities International organization, having served as Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the Washington D.C. based organization and President of the Kansas City Sister City Association. She was instrumental in securing and producing both the Sister Cities International and Protocol Diplomacy International (PDI) Annual Conferences in Kansas City. She was a founding member of PDI and served as the first Secretary/Treasurer of the Board of Directors.
Jo Anna has directed successful international trade development initiatives including Kansas City’s North America and China/Asia Development Programs. She also organized and led numerous inbound and outbound trade missions, trade promotions, business protocol trainings and signings of economic/trade agreement with cities worldwide. She recently was honored with the Global Peace Builder Award.
With her global background and expertise in marketing and resource development she has raised millions of dollars to create dynamic programs that bolster economic growth, develop trade and entrepreneurial opportunities and support job creation.
Francois Sauer, M.D.
As a senior advisor, Francois brings both pragmatic and innovative thinking in helping solve complex challenges for both commercial and not-for-profit organizations. With years of international management consulting experience, he has a unique ability to analyze complex situations, define stakeholder needs, identify root causes and strategic leverage points, and creative comprehensive responses.
As a member of a five-person strategic team, he helped restructure Digital-Europe from a geographical model to an industry-focused model. The new structure enabled the company to recognize and respond to the specific needs of each industry segment and did not meet with resistance from European labor unions. As a result the volume of sales in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa exceeded U.S. sales.
Francois developed a strategy for Cerner Corporation to integrate its international operation with its domestic knowledge and capabilities, and to change its product innovation culture into a business market innovation culture. This effort included strategies to foster a global perspective across the corporation that would balance tension created by competing demands for productivity, market share, and long-term growth and profitability.
He served as one of the initial developers of the Global Health Net (GHNet), an international effort lead by Dr. Ron LaPorte, using the power of information technology to improve disease prevention. Launched in 1993 at a meeting of the Pan American Health Organization, GHNet is now the largest preventative health education network in the world.
Redesigned, implemented and operated Banamex’s healthcare delivery system covering 100,000 people. The new system increased customer satisfaction from 50 to 80 percent and concurrently cut average costs per individual by 50 percent. This level of cost reduction was sustained and documented for five years. Subsequently, more than half of Mexico’s banking system adopted this model.
Francois is the author of Relearn, Evolve and Adapt: An Essay to Integrate Creative Imagination with Socially Coordinated Thought and Behavior. This book demonstrates how we are the architects of our lives, and we become what we think about. In it, he illustrates how compassion, creativity and courage build our life’s blueprint and institute real change.
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