Barbara Franklin

Who is Barbara Franklin?

Barbara Hackman Franklin is President and Chief Executive Officer of Barbara Franklin Enterprises, a private international consulting firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. She is an advocate for and adviser to American companies doing business in international markets, notably China, and is an expert on corporate governance, auditing, and financial reporting practices.

A graduate of Pennsylvania State University and one of the first women graduates of Harvard Business School, Franklin served as United States Secretary of Commerce under George H.W. Bush, was one of the original Commissioners and first Vice Chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and was a staff assistant to President Richard Nixon. Altogether, Franklin has served five U.S. Presidents and, in 2006, received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service. She is married to Wallace Barnes, retired chairman and CEO of Barnes Group, Inc.