Commercial Officer Lauren Coughlin joined the Foreign Commercial Service in Mexico City in 2022 as a Commercial Officer and Standards Attaché. She covers issues related to technical barriers to trade in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, and she covers the energy, ICT, environmental services, financial services, chemicals, and textile industries in Mexico. Lauren most recently completed her FCS domestic tour in the Philadelphia US Export Assistance Center. Before joining FCS in 2020, Lauren was a policy advisor with the American Petroleum Institute, covering refining, fuels, and later climate change and ESG. Though a native of Maryland, Lauren attended Troy University in Alabama for her undergraduate studies. She holds a Master of Public Policy from the George Washington University.

A career Senior Foreign Service Officer, class of Career Minister, John Breidenstine began his assignment as Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City in August 2023. Before his current assignment, John served as the Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs and ASEAN Regional Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok (2019-2023); Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs and Senior Commercial Officer for Europe at the U.S. Mission to the European Union (2015-2019); Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs in London (2011-15); U.S. Consul General in Hermosillo, Mexico (2008-11); Regional Director for Europe and Eurasia (2006-08); and Commercial Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City (2003-06). Prior to a 2002 reconstruction- related assignment at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, John’s postings included: Ankara, Turkey (1997-2002); Tashkent, Uzbekistan (1994-97); Kuwait City, Kuwait (1991- 93); and Munich, Germany (1990-91). Before joining the Foreign Service in 1990, John studied international relations at the University of Miami (1987-88) and at the Free University of Berlin (1988-89) and worked as an Account Executive for International Paper in New York City and Atlanta (1984-87). A 1984 graduate of Davidson College in North Carolina, John is married to Judith Valdes of Mazatlán, Mexico. They have three children – Victor Manuel, SofiaGrace and JohnDavid.