S.C. Commerce taps familiar name to lead agency’s European office

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III today announced that Sergio Domingues is the new Managing Director of the South Carolina Department of Commerce’s (S.C. Commerce) Europe office. Domingues was with S.C. Commerce from 2012-2018, as part of the Munich, Germany-based team which works to attract European foreign direct investment to South Carolina.

For the last six years, Domingues worked as Managing Director of the State of Georgia’s Europe office, where he was charged with overseeing business recruitment and retention efforts for mainland Europe while supporting the state’s trade and export assistance efforts.

From 2019-2021, Domingues served as President of the Council of American States in Europe (CASE) and led the overhaul and relaunch of this association that promotes the United States as a destination for foreign companies.

Domingues’ other experience includes time spent in various positions within the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America and the Latin America Trade Coalition. In Germany, Domingues held positions with Germany Trade & Invest, Germany’s federal parliament (Bundestag), and the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology.

“I am excited about the leadership and experience Sergio brings to our European office,” said Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III. “He understands the tremendous value and power of doing in business in South Carolina and knows how to effectively communicate that to companies across Europe.”
 

Domingues received his master’s in public policy from the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, Germany. He also graduated from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and attended Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. He is fluent in English and Portuguese and proficient in German and Spanish.