IRMIE “IKE” BLANTON is the Deputy Director for International and Strategic Engagement with the Office of Foreign Investment Review, the Department of Defense’s lead office for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).  Mr. Blanton works on international, congressional, and domestic engagements on CFIUS and foreign investment review issues for the Department of Defense.  Prior to DoD, Ike was a foreign service officer with the Department of State, serving overseas in Brazil and China.  Before public service, he was in-house counsel specializing in finance and secured transactions.