| Mr. Fermin Cuza Business Alliance for Secure Commerce, U.S. Mr. Cuza is the International President of the World BASC Organization, a non-profit organization created in 1996 to protect legitimate commerce from drugs, contraband, money laundering, and illicit goods, that today comprises over 3,500 member companies in 15 countries covering all sectors of the international supply chain. Mr. Cuza’s career began with the U.S. Customs Service, where he worked for 15 years in various assignments, inlcuding Customs Inspector at Los Angeles Airport, Internal Auditor with Internal Affairs, and Assistant District Director in San Diego, where he was responsible for all the cargo and passenger activities at the four ports of entry on the California-Mexico border. In 1996, while managing the worldwide customs operations at Mattel, Inc., Mr. Cuza developed an anti-smuggling security program that was implemented at the company’s Tijuana plant that later served as an industry model and was adopted by the U.S. Customs Service as the “Business Alliance for Secure Commerce”. Mr. Cuza also has broad management experience in business and academia. He is a former senior member of Renza, Inc., a supply chain security consulting firm with operations in San Diego and Los Angeles, California. Mr. Cuza was also the Director of Border Operations at Norman Krieger, a customs broker with offices in the U.S., Mexico and China. Before joining Norman Krieger, Mr. Cuza served as Executive-in-Residence at the College of Business and Economics, California State University, Los Angeles (CSLA), where he taught international business courses and was liaison to the business community and campus student organizations. Mr. Cuza is currently on the Advisory Board to the Dean of the School of Business at CSLA. Mr. Cuza has served on numerous government advisory committees, including two terms as a member of the U.S. Treasury’s Advisory Committee on Customs Operations (COAC). He is a recipient of the Stanley A. Olafson Award, awarded each year by the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce for distinguished service to the international trade community. He has also been named Trade Executive of the Year by the Los Angeles Business Journal. He is a current member, and past Chairman, of the Customs and Trade Commission, at the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris; past Trustee of the U.S. Council for International Business in New York; past Chairman and President of the Foreign Trade Association of Southern California; former Director of AAEI (American Association of Exporters and Importers); former Director of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce; and former Board member of the Educational Foundation at his Alma Mater, California State University, Los Angeles, where he was a commencement speaker and recognized as alumnus of the year by the School of Business. Mr. Cuza is an active member of the Hope Chapel Christian Church in Hermosa Beach, California. He resides with his wife Ines in Hawthorne, California. | |
| Mr. Achim Rogmann Professor Prof. Dr. iur. Achim Rogmann is Professor of European and International Business Law and responsible for the area of Customs and Foreign Trade Law within the Institute for European and International Business Law at the Brunswick European Law School (BELS) in Wolfenbüttel/Germany where he acts as Dean International. He is also Adjunct Professor at Murdoch School of Law in Perth, Western Australia and visiting lecturer at the University of Münster in the interdisciplinary degree course “Master in Customs, Taxation and International Trade Law”. In his research, Prof. Rogmann specialises in World Trade Law and its reflections to European Customs and Foreign Trade Law. He has published a remarkable number of works in these areas. He is member of the Editorial Board of the “Außenwirtschaftliche Praxis” journal and the Academic Board of the European Forum for External Trade, Excise and Customs (EFA). Prof. Rogmann is an Associate (ACIArb) of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in London and also member of the Academia Internacional de Derecho Aduanero (International Customs Law Academy) in Mexico City. Furthermore, he is Visiting Faculty at the Institute of Customs and International Trade Law at the University of Münster. | |
| Ms. Cynthia Whittenburg Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner Cynthia Whittenburg is the Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Trade at U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In this role, she oversees a diverse portfolio of trade enforcement, security, and facilitation matters to enable legitimate trade, contribute to American economic prosperity, and protect against risks to public health and safety. Ms. Whittenburg has over 27 years of Federal Service, beginning in the Port of New Orleans as an Import Specialist, and later as a Course Developer/Instructor at the U.S. Customs Field Operations Academy where she trained hundreds of Customs employees on classification, appraisement, admissibility, and trade programs. She also served as a National Account Manager; Branch Chief, Entry Summary and Drawback; and as the Director of Trade Facilitation and Administration. As the Director of Trade Facilitation and Administration, Ms. Whittenburg provided oversight and direction for national policy in key trade program areas, including broker licensing and compliance, account management, partnership programs, entry summary, and duty drawback. As Executive Director, Trade Policy and Programs, she led transformative trade policies that promoted economic security and growth for American businesses. She was responsible for driving key enforcement strategies over priority trade areas, including Antidumping and Countervailing Duties, Intellectual Property Rights, Import Safety, Textiles, and Trade Agreements. Ms. Whittenburg served in the United States Army Reserve/National Guard for 24 years, and is a graduate of Dillard University, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science/Business and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Georgia Southern University. | |
| Mr. Eva Roxana Aliaga Research Specialist Lawyer from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), specialized in Customs Law and Foreign Trade. She has a title of Customs Broker granted by the Institute of Tax and Customs Administration (today, IAT). Graduated from a master's degree in International Business Management, with mention in International Trade, at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. She has taken an Advanced Specialization Diploma in Taxation from the PUCP, as well as various courses at the Exporters Association and the Peruvian Association of Authorized Economic Operators. Her professional experience stands out in the acquittal of customs inquiries, preventive audits, inspection, and sponsorship processes related to customs operations, legislation, and taxation. She has published specialized articles on customs matters in the Gaceta Jurídica magazine and in the digital book of the Taxpayer and Customs User Ombudsman Office. She is a member of the Peruvian Association of Customs Law and International Trade. Her current position is Research Specialist of the Academic and Applied Research Management of the National Superintendency of Customs and Tax Administration. Peru. | |
| Moderator Mr. Dashgin Aliyev Technical Attache, Capacity Building Directorate Mr. Dashgin Aliyev joined Azerbaijan Customs Service in 2006 and experienced several duties as well as international coordination tasks at the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan. From 2012 to 2013 he served, at the WCO Secretariat as Professional Associate at the Capacity Building Directorate. In 2013-2014 he worked as a customs attaché at the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Mission to the European Union. In 2014 he rejoined and has since been working at WCO Secretariat, and currently is in charge of several portfolios, such as PICARD Programme Coordinator, Regional Development Manager for the WCO Europe Region, and Regionalization Manager. He holds Bachelor and Master Degrees in Business Administration from Baku State University. He also holds the second Master Degree in Public Finance from Japan National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. | |
| Mr. Khalid Alzahrani Khalid has over 14 years of experiences in different industries from oil and gas to construction, to management consulting, to government sector and customs. He holds a PhD and a MS in Manufacturing Engineering, along with Master of Information Technology, as well as an MBA from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He obtained his BS in Industrial Systems Engineering and Operations Research from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. He is also a part timer assistant professor at the graduate school of engineering at Alfaisal University | |
| Mr. Mourad Arfaoui Technical Attache Mr. Mourad Arfaoui is currently working at the WCO as the Regional Development Manager for the Middle East and North Africa region. Before joining the WCO in 2012, he worked for the Tunisian Customs for 16 years in different management and operational positions. Mr. Arfaoui is a WCO accredited expert in many Customs and managerial areas and possesses domain expertise in data analytics and emerging technologies. Mr. Arfaoui holds a PhD in Management Sciences and a Master of Economics from Cergy- Pontoise University in France. | |
| Moderator Mr. Samuel Bautista Member of Management Committee QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY Passionate about trade logistics and development, a dynamic international trade advocate with over 20 years of experience in customs, transportation, logistics, supply chain management, trade policy, trade facilitation, regional and global trade management, and project management. Experience acquired through working in the transportation and logistics industry, academe, government and international research organizations; and by participating in technical working groups and global conferences at the United Nations (UN), World Trade Organization (WTO), World Customs Organization (WCO), International Network of Customs Universities (INCU), among others. Providing support to government initiatives for trade and logistics as co-chair of the Trading Across Border sub-sector of the DTI EODBgroup and institutional partner for the Logistics Service Philippines (LSPH) Conferences. Currently serving as Management Committee Member of the INCU, member of the TWG for the IMPACCT Project at UN-OCHA, and Philippines Liaison & Researcher for Customs and Border Security, International Trade & Regulations at the Center for Information Convergence and Strategy (CICS) at San Diego State University. In the academe, a member of CHED Technical Committee for Customs education, professor at the LPU Graduate School for Customs and Supply Chain Management, a TESDA TVET trainer, and a lecturer for various customs and logistics subjects. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Academy of Developmental Logistics, Inc. Chief Learning Officer (2016 August to present) Drives the company’s overall vision and direction, provides leadership, development and coordination of comprehensive services to the corporate learning initiatives; including supervision, training and support to meet the needs of services directly delivered by the Academy and those of partner agencies/programs. Bureau of Customs Chief of Staff, Office of the Commissioner 2015 October to 2016 June Oversees and coordinates the efforts of various offices within the Office of the Commissioner and the operating units of the Bureau of Customs. Airfreight 2100, Inc. Senior Manager for Clearance / Global Trade Manager 2004 February to 2010 March Manage the company's customs clearance operations (trade regulatory issues, documentation, warehouse & inventory) for mails and cargo destined to the Philippines (as FedEx licensee). Conduct trainings and seminars related to corporate products and services, cargo customs clearance, trade regulatory issues, warehouse and logistics operations EDUCATION Master in Management (Educational Management) Bachelor of Science in Customs Administration University of the Philippines Lyceum of the Philippines University – Batangas April 2010 March 1988 ELIGIBILITY / CERTIFICATION Foreign Service Officer IV – August 2019 Licensed Customs Broker – January 1990 Licensed Real Estate Broker – October 1989 | |
| Ms. Tanja Boskovic Senior Project Manager at GIZ, Open Regional Fund - Foreign Trade Dr Tanja Boskovic is an experienced trade expert, combining in-depth academic knowledge (PhD in International Economics) with wide-ranging practical experience in trade and economic integration in different projects in South-East Europe. She has extensive experience managing and implementing international development projects with numerous donors including GIZ, EU, USAID, UNDP. She is currently working as Senior Project Manager at GIZ Open Regional Fund for South-East Europe – Foreign Trade. Before joining GIZ in 2010, she worked on Montenegro's accession to the World Trade Organization, providing technical assistance to the Government of Montenegro in the process. Besides this, Tanja was a researcher and consultant to development cooperation organizations on the trade-related topics. | |
| Moderator Ms. Milena Budimirovic Senior Technical Officer, Facilitation Sub-directorate, Compliance and Facilitation Directorate Milena is a Senior Technical Officer in the WCO Procedures and Facilitation Sub-Directorate and has been serving in the WCO since May 2012. Her responsibilities include the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and cooperation with the WTO and other international organizations. She is the main coordinator for WCO’s key committee dealing with procedures and facilitation, the Permanent Technical Committee, and is involved in the development of trade facilitation instruments and tools. She manages the topic of disruptive technologies, amongst other, and leads on the WCO Technology Conference theme and agenda. Relations with the Private Sector Consultative Group and the International Chamber of Commerce are also part of her portfolio. Lastly, she served as an Acting Deputy Director for Procedures and Facilitation from May 2019 to January 2020. Before joining the WCO Secretariat, Milena worked as Brussels-based Customs Attaché of the Republic of Serbia for three years, collaborating closely with the European Commission and the WCO. In 2011 she was accredited WCO Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Technical and Operational Advisor. Prior to moving to Brussels, she served for ten years in the Customs Administration of Serbia both in operations and in the headquarters. She managed the WCO SAFE Implementation and was involved in various modernization projects supported by the WCO and the EU. | |
| Mr. Mugalula Christabel | |
| Mr. Morteza Farokhzad Mr. Morteza Farokhzad has worked in Iran Customs for 27 years. He was a manager in customs of Iran about 10 years. Master's degree is in Business Management-Strategic Management. He is specialised on Kyoto, Importation, Post, Customs Regulation. | |
| Moderator Mr. Lenny Feldman Co-chair Lenny Feldman is a Senior Member and serves on the Operating Committee of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. Lenny innovatively and efficiently advises importers, exporters, customs brokers, freight forwarders, carriers, couriers and others to develop and adopt best practices and compliance strategies in the import and export context regarding the numerous regulatory agencies affecting the supply chain. Prior to joining the Firm, Lenny served nine years as a senior attorney with U.S. Customs & Border Protection (formerly the U.S. Customs Service) responsible for issuing national rulings, decisions and directives relating to import and export compliance and enforcement and for training customs officials globally. He then served as the Chief Compliance Officer of a software development company created to automate global import and export regulatory requirements. Over the years, The Vice President of the United States, the World Customs Organization, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Florida Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association as well as other associations and trade publications have recognized Lenny for his accomplishments. By serving as Chairman of the World Trade Center Miami and on local and national boards and taskforces Lenny passionately advocates for laws, policies and strategies that increase two-way trade and stimulate international business. Mr. Feldman was reappointed to the 15th term of the Commercial Customs Advisory Committee (COAC). | |
| Mr. Jonathan Fellows Acting Deputy Director, Capacity Building Directorate Jonathan Fellows is a senior Customs practitioner with over 35 years’ experience working for UK Customs both at home and abroad. Since 2013 he has been working for the World Customs Organization (WCO) in Brussels, Belgium, and is a Senior Technical Officer working in the Capacity Building Directorate. He is currently the WCO Mercator Programmer Manager and serving as Acting Deputy Director. | |
| Moderator Ms. Valentina Ferraro Technical Attache Valentina Ferraro joined the World Customs Organization (WCO) in January 2019 as a Technical Attaché in the Procedures and Facilitation Sub-Directorate, where she is lead official in the fields of Performance measurement, Waste and sustainable development. Other areas of responsibility include Digital Customs, Single Window and business continuity in the framework of the COVID-19 response. Prior to joining the WCO, she held executive positions In the Italian Customs and Monopoly Agency, as a Director of the coordination office for personnel and organization affairs, as well as acting Director of the office for procedures and controls in the sector of excise duties of the Regional Directorate for Sicily. PhD in Public management and governance, she previously held research and teaching positions at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” and worked as a consultant at the national and international level for public administrations, such as the National Authority for Public administration Evaluation, Transparency and Integrity (now National Anticorruption Authority), the Italian research center for labour, economic and development, and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. | |
| Ms. Vyara Filipova Technical Attache, Facilitation Sub-directorate, Compliance and Facilitation Directorate Ms. Vyara Filipova is a Technical Attaché at the WCO Compliance and Facilitation Directorate. She joined the WCO Secretariat in April 2016 and deals with a broad range of trade facilitation topics. Her work portfolio includes the role of Customs in natural disaster relief, E-Commerce, transit, the Customs Convention on Containers, and the WCO’s work towards the development of a global Non-Intrusive Inspection data format. She’s been providing technical assistance and capacity building support to WCO Members on the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC), relief consignments and transit. Before being seconded to the WCO Secretariat, Ms. Filipova worked for more than 15 years at the Headquarters of the Bulgarian Customs Administration, where she was responsible for multilateral cooperation and the management of Customs modernization projects. | |
| Mr. Sebastian Galindo-Cantor Junior researcher, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Research and specialist in customs law with experience on international consulting firms in customs and foreign trade, he has more than 6 years of experience in advising and studying business models on customs and implementation of AEO requirements of companies in the technology sector, oil, gas and airlines. He has worked at the investment, tourism, and exports promotion office of the Colombian government (Procolombia) in the city of Toronto, Canada bringing Canadian companies closer to the Colombian market. He is currently aspiring to obtain his master's degree in administration at the National University of Colombia and writer of articles on related topics on customs and logistics publications | |
| Mr. Zoran Gligorov Assistant to the Head of the Department, North Macedonia Ministry of Finance Zoran Gligorov has worked at the North Macedonian Ministry of Finance since 2000. Zoran completed a Bachelor’s degree in Financial Management and has a Master’s degree in economics with his thesis title being ‘Customs strategy of EU in accordance with Customs system of the Republic of Macedonia and further excise system policy’. Currently he is the Assistant Head of Department where he works on tax and Customs legislation. | |
| Moderator Mr. Andrew Grainger Director at Trade Facilitation Consulting, Adjunct Professor at Charles Sturt University, Honorary Associate Professor at University of Nottingham Prof Dr Andrew Grainger is a trade facilitation practitioner, expert and academic with over 20 years of experience. As the Director of Trade Facilitation Consulting, he helps government agencies, companies and international organisations cut red-tape in international trade. Recent clients include the German GIZ, ITC, UNCTAD, PwC, KGH Customs, Enterprise Ireland, LSE, the UK Government, and European institutions. Assignments range from detailed economic research to practical trade policy advice, business process analysis, and executive training. Andrew is also an Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Customs and Excise Studies (CSU, Australia) and an Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham (UK). Much of his award-winning PhD thesis is based on his experiences as Deputy Director for Trade Procedures at SITPRO, the UK’s former trade facilitation agency. Andrew’s forthcoming academic textbook, titled “Cross Border Logistics Operations: effective trade facilitation and border management”, will be published by Kogan on 3 August 2021. | |
| Ms. Kerstin Harden Senior Researcher Kerstin Harden is a senior researcher at the Institute of Customs and International Trade Law (ICTL) at the University of Münster, Germany. After having passed the First German State Examination in law she wrote her docotral thesis regarding the UCC customs debt law. Ms. Harden holds a bachelor’s degree in Politics and Law and also graduated in Communication Science and English. Beside her work at the ICTL she is a legal trainee at the district court of Münster. | |
| Mr. Frank Heijmann Customs Administration of the Netherlands Frank is a senior executive, holding over 30 years of Customs experience, having an in-depth knowledge in the fields of customs legislation, international business, logistics and enforcement strategy. He is recognized for motivating people and creating enthusiasm and support. This has resulted into the collective developments and implementation of novel ideas and solutions that focus on the balance between trade facilitation and enforcement, with trade, governments and academia, as there are the University MSc program Customs & Supply Chain Compliance, the BSc Customs & Trade Compliance, the supply chain innovation concept The Pipeline Interface, the Innovation approach within the Customs Administration of The Netherlands, Dutch Customs’ multi-annual vision ‘Pushing Boundaries’ and academic research in various areas of the customs domain. Head of Trade Relations, Customs Administration of the Netherlands • Leading the Dutch Trade Facilitation Committee, involving trade associations, border agencies dealing with cross border trade off goods and assigning departments on fiscal and non-fiscal legislation • Chief strategist on innovation and customs reform • Executive in managing relationships on trade facilitation with national and international organizations • Customs lead for the TopSector Logistics; being an R&D cooperation government, trade and science • Leading activities of Dutch Customs on Supply Chain Security and Trade Facilitation Research • Leading initiatives on introducing Customs Knowledge development in academia Knowledge development – Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University • Member of the Teaching Team Master Customs & Supply Chain Compliance • Co-module manager for Integration Projects on Legislation, Supply Chain Management, IT, Compliance • Teacher on customs strategy and the role of customs in international supply chains Education • Masters of Law degree in fiscal Law, Maastricht University; • Master International Customs Law, Academy Ministry of Finance The Hague; • bc Dutch Law, Maastricht University; • MBA International Business Administration, Institute for Business Science | |
| Mr. Sabine Henzler Director of International and General Affairs Ms Sabine Henzler is Senior Executive and Director for International and General Affairs at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Taxation and Customs Union. In this role, she steers all the EU’s bilateral customs relations with all countries across the globe as well as the privileged partnerships with the EU’s neighbouring countries. Ms Henzler also represents the EU in the main governance bodies of the World Customs Organization. At the same time, she oversees the management of the staff of the Directorate General as well as the over 2bn € budget for the EU’s tax and customs policies, including for the development of the EU’s trans-european IT systems which interconnect 27 Member States. Director Henzler has over 30 years of experience in dealing with customs, international trade and IT matters. She started her career in the private sector as an export specialist, responsible mainly for tariff classification of goods, export formalities including export credit guarantees, temporary storage/warehousing. She has 25 years of experience in the public sector where she worked in a variety of areas starting with Banking and Financial Services and International Accounting standards. When she returned to the customs area, at the beginning of 2000, she oversaw the team responsible for the system of tariff rulings at EU level as well as for tariff classification in the textiles sector. This was at a time where tariff quotas under the GATT Multi-Fibre-Agreement still existed and the risk of customs fraud and circumvention in this area was high. She issued regulations and guidance at EU level after consultation with EU industry and the EU’s Member States. As Head of Delegation, on behalf of the EU and its Member States, she subsequently successfully negotiated in the Harmonized System Committee of the World Customs Organization, with then 158 contracting parties, after due negotiation with EU industry, trade federations and Member States for all goods categories. As of 2005, as Head of Office of the Director General, she supported political and legal initiatives in customs and tax policy aimed at influencing consumer behaviour (environmental taxation, excise), creating a level playing field in taxation, protecting the EU’s financial interests as well as its safety and security and fighting tax and customs fraud. During this period, the EU launched a major modernization of its customs legislation leading to the digitalization of its customs processes. It was also at this time that the EU launched its first international trade partnerships to facilitate legitimate international trade . During her time as a middle manager at the European Commission's large in-house IT service, Ms Henzler has led the team to re-engineer and optimize business processes of the IT service and established a strategy to improve the service’s customer relationship management. As Director for Resources in the DG for Taxation and Customs Union, she played a central and strategic role for strategic planning and reporting, communication (awards received), HR and finance, compliance as well as stakeholder relations. | |
| Mr. David Hesketh David is 66 years old with a wife and two grown up children in England. He is now an independent innovator and educator in modern supply chain and customs solutions have spent 42 years working for Customs in the UK and internationally. For10 years he was pioneering changes in international trade supply chains to increase data management and visibility for public and private sector risk management and accountability. He has played key roles in Customs modernisation and capacity building projects in a wide range of countries including in the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He is able to draw on extensive international experience having worked on projects for the World Customs Organisation, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations and for the United Kingdom Department for International Development. He also spent two years in the private sector as Revenue Business Development Director with Crown Agents. David completed his Masters in International Customs Law and Administration in 2010 and is an on-line Adjunct Lecturer in Supply Chain Management and European Customs law for the Centre for Customs and Excise Studies, Charles Sturt University, Australia. He also works as part of Five Lanes Consultancy to deliver Customs training and consultancy in light of developments with the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. In his spare time he enjoys model car racing, walking and spending time with his wife and family and has renovated a new home as part of his retirement plan. | |
| Mr. Juha Hintsa Dr Juha Hintsa is the founder and CEO of Cross-border Research Association (CBRA) based in Lausanne, Switzerland and a well-known researcher, lecturer and consultant in supply chain security and global trade facilitation. Dr Hintsa is one of the pioneers of and an active contributor to PICARD. He is one of the founding members of the International Network of Customs Universities (INCU), a member of the PICARD Advisory Group, a member of the PICARD Scientific Board, a member of the Editorial Board of the World Customs Journal (WCJ) and the only person who participated in all 14 PICARD conferences organised so far. Dr Hintsa holds a PhD in management from HEC University of Lausanne and he has participated in some 30 research-development-innovation projects and is an author of around 70 publications on customs, security and trade-related topics. | |
| Mr. Tong Hua Programme Manager, Regional Office for Capacity Building of Asia Pacific Dr. Tong Hua is an assistant researcher at Shanghai Customs College (SCC), a member of the Research Association of China Customs, a former acting director of the Research Centre of China Customs. And since November 2016, a secondment official from China Customs to the WCO Regional Office for Capacity Building of Asia Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand. He holds the Ph.D. in Pedagogy and international education, his doctoral thesis is focusing on the Higher education and global Customs Capacity Building. He is also a WCO-accredited Customs Modernization Advisor (Human Resource Management and Development, HRM & HRD). | |
| Mr. Kugonza Julius Julius holds a Masters’ degree in Economic Policy and a Bachelors’ degree in Statistics from Makerere University, Uganda. He is also a trade policy design and Negotiation fellow from the University of Adelaide – Australia as well as a Mo Ibrahim Governance Fellow from SOAS-University of London. Julius has over 10 years working experience in Public, CSO and Private sectors. He currently works as a Data Analyst with Uganda Customs. He began his career as a Field Team leader with Uganda Bureau of statistics. He is also a Part Time Senior Research Fellow at Pride Data Solutions. He has also consulted with JICA on a capacity building project (PIHS) in South Sudan as well as TUTWA Consulting Firm, ATAF and GEG- Africa in South Africa on the Trade mispricing in Africa Research Project. He has researched on International Trade, IFFs and food security in sub Saharan Africa and presented policy research papers in Italy, South Africa, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya and Zambia | |
| Mr. Ismael Kafando Ismael Kafando is a statistics and econometrics engineer with over 14 years experience in working with Customs and managing the conception and implementation of data analytics and risk management products for the use in Customs and trade environment. He displays solid professional expertise on both the systems conception and implementation side, as well as the delivery and the client capacity building side. He currently acts as product manager for the development of the new generation of COTECNA’s AI-driven risk management and BI systems. | |
| Mikhail Kashubsky Head of Secretariat Dr Mikhail Kashubsky is an Associate Professor and Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) Coordinator at the Centre for Customs and Excise Studies (CCES), Charles Sturt University and Head of Secretariat of the International Network of Customs Universities (INCU). Dr Kashubsky has been an active PICARD contributor since its inception. Dr Kashubsky serves on the Editorial Board of the Customs Scientific Journal (CSJ) and the Advisory Council of the Global Trade Development Week (GTDW). He holds a PhD in law from the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS), University of Wollongong and he is a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of Australia and the High Court of New Zealand. Dr Kashubsky also holds the title of an Honorary Customs Officer of the Republic of Azerbaijan which he was awarded in 2015 for his contribution to international customs cooperation. | |
| Moderator Mr. Mikhail Kashubsky Head of Secretariat, International Network of Customs Universities Dr Mikhail Kashubsky is an Associate Professor and Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) Coordinator at the Centre for Customs and Excise Studies (CCES), Charles Sturt University and Head of Secretariat of the International Network of Customs Universities (INCU). Dr Kashubsky has been an active PICARD contributor since its inception. Dr Kashubsky serves on the Editorial Board of the Customs Scientific Journal (CSJ) and the Advisory Council of the Global Trade Development Week (GTDW). He holds a PhD in law from the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS), University of Wollongong and he is a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of Australia and the High Court of New Zealand. Dr Kashubsky also holds the title of an Honorary Customs Officer of the Republic of Azerbaijan which he was awarded in 2015 for his contribution to international customs cooperation. | |
| Mr. Yuafanda Kholfi Hartono Data Analyst Yuafanda Kholfi Hartono, is a senior data analyst at the Directorate of Customs and Excise Information and Technology, Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia. He has a Master's degree in Public Policy from American University, Washington DC. Having eleven years experience in IT division, he published two academic papers, one of them is about the positive effect of Auto Gate System in container movement at the Tanjung Priok seaport, Indonesia. His research interests are Customs, International Trade, and Excise. | |
| Mr. Maka Khvedelidze Technical Officer Ms. Maka KHVEDELIDZE is a Technical Officer at the Capacity Building Directorate of the World Customs Organization (WCO). She is the lead WCO official covering the areas of organizational performance measurement and monitoring/evaluation processes. She’s been in charge of developing a new WCO robust, comprehensive and fully scientific methodology for the Customs performance measurement covering all major Customs competencies including revenue collection, trade facilitation and economic competitiveness, enforcement, security and protection of society. Ms. Khvedelidze has been further contributing to the development and implementation of the WCO Integrity agenda. Before joining the World Customs Organization, Maka KHVEDELIDZE was working for the Georgian Customs Administration and in her capacity as Deputy Head of International Relations Department she supervised various projects in support of implementation of Customs related provisions within the scope of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement and its technical part on Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and other international Conventions and agreements. | |
| Mr. Mathieu Labare Data-miner at the Risk management department Dr. Mathieu Labare is a data-miner at the Risk management & datamining department of the Belgian Customs. Before joining the SPF Finances in 2018, he worked for more than 12 years as a researcher in astro-particle physics for two international neutrino physics experiments. He got his PhD in experimental physics at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (2006-2010), developing original statistical methods to optimize the detection of extreme low signals, whilst controlling simultaneously the false discovery rate of an observation and naturally accounting for the trial factor inherent in multiple testing. As a postdoctoral researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (2010-2013) and at the Ghent University (2013-2018), he consolidates his expertise in Bayesian statistics, as well as in programming and database management. He was also lecturing “Statistics and Data Analysis” at the bachelor students in Physics and Astronomy of the Ghent University. | |
| Ms. Marilú Llerena Deputy National Superintendent of Customs Marilú Llerena is an accountant graduated from the National University of San Agustín – Arequipa. She holds a master’s degree in Taxation and Fiscal Policy from the University of Lima, Peru, and an MBA in International Trade from the University of Lleida, Spain. She has studies and specializations in Foreign Trade and Customs, as well as in International Taxation at the Interamerican Center for Tax Administrations (CIAT). She participated in the 69th World Customs Organization (WCO) Fellowship Programme developed in Brussels, Belgium, and South Korea. Currently, she is part of the WCO Leadership and Management Development (LMD) facilitators pool. She is a Customs officer with working experience of more than 20 years at SUNAT Revenue Authority, in which she has held key management positions as Chief of the Customs Intelligence and Tactical Operations Division, Chief of the Customs Programming Division, Director of Risk Management and Customs Control at the Maritime Customs Intendency of Callao, and Intendent at the Air and Postal Customs Intendency. During her career, she has been recognized by the private sector and NGOs for her work, being nominated in 2015 as one of the three outstanding public officials in the country. Currently, she holds the position of Deputy National Superintendent of Customs (Peruvian Customs Director General), being the first female Customs officer holding the position. | |
| Mr. Mbakiso Magwape Legal Officer Mbakiso Magwape is an International Trade, Investment and Tax Attorney, employed as a Principal Legal Officer (Legislation and Compliance) at Botswana Unified Revenue Service. He has drafted Principal and Subsidiary Tax and Customs Legislation for Botswana (layman’s drafts), represented Botswana in SADC Expert Meetings, and sat in Committees in various capacities. Mbakiso is also a final year Doctoral Candidate at the University of Pretoria, and is passionate about the development of Africa through Trade led growth. | |
| Mr. Jonathan Migeotte Project coordinator, Risk management department, Belgian Customs Mr Jonathan Migeotte is a national and international Coordinator for the Risk Management department of Belgian customs since 2017. As such he is the project leader for Belgian customs in a number of european innovation and research projects such as PROFILE and PEN-CP. At the national level, he actively participated in the development of the new selection engine of Belgian customs, SEDA 2.0. Before that, he worked as a targeting officer at Liège airport from 2013 to 2016, allowing him to build operational and strategic knowledge in the field of targeting, E-commerce, and express couriers. | |
| Mr. Kunio Mikuriya Secretary General Mr. Kunio Mikuriya has been Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) since 1 January 2009. He provides leadership and executive management for the global Customs community’s priorities, including developing global Customs instruments, standards, and tools; securing and facilitating global trade; realizing revenues; building Customs-business partnerships; and delivering capacity building in support of Customs reform and modernization. Prior to joining the WCO, he worked for Japan's Ministry of Finance for 25 years. During his career with the Ministry, Mr. Mikuriya occupied a variety of senior posts, which have given him broad experience and knowledge in Customs, trade, development, budget, and financial policies. He served as Director of Enforcement where he led efforts to fight illicit trade, then as Director of Research and International Affairs paving the way for the conclusion of the first regional trade agreement for Japan, and then as a Counsellor in the Tariff and Customs Bureau. He also served as Director of Salaries and Allowances to coordinate remuneration levels for the entire government workforce, and as the Budget Controller for Foreign Affairs, Official Aid, International Trade and Industry, in the Budget Bureau. In addition, he spent time as a Counsellor at the Japanese Mission to the WTO in Geneva and participated in the GATT Uruguay Round trade negotiations. Mr. Mikuriya has a degree in law from the University of Tokyo and a PhD in international relations from the University of Kent. | |
| Ms. Stojanka Milosevic Head of Department for Valuation and Origin at the Customs Administration of Montenegro, Member of the National Trade Facilitation Committee Montenegro Stojanka Milosevic is currently the Head of Department for value and origin of goods in the Customs Administration of Montenegro. She is charge of customs valuation, rules of origin, trade facilitation and international coordination of customs matters for the trade agreements that Montenegro applies. She is also responsible for general customs legislation, covering in particular the modernization of the Customs Law and related regulations. She is an appointed member of the National Trade Facilitation Committee in Montenegro. In addition, she has been teaching customs officers and customs agents for 16 years. | |
| Mr. Saeid Mohamadiyan Expert Master degree in economics and Official lecturer of university and Expert in Customs Affairs, Shahid Bahonar Custums, Bandar Abbas, Iran | |
| Mr. Christopher Nelson Senior Data Analyst, New York State Office of the Attorney General, U.S. Christopher Nelson is a Senior Data Analyst at the New York State Office of the Attorney General. He previously served as a Safeguards Information Analyst for Nuclear Trade at the International Atomic Energy Agency and a Trade and Industry Analyst at the US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, specializing in export control regulations. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Mathematics from American University and a Master’s degree in War Studies from King’s College London. | |
| Moderator Mr. Brendan O’Hearn Deputy Director Facilitation, Compliance and Facilitation Directorate | |
| Mr. Kenji Omi Technical Attache Mr. Kenji Omi is a Technical Attache in the World Customs Organization (WCO). He belongs to Research Unit of WCO Secretariat. His current research field is about waste control at border, and his research fields so far include the issue of free zones. He is now administering the WCO 15th Annual PICARD Conference which will be held during 23-26 November 2020. His previous posts in Japan Customs before coming to WCO include: rules of origin, international merchandise trade statistics, and intellectual property right enforcement at border. He holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Cornell University. | |
| Mr. M.M. Parthiban M.M.Parthiban, joined Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes) of Government of India in 1990. During his tenure as Director (Customs) in Ministry of Finance, New Delhi, India, he contributed in effective policy formulation and streamlining of customs procedures for administering customs laws, tariff, rules, regulations, trade facilitation and automation. In present assignment as Principal Commissioner, he is responsible for customs enforcement, general administration of Chennai Customs formations. Indian President’s award for meritorious service was given to him in 2006. In recognition of his contribution in the field of Customs, he was awarded the WCO Certificate of Merit in 2010. | |
| Ms. Jenia Peteva Policy Officer My name is Jenia Peteva. I am a customs, trade and tax professional with 20 years of professional experience. Being a Policy Officer on Revenue Administration at the European Commission I am contributing to the digitalisation and modernisation of customs administrations of the EU Member States through capacity building and technical strategic support. In my professional experience I was actively involved in the development of the import and export rules in the Union Customs Code legal framework and was also part of core teams working on customs e-commerce issues. As a member of the Secretariat of the Information and Management Steering Board of the European Commission, I had the chance to contribute to the data governance, information and knowledge management policy of the European Commission and was a member of the core team on information management. | |
| Mr. Steven Pope Vice President Steven has been at Deutsche Post DHL for 9 years, starting in 2011 as VP Customs & Regulatory Affairs, Europe and Head of Trade Compliance for Europe, the Middle East & Africa at DHL Express. He then moved to Deutsche Post DHL Group Headquarters in Bonn as Group Head of Trade Facilitation, (GoTrade). Before joining Deutsche Post DHL, Steven spent 26 years in the Public Sector, working for HM Customs, HM Treasury, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the IMF. He has worked in both the enforcement and policy areas on topics such as Customs, VAT and Trade. Steven sits on a number of public/private trade advisory groups and think tanks including the Steering Group of the German and Global Alliances for Trade Facilitation and the High level Group at the European Union. He has also has contributed to a number of reports/literature on trade policy, including the Commonwealth, the World Customs Organisation, the OECD, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum. | |
| Moderator Mr. Roux Raath Environmental Programme Manager Roux is the Environment Programme Manager in the Compliance and Facilitation Directorate. The Environment Porgramme covers various Multi-lateral environmenta, such as the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer; the Basel Convention on the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal; the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutions; the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade; and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Roux is seconded to the WCO by the South African Revenue Service where he held various positions. | |
| Ms Maria Rackovic Montenegro Customs Maja Racković is currently the Head of the Customs Office Podgorica Airport. She has been working on various positions in the Customs Administration for the past 20 years. She worked as a customs inspector at Customs Office Podgorica Airport Podgorica, as an assistant to the head of Customs Terminal Podgorica. | |
| Mr. Samira Rahmanian Ms. Samira Rahmanian has worked in Iran Customs for 20 years and has 5 years of experience working with the Post administration. Master's degree is in Business Management. She is a researcher too and her favourite fields of research are Blockchain, Supply chain, Customs. | |
| Mr. S. Vandana Raj | |
| Mr. Gloria Rodriguez-Lozano Professor, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Associate professor at the School of Administration and Accounting of the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, and Head of the Business Administration doctoral programme. PhD in economics Sciences, with a master's degree in industrial engineering and business administration. With extensive experience of more than twenty years in research in operations management, efficiency measurement with latest generation indicators, international management of the supply chain; among of the other topics. She has attended invitations to more than thirty international events of first importance. In the 2018 year she received the award for meritorious research granted by the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, in recognition of his important career in research and achievements in this field. | |
| Ms. Boriana Rukanova Dr. Boriana Rukanova is a senior researcher at Delft University of Technology. She has been working on a series of EU-funded innovation projects in the area of eCustoms and international trade such as ITAIDE (2006-2010), CORE (2014-2018), PROFILE (2018-2021) and PEN-CP (2018-2023). Her research interests include initiation and upscaling of digital trade infrastructures, business-government information sharing, and the use of big data and analytics. Her research appears in leading international journals such as Government Information Quarterly, European Journal on Information Systems, Electronic Markets, Transforming Government: People, Processes and Policies, book chapters and proceedings of international conferences. | |
| Mr. Saut Mulia Simbolon Head of Customs and Excise Office of Ambon, Indonesia Customs Saut Mulia Simbolon has spent 21 years service at Indonesian Customs and Excise Administration. He has experienced many posts within the organisation that enrich his know how of customs and excise related matters. He knows that to contribute more for his institution, he needs to equip himself with better education. He successfully got funding for his Master Degree from the WCO - Japan scholarship and Doctorate Degree from Indonesia Endowment Fund scholarship. Besides Customs and excise related matters, he has expertise in Performance Management, Human Resource Management, Organisational Behavior, and Strategy Management, as well. He received his doctorate degree in Development Policy and Management at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom. He also holds a Master Degree in Public Finance from National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Tokyo, Japan. He finished his Bachelor Degree in Economics from the University of Indonesia. Saut is currently heads of Ambon Customs and Excise office, Indonesian Customs and Excise Administration. | |
| Mr. Jordan Simonov Head of the Forecasting and Analysis Unit, North Macedonian Ministry of Finance Jordan Simonov has worked at the North Macedonian Ministry of Finance since 2002. Jordan completed a Bachelor’s degree in Customs and freight forwarding and a Master’s degree in European Studies during which he defended his master thesis, Harmonising Customs legislation of the Republic of Macedonia with acquis Communautaire and future challenges of full membership in the European Union. Currently he is Head of the Forecasting and Analysis Unit, where he analyses and forecasts tax and Customs revenue. | |
| Mr. Cezary Sowinski DHL Express | |
| Mr. Kanaga Subramanian G India Customs Dr Kanaga Subramanian G joined the Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Central Excise) in 2016 and is currently serving as an Assistant Commissioner. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Medicine and a Master’s degree in Police Administration and Criminology. He is an author with expertise in the history and evolution of Customs, tariff and trade facilitation. His works focus on the rich heritage of Customs which were hitherto hidden and the ever-enriching conversation between trade and customs through the pages of history. | |
| Mr. Shri. T. Samayamurali T Samaya Murali joined the Indian Revenue Service in 2008 and is Joint Commissioner. He has experience in the fields of preventive detention, prosecution, intelligence collection and investigation of Customs-related issues. He has worked in the Special Intelligence & Investigation Branch of three major ports of India (Kandla, Mundra and Chennai) and has participated in a number of WCO training programs. He was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of his exemplary and commendable work in the areas relating to WCO’s ‘Smart Borders for Seamless trade, travel & transport’ theme on World Customs day, 2019. He also served on the editorial team of Sunkam: The heritage of Chennai Customs (2019) by the Chennai Custom House | |
| Mr. Yao-Hua Tan YAO-HUA TAN (y.tan@tudelft.nl) is full professor of Information and Communication Technology at the department of Technology, Policy and Management of the Delft University of Technology. He is program director of the Master Customs and Supply Chain Compliance of the Rotterdam School of Management of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. He was also Reynolds visiting professor at the Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania. His research fields are IT innovation for e-customs to make international trade more secure and safe; IT architectures for data sharing and compliance management for international supply chains; artificial intelligence and data analytics for customs risk targeting and improve logistic efficiency in international trade. He published five books and over 220 conference papers and journal articles. He is scientific coordinator of various research projects on IT innovation for e-customs to facilitate international trade; including the EU funded projects ITAIDE (2006-2010), CASSANDRA (2010-2014), CORE (2014-2018), PROFILE (2018-2021) and PEN-CP (2018-2023). He was vice-chair (2012-2014) of the Committee on Trade of the Trade Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. He also regularly acts as an expert for the Dutch government's Top Sector Logistics committee and the Netherlands Logistics Information Platform (NLIP), and the European Commission. | |
| Moderator Mr. Ricardo Treviño Chapa Deputy Secretary General | |
| Mr. Ricardo Treviño Chapa Deputy Secretary General Ricardo Treviño has a Bachelor degree in Finance from the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico and a Master’s degree in Global Banking and Finance from the University of Birmingham, UK. With almost 20 years of career in public sector, he started in Mexico’s Federal Government at the Institute for Protection of Bank Savings in areas such as processes improvement, analysis of financial support and asset management. He served as General Director for Revenue Collection at the State of Mexico’s Government where revenue collection tripled during his term. He also worked as General Director of the Social Security Institute of the State of Mexico, where he led a legal reform to strengthen the pension system. In 2013 he joined the Federal Tax Administration Service as Administrator General of Evaluation and Internal Affairs, where he was responsible for developing actions to strengthen integrity and transparency in Customs procedures. In 2015, he was appointed by the President of Mexico and ratified by the Senate as Head of Customs. During his tenure in office, Mr. Treviño promoted the digitalization of Customs procedures and cooperation with other border agencies. Through the implementation of technology and data analysis, the risk alert effectiveness increased impacting positively on revenue collection. Since January 2018, Ricardo Treviño has taken over the position of Deputy Secretary General of the World Customs Organization after being elected by its Council. He is currently in charge among other matters, of leading the efforts to update the Organizations flagship tool: The Revised Kyoto Convention and of defining and following up on the Organization’s Strategic Plan for the period 2019-2022 including its strategic goals, priorities and deliverables. As deputy Secretary General, he follows up on the correct implementation of WCO’s Strategic Plan, overseeing and coordinating the efforts done by the three directorates of the Organization: Compliance and Facilitation, Tariff and Trade Affairs and Capacity Building. Mr Treviño is also in charge of the Research Unit which annually writes and publishes a variety of papers and study reports. This year, research is focusing on Free Trade Zones, Environmental Risk for Customs and the use of data science in customs procedures. He is also in charge of leading the work on developing a comprehensive mechanism that will allow customs administrations measure their performance. | |
| Mr. Albert Veenstra Albert Veenstra is professor of Trade and Logistics at the Rotterdam School of Management, and scientific director of the Dutch Institute for Advanced Logistics (Dinalog). Albert Veenstra received a PhD from the Erasmus School of Economics, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The PhD thesis was titled “Quantitative Analysis of Shipping Markets”. He teaches international transport and logistics, maritime economics and policy and developments in global freight transport BSc and MSc, and he is also involved in post-experience courses. Professor Albert Veenstra is Academic Director of the MSC in Customs and Supply Chain Compliance. He participates and coordinates research projects on global supply chains and international logistics, and customs supervision in the international movement of goods. | |
| Mr. David Widdowson Professor Professor David Widdowson AM is CEO of the Centre for Customs and Excise Studies at Charles Sturt University, President of the International Network of Customs Universities and Editor-in-Chief of the World Customs Journal. He has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to higher education in the field of international trade and customs. | |
| Mr. Hans-Michael Wolffgang Professor Prof. Dr. Hans- Michael Wolffgang is a professor of international trade and tax law and director of the Institute of Customs and International Trade Law (ICTL) at the University of Münster, Germany. In co-operation with the University of Münster the ICTL offers the Master of Customs Administration program for strategic managers of both public and private sector in English language. Prof. Wolffgang is founder and partner of the AWB Tax Consultancy Ltd., and founder of the AWB Law Firm Ltd, both based in Münster, Hamburg and Munich, Germany. Prof. Wolffgang is a board member of Centre of International Trade Law at the University of Münster and chairman of the advisory board of the EFA European Forum for External Trade, Excise and Customs. He also is Editor-in-Chief of the AW-Prax, a leading journal of external trade and customs law in German-speaking countries. Prof. Wolffgang is co-founder of the International Network of Customs Universities (INCU) and member of the editorial board of the World Customs Journal (WCJ). | |
| Mr. Nawal Younis Nawal has 14 years of experiences in different industries such as Business Continuity Management and Training & Development from privet sector to government sector and customs. She holds a Master degree in Management Information Systems from university of Tasmania | |
