WEBINAR

DATE : 9th July 2020TIME : 1600 to 1715 (SG Time) 1000 to 1115 (Brussels Time) FEE : Complimentary

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Global trade and customs professionals

Underpinned by the prolonged US-China trade tensions and ravaged by the global COVID pandemic, the

global trade landscape has been topsy-turvy and challenging for governments, international bodies such as

the World Trade Organization (WTO), World Customs Organization (WCO) and businesses alike. Previously

held norms and practices to conduct global trade have been upended, with the continued relevance of the

current global trade policies and set-ups whether in the public or private sector called into question. More

than ever before, it is critical for global trade and customs professionals to go beyond the global trade

headlines, really understand the technicalities involved and practically apply them in the day-to-day work.

Come join with our esteemed speakers from Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore and World

Customs Organization as they seek to give a broad view as to where are the areas that global trade and

customs professionals should focus on, how to stay relevant going forward such as through upskilling with

the WCO Academy and add value to their respective organizations.

STAYING RELEVANT IN THE GLOBAL TRADE & CUSTOMS PROFESSION

AC TRADE INSIGHTS SERIES:

WHAT WILL BE COVERED:

ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDAC TRADE ADVISORY

1. Understanding the Current Global Trade and Customs Environment – A Macro Perspective

2. Staying Relevant as Global Trade and Customs Professionals in Businesses a. What are keeping global trade and customs professionals busy these days? b. How can the global trade and customs professional add value to the business today and going forward?

3. Upskilling the global trade and customs profession through World Customs Organization Academy a. Introduction of the WCO Academy and its objectives b. What will one get out from the e-learning courses? c. Sharing of learning experiences and feedback from other learners

4. Conversation between trade professionals in public and private sector: “Taking charge of your career development as a global trade and customs professional”

*Note that the above agenda may be subject to changes.

If you are interested, please register your details via https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DU4ruLScRSqxjkSEllrMJg for the organizer to process. Confirmation emails will be sent to successful parties along with log-in details. We look forward to a fruitful webinar with you

SPEAKERS:

AGENDA:

ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDAC TRADE ADVISORY

Ms. Angelia ChewFounder & Managing PartnerAC Trade Advisory

Mr. Eugene JangCo-Founder & PartnerAC Trade Advisory

Mr. Dimitrios Politopoulos Project / Client Relations Coordinator, WCO AcademyWorld Customs Organization (WCO)

Ms. Mary Elizabeth ChelliahPrincipal Trade Specialist and Head of Trade AcademyMinistry of Trade and Industry (MTI) of Singapore

Click to view speaker profile

Click to view speaker profile

Click to view speaker profile

Click to view speaker profile

Elizabeth has been fortunate to cover a varied portfolio over her 25 years in service. She was posted to

Singapore’s Trade Mission in Geneva from 1998 in 2002. Building on the specialisation she developed handling

WTO trade in goods, accession and dispute matters during her Geneva tenure, Elizabeth handled Singapore’s

policies relating to all trade in goods matters at the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 2002-2005 and 2011

to 2017. She was posted to MTI APEC desk from 2005 to 2011 during which she was also held the post of Chair

of the Committee for Trade and Investment (CTI) from 2008-2010 and was involved in developing what is now

known as the APEC Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) agenda. She also has had extensive

involvement in FTA negotiations since 2002, having been the lead Goods negotiator in Singapore’s bilateral FTAs

with EFTA, China, Korea, EU, Chinese Taipei as well as ASEAN-China FTA (2002 to 2006), EUSFTA and the

Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). She was Singapore’s Chief Negotiator for the Singapore-Peru FTA and is Chief

Negotiator for the ongoing review of the Japan-Singapore Economic PartnershipAgreement (EPA). In October

2017 Ms Chelliah took over as Chair of the RCEP Intellectual Property Working Group, The WG successfully

concluded the IP Chapter in Sep 2019. Elizabeth has also served as a WTO panellist for 4 WTO disputes namely

Textiles Rules of Origin between India and the US; the EC Chicken Cuts classification dispute between Brazil,

Thailand and the EC, the dolphin safe tuna labelling case between the US and Mexico and the dispute between

EU, Canada and Norway on Seals.

Against this backdrop, as PTS, Ms Chelliah stewards the building and institutionalising of expertise amongst MTI

Trade officers focussing on WTO and FTA rules by providing guidance and advice on a range of WTO and FTA

matters, trade facilitation connectivity and other internationalisation strategies and trade and economic levers.

In addition, as PTS she is also a member of MTI’s Trade Academy and is responsible for curating and

development of relevant trade related training modules for government and public officers both as internal

courses run by the MTI Academy as well as in collaboration with external training providers such as UNCTAD,

WTO, CSC and MFA as well as teaching at selected SMU professional conversion courses. Under this rubric,

Ms Chelliah also provides thought leadership via speaking engagements at various forums.

From March 2020, Elizabeth has also taken on a consultancy role at Singapore Business Federation. With the

title of International Trade Consultant, Ms Chelliah guides the SBF FTA and IR teams with respect to the various

training, outreach and advocacy issues that those teams are overseeing.

Mary Elizabeth ChelliahPrincipal Trade Specialist (PTS) since 2017Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI)

AC TRADE INSIGHTS SERIES

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WEBINAR - STAYING RELEVANT IN THE GLOBAL TRADE & CUSTOMS PROFESSION

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Dimitris Politopoulos is responsible for the Sales and Marketing Strategy of WCO Academy, the World

Customs Organization’s e-learning portal for the Private Sector.

His Academic qualifications include a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with emphasis in Marketing

from California Lutheran University in USA and an undergraduate university degree in Agricultural Economy and

Agricultural Business Administration from Democritus University of Thrace in Greece.

Throughout his career, Dimitris has always been committed towards determining and fulfilling Business, Sales

and Marketing goals for various companies, which are active mainly at the world of trade.

He started his career in Greece as Product Specialist at the Marketing department of the world’s largest In Vitro

Diagnostic Company.

Later, as a Business Consultant, he provided consultation to numerous businesses on areas including Export

Strategies, Business Planning, Business Development, Marketing Management, Quality Management

Systems, as well as EU Funding Programs for companies.

Dimitris also co-founded 776 Deluxe Foods S.A. - an AEO certified company that produces and exports Greek

Artisanal foods to countries around the world.

Dimitrios PolitopoulosProject / Client Relations Coordinator, WCO AcademyWorld Customs Organization (WCO)

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Since founding AC Trade Advisory in 2017, Angelia has been advising and training companies across different

industries, government officials in different countries and international bodies on international trade and

customs matters. She is also a trainer with the Singapore Management University’s International Trade

Institute, helping mid-career switchers embark on the international trade profession.

With more than 20 years of experience in Trade & Customs practices, she was formerly the Asia Pacific Lead

Partner for KPMG Trade & Customs practice advising multi-national companies in optimising their supply chain,

managing customs compliance, trade documentation and free trade agreements analysis.

Prior to KPMG, Angelia was the global Head of the Trade & Customs function in Philips Electronics where she

was Vice President working closely with the global Head of Tax. In that role as the Global Head of Trade &

Customs, Angelia successfully built customs compliance awareness, increased the strategic use of free trade

agreements (FTAs) in the company and conducted trade compliance reviews of their global processes and trade

documentation. Angelia has also previously worked for Cisco Systems and Sony where she managed the

regional Customs function in Asia Pacific region. This involved setting up internal customs compliance controls

and leading customs audit defenses.

Angelia holds a Master of International Customs Law and Administration from University of Canberra in

Australia and a Bachelor of Science (Economics) from National University of Singapore.

Angelia ChewFounder & Managing PartnerAC Trade Advisory

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Eugene has more than 14 years of experience advising companies, government agencies and international

bodies on global trade and customs matters across different jurisdictions in Asia and industry portfolios, with

the objectives to achieve cost and operational efficiencies in sustainable compliant manner. Such matters

include structuring of global trade set-ups, conducting of trade compliance and trade documentation reviews

for enterprises, the use of free trade agreements, HS classification, customs valuation & transfer pricing,

compliance with strategic trade controls (aka export controls), building of trade compliance programs within

organisations, managing of customs audits and voluntary disclosures etc.

Since co-founding AC Trade Advisory in 2017, he has also been conducting regular training courses in Asia to

empower the international trade community of multinational companies, SMEs and government officials with

practical global trade know-hows. He is also a trainer with the Singapore Management University’s International

Trade Institute, helping mid-career switchers embark on the international trade profession.

Prior to his current role, he held senior managerial positions with PwC and KPMG Asia Pacific international

trade and customs consulting practices managing regional projects with different stakeholders within his

clients’ organisations.

During his stint with PwC, he was seconded for extended periods with 2 different US MNCs - first with a software

developer and second as telecom equipment manufacturer, both where he was responsible for their APAC

regional trade and customs compliance function where he had to design and implement trade compliance

procedures to manage their trade documentation process.

He holds a Bachelor of Business from the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore.

Eugene JangCo-Founder & PartnerAC Trade Advisory

AC TRADE INSIGHTS SERIES

SPEAKER PROFILES:

WEBINAR - STAYING RELEVANT IN THE GLOBAL TRADE & CUSTOMS PROFESSION