Prof. David Widdowson

Managing Director, Asia-Pacific

David Widdowson

Professor David Widdowson, Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, for the Trusted Trade Alliance, is a specialist consultant in customs and international trade facilitation. He is the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Customs & Excise Studies, Charles Sturt University, Canberra; founder and President of the International Network of Customs Universities; and an Advisory Group member of the World Customs Organization's Partnership in Customs Academic Research and Development. David is also a Professor of International Trade and Customs Law, and Editor-in-Chief of the World Customs Journal.

David has over 35 years experience in his field of expertise. He served with the Australian Customs Service for 21 years, including seven years in the Senior Executive Service. As the highest-ranking senior executive responsible for compliance management, he introduced new cultural, operational and structural approaches to managing risk and compliance that are now regarded as international benchmarks.

David has undertaken a series of major reviews of border management throughout Asia, Australasia, the Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.  He is the author/co-author of over 70 publications, including key World Bank/WTO Trade Facilitation, Border Management Modernisation and Risk Management publications.  Among these is the World Bank's border management modernisation reference and implementation guide, Risk-Based Compliance Management - Making it Work in Border Management Agencies.

Qualifications

David is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Export. He holds a PhD in Customs Management, a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. David's doctoral thesis examines the use of risk management principles and practices by customs administrations to maximize both international trade facilitation and regulatory control. His research areas include Trade Facilitation, Regulatory Compliance Management, Risk Management and Supply Chain Security.

widdowson(at)trusted-trade.net

To top