Export Controls Expert Stacey Lax to lead Deloitte’s Global Trade & Customs Practice
Deloitte, the business advisory firm, has today announced the appointment of renowned export controls expert, Stacey Lax. Stacey will lead the firm’s newly formed Global Trade and Customs practice, which will provide export control, customs and supply chain services to clients across a range of industry sectors.
Stacey, a specialist in EU and US export control regulations and[private] named as one of the UK’s 35 most influential women under 35 by Management Today in 2008, joins Deloitte on 1 September from Ernst & Young where she headed up the UK Customs and International Trade business.
David Sproul, head of tax at Deloitte, said: “We are delighted to welcome Stacey to the firm. As one of very few export control specialists in Europe, Stacey has extensive experience in dealing with the relevant authorities around the world and is a true market leader in her field. She has already demonstrated her ability to turn a fledgling business into a market leading practice.”
Stacey Lax commented: “Globalisation and entry into emerging markets have increased the focus on international trade issues, however, customs and export control issues are still often missed out in strategic planning. The recession has called for sharper focus on cost reduction and brand protection, which in turn has elevated the importance of customs and international trade management. Previously seen as an operational issue, many companies are now recognising the strategic role international trade management has in improving the bottom line. This new focus on global trade is shaking up industry to the benefit of effective customs, import and export control management.”
Deloitte has made a raft of other senior hires giving it the largest and most experienced export control team in the UK. These new appointments include a number of Stacey’s former colleagues: Stacey Toder, who joins as a director along with senior managers Gail Lee and Mark Young. The team will also include two new experienced industry hires: aerospace and defence expert Pablo LeCour, who joins the team from Boeing, and David Whitehouse, former head of licensing for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
Lax added: “My role at Deloitte will be to develop a practice that will work with clients to optimise their global trade management, so that the movement of goods, people and technology enables their overall business strategy. We will continue to play a strong role in supporting industry as a whole. For example, we have recently worked with BIS to establish a new licence for the export of encryption products, providing UK exporters greater flexibility when exporting information security products. This licence will help to minimise potential delays in shipments of high tech products, allowing UK exporters to remain competitive in the global marketplace.”
Stacey and her team will be organising a global trade conference for business addressing these issues, to take place in London early next year.
About Stacey Lax
Stacey Lax’s experience includes managing global compliance outsourcing contracts, conducting global trade process reviews and developing and implementing global internal compliance programmes focussed on best practice methodologies. Stacey has in-depth knowledge of encryption-related controls and has been leading lobbying activities in this area in the UK.
In 2008, Stacey was awarded Professional Woman of the Future by the Woman of the Future Awards and Real Business magazine.
Stacey frequently meets with the authorities to discuss proposed changes in policy and legislation and provide further insight in relation to the dual-use sector. She has also established and chaired the UK Export Control Association and whilst in the US in 2000, qualified as a US Customs Broker.
At the beginning of August, BIS launched the new Cryptographic Open Individual Export Licence (OIEL) which allows exporters to ship cryptographic products to a specified list of destinations without the need to apply for a Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL) providing certain criteria are met.
Stacey led the initiative, implementing then working closely with BIS to finalise the new licence. Exporters can now register for the Cryptographic OIEL via SPIRE (the Export Control Organisation’s fully electronic system for processing strategic export licence applications) in the same manner as current OIEL’s are applied for. [/private]