ICC appoints Customs Committee Vice-Chair

In his role as Vice-Chair, Mr Barone is set to advance the committee’s work programme, as well as to provide support to the committee’s Chair Selig Merber, Vice President of GE International, in developing consensus within the committee on policy positions and statements.

The committee’s work focuses on customs reform, with the aim of simplifying and harmonizing customs policies and procedures so as to overcome barriers to trade. The committee is honoured to have Mr Barone as the new Vice-Chair and is looking forward to benefitting from his contributions.

Mr Barone draws on extensive experience in the field of customs and trade. He was a consultant in international logistics and trade finance before joining Pfizer, the world’s largest research based bio-pharmaceutical firm, in 2001. He also held senior positions in the third party logistics industry and with supply chain IT providers.

Between 2005 and 2009, Mr Barone served on the US Customs Operations Advisory Committee and in 2008, he joined the Private Sector Advisory Committee of the World Customs Organization in Brussels.

Mr Barone is currently a member of the New Jersey Export District Council of the US Department of Commerce. He graduated from Columbia University with an MBA in Management and outside of Pfizer, he writes screenplays and is a member of several writer groups.

The committee elected Mr Barone, whose appointment was announced during their last meeting on 27 January in Brussels. He will help the chair represent consensus viewpoints of the committee, including those of governmental decision-makers and the media as needed. He will also be called upon to lead meetings of the committee when the chair is unable to do so.