TEST - Digital Transformation of Global Trade Webinar

Dr Noura Al Dhaheri is the Head of Abu Dhabi Ports Digital Cluster and CEO of Maqta Gateway. As subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Ports, Maqta Gateway offers the first purpose-built and most innovative Port Community System (PCS) in the UAE. Designed in line with international standards, Maqta Gateway acts as a single window provider facilitating information flow between all port stakeholders and users.

Dr Al Dhaheri has assumed leadership of Maqta Gateway from its inception in 2014. Since then, she has activated the development of the PCS system and is now spearheading its market expansion while leading other key projects, ushering in a seamless transition into a digitalised way of conducting trade.

Dr Al Dhaheri has a BSc degree in Software Engineering, a MSc in Engineering Systems and Management, and a PhD in Interdisciplinary Doctoral Degree Program. She focused on mathematical optimisation modeling of container operations. She is the First Female in the Middle East to receive a Doctoral Degree in the field of Seaside Operations. Her work was published in the international and highly respected Journal of Manufacturing Systems, Computers & Industrial Engineering, Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory and Annals of Operations Research.

Dr Al Dhaheri was recognised with prestigious regional and international awards, such as: the Entrepreneur of the Year- International Bulk Journal (IBJ) 2018, Integration of Women in Maritime Sector - Seatrade Maritime Awards 2018, the Young Personality Award- Seatrade Awards 2019, Emirates Women Award for Leadership 2019, and the Maritime Standard Woman in Shipping Award 2020. Her project was awarded in 2019 by the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) in Resilient Infrastructure Award. Another project was awarded the Digital & Technology Award and the Idea of the Year in IdeasUK 2020.

Dr Al Dhaheri is a Board Member in several entities in Abu Dhabi, including Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy and Khalifa University. She is also the founder and chairperson of Research and Development Committee and the first Women Committee, playing an integral role in supporting the career development and education advancement of women in maritime industry. She serves as Vice President of the Emirates Digital Women Association, supporting women in Technical sectors, nationally and regionally.

Emmanuelle Ganne is Senior Analyst in the Economic Research and Statistics Division of the World Trade Organization (WTO) where she leads WTO work on digital technologies, in particular Blockchain. She is the author of a 2018 book entitled "Can Blockchain Revolutionize International Trade?" and is a regular speaker at blockchain events. Ms. Ganne is a member of the ICC Digital Standards Initiative (DSI) governing board and of the government advisory board of the International Association for Trusted Blockchain Applications (INATBA).

Ms. Ganne also leads WTO work on micro, small and medium side enterprises. She was featured in the 2020 and 2021 Inspirational Women in Trade and Trade Finance campaign of Trade Finance Global and in the 2019 campaign of Women Who Rock International Trade of the Global Trade and Professional Alliance. Prior to this, she held various positions at the WTO, including as Counselor to Director-General Pascal Lamy, and in the Accessions Division where she assessed trade policies of governments wishing to join the WTO and advised them on how to improve their business environment.

From 2015 to 2017, she held the position of Vice-President and Managing Director for Europe at the Allam Advisory Group (AAG), a team of former C-level executives and senior diplomats that specializes in helping businesses expand their operations globally. Ms. Ganne is a Yale World Fellow.

Ricardo Treviño Chapa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Financial Administration/Business from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education) in Mexico and a Master’s degree in Global Banking and International Finance from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. With a public sector career spanning 20 years, he first worked for Mexico’s Government at the Institute for Protection of Bank Savings, focusing on areas such as process improvement, financial support analysis and asset management.

Since January 2018 Ricardo Treviño Chapa has held the post of WCO Deputy Secretary General, after being elected by the WCO Council. His current duties include leading the efforts to define and implement the WCO Strategic Plan for the period 2019-2022, which is based in an inclusive and transparent approach by taking, for the first time, contributions by the Organization’s 183 Members into consideration. He has also succeeded in upgrading the strategic indicators, goals, priorities and deliverables for the Strategic Plan.

In his role as Deputy Secretary General, he follows up on the correct implementation of the WCO Strategic Plan, overseeing and coordinating efforts made by the Organization’s three Directorates: Compliance and Facilitation, Tariff and Trade Affairs, and Capacity Building.
Some of the main activities addressed in the WCO Strategic Plan are the promotion and updating of the Organization’s conventions, tools and instruments, including the Revised Kyoto Convention, Harmonized System, SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade, and Framework of Standards on Cross-Border E-Commerce.

To ensure implementation of the Organization’s strategic goals, Mr. Treviño Chapa also follows up on the delivery of capacity building initiatives aimed at actively assisting Customs administrations to roll out training sessions and modernization initiatives. In addition, the development of a new mechanism to oversee proper implementation of WCO tools and measure the performance of Customs processes is one of the projects he is currently carrying out.

Uwe Liebschner has several years of professional experience as an official at the German customs administration. After moving to the private sector, he has now worked for more than 20 years as a consultant for customs and foreign trade at dbh Logistics IT AG in Bremen. The company develop and operate the Port Community System for Bremen, Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven. He has extensive experience and knowledge in the fields of the current developments of the Union Customs Code with regard to the implementation of IT projects and their integration into the process flows of logistics and customs clearance. Mr. Liebschner contributes his knowledge for the design of the processes around the logistic handling in the cross-border movement of goods. Furthermore, Uwe Liebschner represents the IPCSA (International Port Community System Association) as Chairman of the IPCSA Customs Committee at various international meetings and events, such as working groups of the EU Commission (DG TAXUD) in Brussels.

Due to his experience and extensive knowledge of customs and foreign trade and the interaction of these areas with the requirements of global supply chains, Uwe Liebschner has completed numerous independent assessments of customs organisations and took part as an SME in several “Government Excellence Program” activities, especially in the UAE.