INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS CONSULTING - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Senior Data Scientist

Akshay works with the Analytics and Cognitive Computing team, designing and implementing data analytics solutions for International Economics' clients worlwide. Expertise Database Management, Data Science and Analytics.

Job Titles:

• Project Manager

Alicja has a strong background in project management, in particular implementation of the aid for trade projects worldwide. She focuses on the implementation of projects, preparation of technical offers and building international partnerships. Expertise Project and Aid Programme Management, International Relations, Diplomacy and Research.

Job Titles:

• Managing Director at IEC ( UK ) Ltd
• Member of the Institute

Alistair is in charge of all operational and strategic aspects of IEC in the UK. Expertise International Trade, Investment, Economic Development, Governance, Policy, Market Entry. As Managing Director of IEC (UK) Ltd, Alistair is in charge of all operational and strategic aspects of IEC in the United Kingdom. Alistair has over 30 years' trade, economic development, strategy, and diplomacy experience across many markets, including the EU, Middle East, Africa, and Indo-Pacific. He served at the Foreign Office for 16 years in a variety of roles; the final position was a Trade and Investment role in India. Since 2005, Alistair has been working in both FTSE 100 Multinational Corporations and SMEs, holding several Executive Director and Senior Management positions. He has provided advisory to MNCs, SMEs, Investors, Governments and trade bodies. Alistair has worked on programmes with a range of clients, including the UK's Department for International Trade; Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; Department for Culture, Media and Sport; the EU; and the World Bank. Alistair is a member of the Institute of Director's National Expert Advisory Group on Trade. He is a contributor to the UK's All Party Parliamentary Group on Trade and Export Promotion supporters' network. Alistair also holds several board positions in a range of sectors.

Job Titles:

• Director of Operations

Ana is responsible for managing the operations of the company and executing its strategy. Expertise Organisational Strategic Planning and Forecasting, Financial Management, Client Relations. Ana is responsible for planning and managing the operations of the company, as well as evaluating the efficiency of business processes according to organisational objectives. Alongside the company's CEO, she participates in the process of elaborating and setting organisational strategic goals and evaluating the overall company's performance by gathering, analysing and interpreting corporate metrics. She also manages the relationships with external partners and suppliers. Before joining the International Economics Consulting team, Ana successfully coordinated the communication and engagement strategy to access the European Union market of the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA). After UNICA, Ana worked as an Agribusiness and Bioenergy Consultant at Digonnet & Kutas Consulting in Brussels, where she advised and assisted international clients operating in the European market. Ana also worked at the Mission of Brazil to the European Communities in Brussels, where she analysed strategic interests of the Energy and Environmental Sector as part of an internship programme. Ana has a Masters degree in European Studies from Hamburg University, Germany, and a BA in International Relations from the University Ibero Americana, Brazil.

Job Titles:

• Senior Economic Advisor

Job Titles:

• Data Scientist

David works with the data analytics and cognitive computing team of the company to deliver solutions for clients on supply chain and export performance. Expertise Network Analysis, Database Management and Data Analytics

Job Titles:

• Senior Technical Advisor - Economic Modelling

Responsible for the Company's Quantitative Analysis Expertise Trade Economics, Free Trade Agreements, Agricultural Economics, ASEAN and TPP. David Vanzetti provides the company with in-house modelling expertise and technical advice on their quantitative methods. He started his career in the global Environment and Trade Modelling Section of the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics. He moved to work with the World Bank and IFAD as a consultant before taking up a position at UNCTAD as Senior Economics Affairs Officer for the Trade Negotiations and Commercial Diplomacy Branch. There he contributed to the IT solution for agricultural trade modelling work (ATPSM). He has since freelanced for UNCTAD, the ILO, World Bank and USAID projects as CGE modeler and senior economist on many trade related policy issues. His most recent works include studying the rules of origin, labour standards and the TPP, as well as working with Paul on the EU-Vietnam FTA agreement and modelling impacts of trade on economic growth in East Africa. David is widely published in a series of refereed journals. He obtained a Bachelor in Economics from the University of Western Australia, a Masters of Science in Agricultural Economics from the University of Reading, Uk, and a PhD in Economics from La Trobe University, Australia. For the last 11 years, he has been a visiting fellow at the Crawford Institute of the Australian National University.

Job Titles:

• Scientific Advisor at International Economics Ltd
• Scientific Advisor, Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Modelling

Jaime is Scientific Advisor at International Economics Ltd, and provides oversight of quantitative evaluation studies in the company. Expertise Trade Policy, Economic Modelling, Regionalism Dr. Jaime de Melo is Scientific Advisor at International Economics Ltd, and provides oversight of quantitative evaluation studies in the company. He is Emeritus Professor at the University of Geneva, and scientific director at Fondation pour les Etudes et Recherches sur le Développement International (FERDI), Academic Advisor at the Geneva Business School and a non-resident scholar at Brookings Institute. From 1980 to 1993, he held various positions in the research Department, including as Chief of Division of Trade Policy Division at the World Bank. He taught at Georgetown University from 1976-80 and at the University of Geneva from 1993-2012. Jaime obtained an MA in International Relations (SAIS) and a PHD in Economics from the John Hopkins University. He has served on editorial boards including the European Economic Review, 1999-02, and was editor-in-chief of the World Bank Economic Review, 2005-2010. Languages Native in English and French.

Job Titles:

• Member of the UK 's Customs Practitioners Group
• Senior Customs Advisor

James is in charge of International Economics' Customs Work. Expertise Customs, Trade Facilitation, Customs Modernisation. James is a Senior Customs and Global Trade Compliance Expert. He is the CEO of Global Customs Compliance, a boutique firm specialised in customs and trade facilitation. Between 2012 and 2015, James was the Customs Director of the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA), and was responsible for 650 officers and US$1 billion of tax revenue. He was also Vice-Chair of the WCO-ESA Region (2012-2013), where he represented 24 East & Southern African States. James has also held senior positions, including Partner, in the Customs & Global Trade Groups of Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG. Prior to joining the world of consultancy, he was head of BT Plc's in-house Customs & International Trade Department, and worked in HM Customs & Excise. Additionally, he has carried out consulting assignments in over 50 countries in Asia, Europe, Oceania & Africa. James is member of the UK's Customs Practitioners Group and Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport's Customs & International Trade Forum. He holds a double MA in International Customs Law & Administration and International Revenue Management. He is a Chartered Shipbroker, and a graduate of both the Institute of Export and the British International Freight Association. He holds an IATA Air Cargo Diploma, a BTEC in Security Management Systems for the Supply Chain, and a Diploma in Strategic Export Compliance.

Job Titles:

• Managing Director at International Economics Consulting ( Vietnam )
• Managing Director of International Economics Consulting in Vietnam

Loan Le is the Managing Director of International Economics Consulting in Vietnam. Her work covers trade and market analysis, multilateral and bilateral trade agreements, trade preferences, trade negotiations, business facilitation, and value chain analysis. Loan has been working on various cross-border trade projects, including digital trade connectivity platforms in ASEAN, preferential market access guides, trade negotiation training and advisory work, digital markets and economic integration programmes in African countries. Since 2019, Loan has been intensively engaged in designing and delivering capacity-building programmes on trade negations for Indonesia (trade in services and NTMs), Cambodia (Preferential tariffs and Rules of Origin), Angola (trade impact assessments), Uzbekistan (WTO accession, TRIPS and TRIMS), etc. Loan has carried out several assessments of mega trade deals in the area of services and sustainability, including CPTPP and RCEP. She co-authored several handbooks on trade-related issues, including a Guidebook on Trade Impact Assessment (UNCTAD); Export Guides to the EU, US, and EFTA markets (UNDP); Trade Analysis Handbook and Trade Foresight Study for Cambodia (GIZ). She recently concluded two handbooks on the labour and environment provisions of the CPTPP for Vietnam. Loan holds an MA in International Trade Policy & Law and a BSc in International Business & Economics from the Foreign Trade University of Hanoi, and an LLB from Hanoi Law University.

Job Titles:

• Senior Digital Trade Adviser

Responsible for the company's Digital Trade strategy. Expertise Digital Trade, Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, New Technology and Privacy. Michael Mudd works with International Economics on Digital Trade matter, including on national and regional e-payments and cybersecurity policies. He is the Founder and Managing Partner of Asia Policy Partners LLC. Michael has provided advice on data security and privacy, finance/FinTech and Cloud computing policy to multinational technology companies in SE Asia, Australia, South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. He has also been an Advisor on multilateral cooperation for the small and medium working group for APEC in cross border data transfers and business continuity. He is an appointed expert on several working groups for technology standards at the ISO. Building upon prior business experience with a major trade bank and a trader in physical raw materials, he was appointed as the Director of Public Policy for Asia-Pacific at the Computing Technology Industry Association, a US based non-profit business association for the software, hardware, telecoms and IT services industries with over 2,000 members in 102 countries. He worked on proposals on specific issues including privacy, security, data protection, intellectual property, standards, cross border information flows and open internet access, telecommunication policy (including value added services) technical neutrality in procurement and environmental issues. Languages Native in English.

Job Titles:

• Director of Analytics and Cognitive Computing
• Member of the Mauritius Institute of Directors

Neetish leads the Analytics and Cognitive team in the company, designing and implementing data analytics solutions for IEC's clients worlwide. Expertise Data Analytics, Cognitive Computing, Big Data Since 2019, Neetish has held the position of Director of Analytics and Cognitive Computing at International Economics Consulting Ltd. He oversees a group of data scientists who create statistical and analytical tools, conduct data analysis, and provide research and consulting services on data analytics related to clients worldwide. Neetish provides consultancy services pertaining to International Trade using his expertise in data analytics, statistics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. His skills have been used in the data analysis and development of data tools for monitoring and evaluation of long-term government and private programmes, modelling of impact assessments, export potential analysis, Value for Money and Global Value Chain analysis. Neetish is also a member of the Mauritius Institute of Directors, a member of the Business Mauritius AI/Fintech working group and a founding member of the Association of Emerging Technologies Hub. He is engaged in the firm's adoption of analytical and innovative tools and has founded an association of professionals working on adopting Emerging Technologies in Africa.

Job Titles:

• Office Manager

Job Titles:

• Manager of Trade Advisory Services

Pablo's work focuses on the implementation of a wide range of consulting assignments, covering trade negotiations, trade policy, value chains and monitoring and evaluation. Expertise International Trade Policy & Negotiations, Policy Formulation, E-commerce, Monitoring & Evaluation.

Job Titles:

• Chief Executive Officer
• Founder
• Board Member of the International Trade Council
• Chairman of International Economics Consulting Ltd
• Founder and CEO of International Economics Consulting Ltd
• Head of Research and Consultancy

Paul Baker is the Chairman of International Economics Consulting Ltd., with offices in London, Ho Chi Minh, and Mauritius. He is also chairman of the African Trade Foundation, a non-profit focusing on trade and investment in Africa. He has over 25 years of experience in the field of international trade policy and trade negotiations. He has been an adviser to countries in the G7 G20 and G90 and worked as a lead economist for major trade organisations (World Bank, WTO, UNCTAD, UNESCAP, UNDP, UNECA, World Economic Forum, etc.). He has worked in Vietnam since 2005, on WTO accession, and on the EU-Vietnam FTA. Most recently he worked with Loan Le on a CPTPP handbook for businesses, and on a study of Vietnam's integration in Global Value Chains with the Asian Development Bank. Paul is a board member of the International Trade Council's on International Trade Policy, an expert in the Working Group of the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Digital Flows Initiatives and WEF/WTO's TradeTech Working Group on AI, IOT, Blockchain, and Digital Identities for trade. He also serves as a Board Member of the UNESCAP's Trade Intelligence Negotiation Advisor (TINA) and Research Advisor at ARTNeT, Asia-Pacific's largest trade research network. He has been nominated in Who Who leading Trade Economists for eight consecutive years and Who's Who Leading Thought Leader since 2023, Paul has made significant contributions to the industry. Paul has authored and co-authored several handbooks on trade negotiations, digital trade, and trade analysis published by international organisations. Additionally, Paul is a visiting professor for the master's programme at the College of Europe, and a part-time lecturer at the University of Mauritius for the master's in regional integration. He has been invited as a visiting professor at universities in Barcelona, Hanoi (Foreign Trade University and Vietnam National University), Minsk, and Sao Paolo. He holds an MSc (Econ) in Economics of the Asia Pacific from the University of London (SOAS), masters in financial engineering, and BA (Hons) in European Economics. Expertise International Macroeconomics, Trade Negotiations & Policy, Investment & Export Strategies, Digital Trade & E-Commerce, Economic Modelling. Paul is the founder and CEO of International Economics Consulting Ltd., and currently manages the company's research activities and heads its consultancy arm.

Job Titles:

• Economist

Carries out economic research activities around free trade agreements and digital trade.

Job Titles:

• Economist

Job Titles:

• Project Manager, Trade Specialist

Smita has a strong background in helping companies with market access or investment barriers, trade research, and project management. She works with the consulting team in the technical delivery of projects and project implementation and proposal writing. Expertise Export and Investment Strategy, Research, Statistics, Economic Diplomacy and Project Management In her role as trade specialist and project manager, Smita is involved in the technical delivery of projects through research focused on market, economic and statistical analysis. She is involved in all phases of the project management cycle, from support in the preparation of proposals to implementation, coordination, and quality control. Before joining International Economics, Smita worked as Economic and Commercial Specialist at the American Embassy to Mauritius and Seychelles for six years, and as Trade Analyst at the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Job Titles:

• Senior Research Fellow - Value Chains & Production Networks

Responsible for providing the company's Consulting on Supply Chains and Production Networks in Asia Pacific Region Expertise Global Production Network, Free Trade Agreements, ASEAN and CPTPP. Thuy Nguyen has nearly twenty years of research and consulting experience in the field of industrial development and private sector manufacturing networks. She has been a researcher with the Institute for Industrial Policy and Strategy (IPSI) belonging to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam since 2012. She specialises in international trade, industrial policy analysis, development of industrial sectors in Vietnam (automotive, textile and garment, footwear, etc.) and industrial clusters. Before this, she was a researcher for the Vietnam Development Forum (VDF), a joint research project between the National Economics University in Hanoi, Vietnam, and the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo, Japan. Thuy holds a BA in Japanese from Hanoi University, Vietnam, a BA in Economic Management from the National Economic University of Vietnam, and a Masters in Public Policy from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo, Japan. Languages Native in Vietnamese.

Job Titles:

• Senior African Trade Associate