Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Additional Information
Timeline
Generic

Pamela Carpenter

Summary

International Trade Compliance professional offering 25 years of wide range trade compliance experience. Skilled in working collaboratively to achieve process improvement and organizational goals while ensuring all rules, regulations and compliance standards are maintained.

Overview

18
18
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Import / Export Trade Compliance Specialist

OFS Fitel LLC
10.2018 - Current
  • Enhanced trade compliance efficiency by developing and implementing comprehensive policies and procedures.
  • Maintained current knowledge of changing regulations, ensuring company practices remained compliant at all times.
  • Assisted product development teams in understanding export control restrictions, preventing delays in new product launches due to non-compliance issues.
  • Collaborated with legal counsel to develop strategies for addressing complex trade compliance issues.
  • Negotiated favorable terms on customs bonds and tariffs, resulting in cost savings for the organization.
  • Reduced risk of non-compliance fines with thorough audit preparations and documentation reviews.
  • Streamlined import/export processes for increased accuracy and reduced turnaround time.
  • Acted as subject matter expert contact for trade compliance inquiries from internal departments and external partners alike.
  • Managed a successful voluntary disclosure program, mitigating potential penalties related to inadvertent regulatory violations discovered during internal audits.
  • Provided ongoing training to staff on trade compliance matters, enhancing overall company expertise in the field.
  • Developed a robust record-keeping system for maintaining detailed documentation of all import/export activities, supporting audit readiness and demonstrating due diligence in trade compliance management.
  • Established strong relationships with customs authorities, fostering an environment of cooperation and transparency.
  • Analyzed data on import/export activities to identify areas for improvement or optimization within existing processes and procedures.
  • Created easy-to-understand, "At-A-Glance" reference materials outlining company-specific trade compliance policies and procedures for use by staff in various organizational roles.
  • Participated in industry forums and conferences to stay abreast of emerging trends in global trade regulations and best practices for compliance management.
  • Enhanced company's export performance by conducting comprehensive audits of the existing trade compliance program, identifying areas for improvement.
  • Provided guidance on free-trade agreement eligibility requirements to sales teams, ensuring accurate invoicing and duty savings opportunities for customers.
  • Conducted internal training sessions on export controls and customs regulations to ensure employees'' understanding and compliance with laws.
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to address potential trade compliance issues arising from product development or marketing initiatives.

Global Trade Compliance / Free Trade Agreements

Newell Brands
09.2015 - 12.2018
  • Established and managed the Global Free Trade Agreements program for all business units.
  • Accurately validated, classified, and maintained over 74,000 items in SAP for Newell Business units including Calphalon, Rubbermaid Commercial, Rubbermaid Consumer, and Irwin Lenox.
  • Audited Newell Brands business units to ensure compliance with all global Free Trade Agreements regulations while maximizing duty savings under these agreements.
  • Developed and wrote policies and procedures for determining how to qualify Newell Brands items for free trade.
  • Enhanced trade compliance efficiency by developing and implementing comprehensive policies and procedures.
  • Acted as primary point of contact for all free trade agreement inquiries from internal departments and external partners alike.
  • Provided guidance on free-trade agreement eligibility requirements to sales teams, ensuring accurate invoicing and duty savings opportunities for customers.
  • Provided ongoing training to staff on free trade agreement matters, enhancing overall company expertise in the field.
  • Appointed as lead to implement and manage new Restricted Party Screening program for all business units.

Branch Manager

FedEx Trade Networks
02.2012 - 08.2014
  • Managed a team of 15 customs brokerage professionals to meet client contractual obligations, ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.
  • Responsible for operational goals while ensuring full compliance with customs rules and regulations set forth in the 19 Code of Federal Regulations.
  • Conducted customer business reviews to evaluate team key performance indicators, procedures, and updates.
  • Analyzed financial performance of the workgroup to avoid exceeding established budget.
  • Evaluated current account processes and developed automated tools for deficits with various software applications, such as DocuSign.
  • Project areas: admissibility requirements, FTA solicitation and qualification, exports, classifications, CF28 responses, binding rulings, and ACE
  • Managed multiple accounts simultaneously, prioritizing tasks according to urgency while maintaining high quality work standards under tight deadlines.
  • Conducted comprehensive audits of import files, identifying discrepancies and rectifying errors to maintain compliance with customs regulations.

Brokerage Manager

Globe Express Services
09.2007 - 02.2012
  • Developed, implemented, and managed national operational goals and objectives for the Customs Brokerage group.
  • Developed and managed national talent recruiting and training standards for the Customs Brokerage group.
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to foster a cohesive working environment focused on achieving company goals.
  • Drove process improvements that streamlined workflows, reducing errors and increasing overall productivity of brokerage team.


Team Leader Customs Brokerage

Globe Express Services
07.2005 - 09.2007
  • Mentored and guided employees to foster proper completion of assigned duties.
  • Conducted training and mentored team members to promote productivity, accuracy, and compliance with customs rules and regulations.
  • Collaborated with other department leaders to establish shared goals and ensure alignment across teams.
  • Successfully managed top two brokerage accounts.
  • Assisted in recruitment of new team members, hiring highest qualified to build team of top performers.

Education

Bachelor of Arts - Philosophy

Wright State University
Dayton, OH

Skills

  • Policy and Procedure Development
  • Global Trade Compliance
  • Internal Controls Development
  • Customs Regulations Knowledge
  • EAR Knowledge
  • Incoterms Proficiency
  • Audit Oversight
  • Import Compliance Management
  • Harmonized Tariff Schedule and ECCN
  • Conduct training and educate staff at all organizational levels
  • ACE Reporting
  • SAP

Certification

National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) - Certified Customs Specialist


Additional Information

Annual Regulatory Agency and Industry Conferences:

  • BIS Update Conference on Export Controls and Policy
  • International Customs Professionals Association (ICPA) Conferences
  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection Trade Facilitation and Cargo Security (TFCS) Summit

Timeline

Import / Export Trade Compliance Specialist

OFS Fitel LLC
10.2018 - Current

Global Trade Compliance / Free Trade Agreements

Newell Brands
09.2015 - 12.2018

Branch Manager

FedEx Trade Networks
02.2012 - 08.2014

Brokerage Manager

Globe Express Services
09.2007 - 02.2012

Team Leader Customs Brokerage

Globe Express Services
07.2005 - 09.2007

Bachelor of Arts - Philosophy

Wright State University

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Pamela Carpenter