2026 Apparel Importers
Trade & Transportation Conference

Leslie August

Chief Marketing Officer, KYG Trade

Leslie August is Chief Marketing Officer for SaaS start-up KYG Trade, Inc – Know Your GoodsTM where she leads the sales and marketing team and helps enterprise and SMB compliance teams navigate the transition of their trade compliance operations to AI-assisted automation tools.

She is a third-generation global trade professional with a career in trade spanning 40 years including brokerage, forwarding, bonds, trade facilitation and compliance. Her background gives her a unique combination of global trade compliance and facilitation knowledge and marketing skills and experience.

Prior to KYG Trade, Leslie was a principal in several notable firms (including Roanoke Trade and boomerang carnets) specializing in cross-border financial guarantees such as US customs bonds and ATA Carnets. She continues to maintain her California insurance producers license.

Leslie has served on the WIT-NC board for 12 years and supports their annual production of educational and networking programs from global trade compliance professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Craig Dana

Assistant Professor of Production Management at the Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology at Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY)

Craig Dana (he/him) is an Assistant Professor of Production Management at the Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology at Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY). 

He joined the full-time faculty in 2024 after a 30-year corporate career as an executive with leading global fashion brands, including Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch, American Eagle Outfitters and AnnTaylor/LOFT. Earlier he was a management consultant serving retail clients. His expertise lies in global supply chain, inclusive of manufacturing, sourcing, product development and logistics spanning the apparel, footwear, accessories and home categories.

Craig lived for nearly 15 years in Asia and has led sourcing and production teams in more than 10 countries. He additionally served as a member of the Hong Kong Support Foundation Board of the Asian University for Women (2016-2020) and has been a founding member of its New York Advisory Board.  

Craig holds an M.B.A. in Finance and Management from the Stern School of Business at New York University and a B.A. in Political Science and Geography (honors) from Colgate University. 

Katharine Dorny

Trade Marketing Manager at FibreTrace Technologies

Katharine Dorny is Trade Marketing Manager at FibreTrace Technologies, the physical verification layer for textile supply chains. She leads commercial marketing, conference strategy, partnership development, and sales enablement, translating traceability science into clear value for brands, suppliers, and partners.

Katharine brings a researcher’s rigor to marketing, grounding FibreTrace’s messaging in data, regulatory analysis, and market evidence. Before FibreTrace, she worked across retail, marketing, and project management, turning complex, multi-stakeholder projects into clear results. She holds an MA in Fashion and Textile Studies and a BS in Fashion Merchandising Management from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Maristella Iacobello

Vice President, Global Customs & Trade Governance for PVH Corp.

Maristella Iacobello is Vice President, Global Customs & Trade Governance for PVH Corp., headquartered in New York City. PVH is one of the world's largest apparel companies, with a portfolio of globally recognized brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and a variety of licensed brands.

With more than 40 years of experience at PVH, Ms. Iacobello has held numerous leadership positions across the company's import, logistics, customs, and trade functions. Throughout her tenure, she has played a pivotal role in developing and strengthening global trade compliance programs while supporting the company’s international sourcing and supply chain strategies.

In her current role, Ms. Iacobello is responsible for establishing and overseeing global customs and trade governance policies, providing strategic guidance on a broad range of international trade matters. Her areas of expertise include customs compliance, free trade agreements and preference programs, customs valuation, tariff classification, trade enforcement, supply chain compliance, labeling and regulatory requirements.

Ms. Iacobello is a recognized leader within the international trade community and actively participates in numerous government advisory groups, industry associations, and trade committees. Through these engagements, she contributes to the development of trade policy, regulatory initiatives, and customs modernization efforts, helping shape strategies that support compliant and efficient global commerce.

Mr. K. S. Sanal Kumar

Chairman, Jordan Garment & Textile Exporters’ Association (JGATE)
Chairman and Managing Director, Classic Fashion Group

Janet Labuda

Global Senior Consultant, Maersk 

Janet L Labuda is the Global Senior Consultant for Maersk. Janet retired in 2011 after completing a thirty-one year career with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Prior to her retirement, she was the Director, Textile/Apparel Policy and Programs Division at the Headquarters Office of International Trade in Washington, D.C. As the Director, she led the development and implementation of national policy decisions regarding the importation of textile products into the United States. She was responsible for ensuring the enforcement of laws affecting a $100 billion textile import industry comprising close to 70,000 importers and more than a million annual import transactions. Previously, she worked on various trade enforcement and compliance programs including supply chain security, anti-dumping countervailing duty, Intellectual Property Rights protection.

As the Director, she worked closely with the trade community often speaking at various venues. She ensured close partnerships with the Department of Commerce, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the State Department on matters of textile trade compliance. She was the agency spokesperson on these issues to the Congress, the press and foreign governments. In addition, she spearheaded various training initiatives for CBP personnel, the domestic and international trade communities, and foreign government representatives. She has done extensive travel in Africa promoting compliance with the African Growth and Opportunity Act.

She began her career with Customs as an Inspector at John F. Kennedy International Airport. In addition to passenger and cargo processing she was a member of the Contraband Enforcement Team. She spent time as a Senior Customs Representative in the Hague, Netherlands, the Director, of the Zero Tolerance Program, the Director, Revenue Enforcement Division, Office of Regulatory Audit and worked for the Commissioner on a multi-agency Interdiction Committee devising anti-narcotic cooperative programs with private pilots, commercial fisheries and commercial aviation associations.

She has traveled extensively and has skills in international negotiation. She represented Customs in negotiations of the Morocco, Singapore, Australia Free Trade Agreements and up to her retirement worked on Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations. She has also advised various governments as well as the U.S. importing community on the establishment of trade compliance standards. She has her Master’s degree from New York University, a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn, New York and is a John F. Kennedy School of Government Senior Executive Fellow. She currently resides in Gainesville, Virginia and is doing private consulting on a number of trade and security related issues with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz Law Firm, and various corporate clients throughout the world.

Michael Lambert

Executive Director of Global Trade and Compliance for Urban Outfitters, Inc.

Michael Lambert has spent over 30 years in the retail fashion business, primarily in the import/export and Customs compliance area, and is currently the Executive Director of Global Trade and Compliance for Urban Outfitters, Inc. Urban Outfitters, Inc. includes the Urban Outfitters brand, as well as Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain and Nuuly brands.

In his role at Urban Outfitters, Inc., Michael is responsible for Customs, Social, Vendor and Regulatory Compliance. Urban Outfitters has a global footprint, with stores in the U.S., Canada, Europe and the United Kingdom. Urban Outfitters designs and develops product throughout the world, working with a core vendor base across more than thirty countries.

Compliance with global Customs regulations, as well as ensuring the vendor base meets Urban Outfitters code of conduct and ethical sourcing guidelines, are critical components of Urban Outfitters Global Trade and Compliance mandate. Michael and his team have adapted to the ever-changing global trade landscape by engaging public officials in multiple countries and addressing changes in individual countries that impact the importation and sale of fashion products.

Prior to Urban Outfitters, Michael spent nine years with Limited Brands as head of their Import Planning department. He spent his last two years with Limited Brands in London, setting up Compliance activity for Limited Brands as they expanded overseas. While in London, Michael served as a representative for Limited Brands on the Private Sector Consultancy Group (PSCG), a working group of corporations, global service providers and global organizations that consults with the World Customs Organization (WCO) for the purpose of informing and advising the WCO Secretary General, the Policy Commission and WCO Members on Customs and international trade matters from the perspective of the private sector.

Michael has been a Licensed Customs Broker since 1998 and is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University, with a Bachelor of Arts in International Politics and Foreign Service.

Dr. Sheng Lu

Professor in the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies, University of Delaware

Dr. Sheng Lu is a Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies at the University of Delaware. He also served as a consultant for the International Trade Centre (ITC) co-run by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations (UN). With over 70 publications in academic and trade journals, Dr. Lu’s research focuses on the economic and business aspects of the textile and apparel industry, including international trade, trade policy, and the governance of the global apparel value chain. Dr. Lu received the 2014 Rising Star Award and 2019 Mid-Career Excellence Award from the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) to recognize his research and teaching excellence. He has also been the multiple-time recipient of the Paper of Distinction Award at the ITAA annual conferences for his study on the specific-sectoral impact of mega-free trade agreements on textile and apparel. Several of his studies were cited by government reports such as the Congressional Research Service (CRS) studies prepared for members of the U.S. Congress, U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) official assessment on the economic impacts of free trade agreements as well as the World Bank, International Labor Organization, and the United Nations research publications. Dr. Lu’s published works also have been translated into Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish, and Thai and regularly featured by media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Times (UK), BBC World News (UK), Nikkei Asian Review (Japan), Associated Press, South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), Voice of America, and Forbes. 

Shannon Maher

Dean, Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology, FIT

Shannon Maher is the dean for the Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology, overseeing the school’s 10 associate’s and baccalaureate programs. Maher served as a faculty member and chair of the school’s Home Products Development Department from 2013-20. She has been an active member of the college community, serving with distinction on a range of collegewide and faculty senate committees. She was co-chair of the committee that guided the school in its successful accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs in 2018.

Prior to FIT, Maher spent 20 years in the manufacturing and retail sectors of the apparel and home industry fields. She arrived at FIT from Hanover Direct, Inc., a multi-brand e-commerce corporation based in New Jersey, where she was senior vice president for product development and sourcing. She holds memberships in the AATCC, CMG, and IFDA, and received her Greenleaders Certificate from the Sustainable Furnishings Council. With extensive experience in merchandising, product development, sourcing, and strategy, she continues to be active in the industry as a strategic product development consultant, having partnered with Ross Stores, AlixPartners, SUN Capital, and KPMG.

Maher earned her BA, summa cum laude, in fashion marketing and merchandising from Marymount University in Arlington, Va., her MA in integrated marketing communications at Marist College, and a higher education teaching certificate from the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard.

Kelly Pedersen

Retail Leader,
PwC US

Kelly Pedersen is a Partner at PwC, based in San Francisco, and leads PwC's US Retail practice.

With over 20 years of retail experience in both industry roles as well as a consultant, Kelly has advised retailers on a wide array of topics that range from growth and profit strategies, large business transformations, and technology and capability building. He focuses a lot of his time in the merchandising area, helping retailers organize and optimize for growth in an omni-channel environment through their product, pricing, and promotion, and inventory strategies.

Prior to joining PwC, Kelly was an executive at a large global apparel retailer

John Pellegrini

Customs Consultant
U.S. Fashion Industry Association (USFIA)

Until January 2020, Mr. Pellegrini, who is no longer a member of the bar, was Senior Counsel at McGuireWoods LLP where his clients included multinationals, general merchandise retailers, importers, exporters, domestic and foreign manufacturers, commission agents, trade associations, and international marketing companies. Mr. Pellegrini’s practice focused on the regulatory and commercial aspects of international trade. He provided assistance with respect to government regulation of the import-export trade, duty planning, admissibility requirements, litigation in the United States Court of International Trade, representation before the various federal agencies that regulate trade in the United States, and the commercial aspects of international trade.

William Petty

Global Head of Innovation and Product Development

Will leads the development of Maersk’s portfolio of trade and customs data and consulting services, supporting businesses to identify and mitigate their trade compliance risks, and to boost their bottom line through customs and optimisation strategies. One of his key focus areas is enabling enterprises to navigate the complexity of evolving trade regulations, including global tariff fragmentation and ESG regulations, leveraging data, artificial intelligence, and trade compliance expertise. Previously Deputy Director of the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation at the World Economic Forum, and a senior leader in UK Customs, UN Office on Drugs & Crime, and the International Road Transport Union, Will has over 20 years’ experience in customs and trade in Europe, Africa, Middle East, Americas and Asia, and is currently Vice Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce Commission on Trade & Investment.

Steven Pires

Associate Director, Sustainability for Cotton Incorporated

Steven Pires is a sustainability leader with over a decade of experience shaping corporate sustainability strategy. As Associate Director of Sustainability at Cotton Incorporated, he directs research and initiatives that elevate cotton’s role in the global sustainability landscape. His work advances circularity solutions like composting and biochar while ensuring cotton is represented with accurate, science-based data in emerging frameworks. Steven holds degrees in Environmental Technology and Management and Forest Biomaterials from NC State University, where he is pursuing a PhD focused on biogenic carbon accounting and dynamic life cycle assessment within the cotton supply chain. Outside of work, he enjoys mountain biking, cooking, and spending time with his wife and two children.

H.E. Eng. Yarub Falah Qudah

Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

His Excellency Eng. Yarub Falah Qudah serves as Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, bringing approximately three decades of senior leadership experience in industrial development, trade, investment and economic policy. He previously held the same ministerial portfolio from 2016 to 2018.

Throughout his career, H.E. Eng. Qudah has held prominent public- and private-sector leadership positions. He served as Chief Executive Officer of the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO) from 2006 to 2014, where he founded pioneering initiatives supporting industrial modernization, enterprise competitiveness and the development of small and medium-sized businesses. He also served as Executive Vice Chairman and General Manager for the Middle East and North Africa at Petra Solar.

His Excellency’s board and institutional roles have included Chairman of the National Resources Investment & Development Corporation (MAWARED), Vice Chairman of Abdali Investment and Development, Chairman of the Jordanian Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the King Abdullah II Fund for Development.

With extensive expertise in strategic planning, export development, access to finance and international development partnerships, H.E. Eng. Qudah has been a leading contributor to initiatives aimed at strengthening Jordan’s productive sectors and improving the environment for trade and investment. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering, specializing in Management and Quality Control, from the University of Jordan.

Beth Rooney

Port Director, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Bethann Rooney was appointed the Director of the Port Department at The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in May 2022. She oversees the management, operation, and ongoing development of the major marine terminal facilities in the Port of New York and New Jersey, the largest and busiest seaport on the East Coast of North America. As the Port Director, she is responsible for managing a nearly $400 million annual budget, advancing major capital programs, increasing cargo and passenger volumes, promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in all of the Port’s programs and fostering safe, secure, sustainable, and innovative practices focused on strengthening the Port’s contribution to the regional economy.

Throughout her 34-year career, Rooney has distinguished herself as a leader in port operations, maritime transportation, port security and emergency management and global logistics. Ms. Rooney regularly networks with a wide range of customers, partners, and stakeholders and has a proven track record of collaborative, inclusive, transparent and heart led leadership. Since joining the Port Authority in 1993, she has held a series of management positions with progressive responsibilities including operations, leasing, property management, intermodal transportation, and technology planning. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, Bethann was named the first ever Manager, Port Security, a position she held for 14 years, developing, and managing best-in-class port security and emergency management programs. Beth then broke new ground once again and assumed a newly created senior role focused on port performance, efficiency, and goods movement after she developed the framework for the Port’s Council on Port Performance (CPP). The CPP is credited with getting the Port of New York and New Jersey through the COVID 19 pandemic and the associated supply chain disruption with minimal congestion. In April 2019, Ms. Rooney became the Port’s Deputy Director and was instrumental in finalizing the Port Master Plan 2050. Since becoming Port Director, Beth led the Port through pandemic related growth of more than 35%, spearheaded a landmark deal with the US Army Corps of Engineers to further deepen the Port’s navigation channels to 55-feet, kicked off a historic berth and wharf replacement program, led efforts to divest of the heavily subsidized Brooklyn Port Authority Marine Terminal and completely transformed the container terminal leases to a best in class model.

She is a graduate of the State University of New York Maritime College with a Master’s in International Transportation and a Bachelor’s in Marine Transportation. In the Fall of 2019, Beth was inducted into NY Maritime College’s Heritage Hall of Fame for her “awe inspiring achievements and contributions to the maritime industry. In November 2025, she was sworn in as the 77th Commissioner, since 1853, of the Board of Commissioners of Pilots of the State of New York. She is an Accredited Marine Port Executive (AMPE) from the International Association of Maritime and Port Executives, recipient of the US Secretary of Transportation’s 9/11 Medal and two-time recipient of the US Department of Homeland Security’s Distinguished Public Service Award as well as numerous other industry awards and recognitions.

David Spooner

USFIA Washington Counsel
Partner, Barnes & Thornburg LLP

David M. Spooner is a partner in the Corporate Department in Barnes & Thornburg’s Washington, D.C., office.  Mr. Spooner represents governments, trade associations, and corporate clients on international trade matters, including trade remedies, trade policy and customs issues.  He uses his past experience as a high-level political appointee in the Executive Branch and on Capitol Hill to assist clients with their advocacy efforts before both branches of government, as well as before foreign governments.

Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Spooner served as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Import Administration.  In that capacity, Mr. Spooner led U.S. Government enforcement of trade remedy laws, principally the antidumping and anti-subsidy laws.  He administered the Foreign Trade Zone system; oversaw apparel trade policy and the implementation of laws governing trade in apparel; managed trade remedy negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as dispute resolution proceedings at the WTO; chaired U.S.-China talks on macroeconomic reforms and the steel industry; and supervised the US Department of Commerce’s import safety initiatives.

Prior to his Senate confirmation as Assistant Secretary, Mr. Spooner served as the Chief Textile and Apparel Negotiator and Transition Coordinator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).  While at USTR, he was a principal negotiator for free trade agreements with Central America, the Dominican Republic, Singapore, Australia, Chile, Panama, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Colombia and Peru, principally negotiating customs enforcement, apparel and textile, origin and safeguard provisions.  He was heavily involved in building support for congressional passage of the Bush Administration’s trade agenda.  Mr. Spooner also negotiated a comprehensive apparel trade agreement with China and concluded bilateral customs and quota arrangements with several nations.

Before his appointment to USTR, Mr. Spooner worked on Capitol Hill, managing the Washington D.C. office and serving as the legislative director and press secretary for a member of Congress, serving as Communications Director for the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, and working for the U.S. House Committee on Rules, which manages debate and amendments in the House of Representatives.

Mr. Spooner earned his J.D. from the College of William & Mary School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Virginia.

He is admitted to practice in Washington, D.C., and Virginia and before the U.S. Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Bridget Seagren

Senior Production Management student at the Fashion Institute of Technology
Founder, Only Bridget®

Bridget Seagren is a Senior Production Management student at the Fashion Institute of Technology and the founder of swimwear label Only Bridget®, which made its runway debut at New York Swim Week this summer. Though not a classically trained coder, she uses AI to build her own tools across manufacturing, marketing, and web design.

Julianne Thibodeaux

Head of Global Commercial at FibreTrace Technologies

Julianne Thibodeaux is Head of Global Commercial at FibreTrace Technologies, where she leads market expansion, enterprise partnerships, and revenue strategy for the traceability infrastructure that enables real-time material verification across the textile supply chain. She is a trusted partner in helping brands combat counterfeiting, meet regulatory and sustainability requirements, and protect brand reputation through verified sourcing and accountable production.

Julianne brings a rare combination of legal expertise, technical fluency, and global sales leadership to the traceability space. She holds a Master of Studies in Law (Fashion Law) from Fordham University School of Law and a BS in Apparel Design from Louisiana State University, where she also serves on the Industry Advisory Board for the Textiles, Apparel Design, and Merchandising program. A frequent speaker, she covers supply chain transparency, compliance, digital innovation, and the future of verified materials.

David Uricoli

Partner, Gherzi Americas

David Uricoli came to human rights work through the business of making clothes. Before overseeing global human rights at Ralph Lauren, he worked in pre-production and sample-room management, followed by sourcing and product development. That experience gave him a practical understanding of the factories and commercial relationships that a responsible sourcing program must address.

At Ralph Lauren, his responsibilities moved well beyond the quality and delivery of a garment to the conditions under which it was produced. The work took him into sourcing markets across Asia, the Americas and Europe.

Uricoli’s subsequent consulting assignments show how that experience applies further up the supply chain. With the Responsible Sourcing Network’s YESS initiative, he facilitated five working groups developing an industry program intended to eliminate cotton produced with forced labor from yarn supply chains. At Club Monaco, he developed and managed a supplier compliance and traceability program. An assignment with SHI International extended his work into sustainable procurement and vendor due diligence outside of the apparel industry.

He joined Gherzi in 2022, bringing this operating background to consulting work that includes manufacturing feasibility and sustainability. One assignment examined the proposed construction of a whole-garment knitting factory in the United States for Nest Evolution Labs. His Gherzi work has also included analysis of apparel tariffs and presentations on changing trade conditions, placing sourcing decisions within their wider commercial setting.

His education includes menswear design and marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology and study of freedom of association and collective bargaining at Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He also serves on the executive advisory board of FIT’s International Trade and Marketing Department. Across those activities, Uricoli brings an understanding of how buying decisions reach the factory floor. For companies trying to make responsible sourcing part of daily operations, that connection is essential.

Erin Williamson

Vice President of U.S. Customs Brokerage, GEODIS USA

Erin Williamson is the Vice President of GEODIS' U.S.  Customs Brokerage Product Team. Erin is responsible for ensuring compliance of customs brokerage activities and supporting the US station brokerage operations.

Richard Wortman

Partner, GDLSK

Richard M. Wortman manages the Los Angeles office. His practice is focused on import and export trade law, trade regulations and customs law, regulatory law and transportation law. He has represented clients before US Customs and Border Protection on a variety of issues including the classification and valuation of imported merchandise, focused assessments and averting penalties. He also regularly appears before other government agencies with responsibilities over import and export transactions. Richard helps companies implement duty savings strategies and internal compliance programs. Richard has lectured extensively on issues pertaining to import and export law on behalf of various organizations. He has also taught import and export trade law to both industry and Customs brokerage associations. Richard is counsel to the Northern Border Customs Brokers Association.

Mr. Wortman is the author of Book Review, “19 Case Western Reserve University Journal of International Law,” 469 (1987), Reviewing Welt, “Trade Without Money Barter and Countertrade,” (1984) and Case Comment, “Stone Walling By Hospital Unions Must End When Hospital Cannot Raise Wages: N.L.R.B. v. St. Joseph’s Hospital,” 4 Health Matrix 68 (1986)