July 15, 2026
Washington, DC
The Warner Building

Kurt Bersani

Executive Director, Textiles, Consumer Goods, Materials, Critical Minerals and Metals (TCGM), International Trade Administration

Kurt assumed the role of Executive Director for TCGM in December 2025. Prior to that, he served as Deputy Chief Information Officer for the Commerce Department where he helped administer a $3 billion IT portfolio.

Kurt has held a number of positions in the Department of Commerce Office of the Secretary including Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration, Senior Advisor for Policy and Operations, and Director of Executive Resources.

Kurt led the Commerce Department’s efforts to stand up comprehensive shared services, serving as Chief Financial Officer, Deputy Director, and ultimately Executive Director over these programs.

Earlier in his career, Kurt was the CFO and Chief Administrative Officer at the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Deputy CFO for ITA, and the Human Resources Director of the U.S. Census Bureau. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics and international relations, and studied at New College of Florida, American University, and Harvard University.

Robert Carrigg

Acting Assistant USTR for Textiles

As the Acting Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Textiles, Rob Carrigg is responsible for U.S. negotiations affecting textiles and apparel, advises the U.S. Trade Representative on textiles trade policy matters, and works to expand the U.S. industry’s access to foreign markets. Prior to joining USTR, he served for 19 years in the Office of Textiles and Apparel at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Before that he served as an economist for the Bureau of Labor Statistics at the U.S. Department of Labor

Emily Delaye

Graduate Instructor, University of Delaware

Emilie Delaye is a Graduate Instructor and master's student in Fashion and Apparel Studies at the University of Delaware. Her academic and professional interests focus on global supply chains, sourcing strategy, sustainability, and social responsibility within the fashion and apparel industry. Through her research, teaching, and industry engagement, Emilie explores how businesses can build more transparent, ethical, and resilient supply chains while creating positive environmental and social impact.

A passionate advocate for responsible business practices, Emilie has contributed to research and industry discussions on apparel sourcing, circularity, sustainability, and global trade. She enjoys connecting academic insights with real-world challenges and helping students understand the evolving role of sustainability and ethical leadership in today's global marketplace. Emilie is committed to advancing innovative solutions that balance business success with social and environmental responsibility.

Natalie Hanson

Principal & CEO, Textile Trade Solutions

Mark Jaeger

SVP, Stakeholder Engagement, WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production)

Mark is responsible for global operations and stakeholder engagement for WRAP, an independent, objective, non-profit team of global social compliance experts dedicated to promoting safe, lawful, humane, and ethical manufacturing around the world through certification and education.  Mark served on the Board of Directors of WRAP for sixteen years, including four years as Secretary. Before joining WRAP in September 2020, Mark worked for twenty-seven years in the apparel industry. He was Senior Vice President – General Counsel and Secretary for Jockey International, Inc. At Jockey, Mark focused on compliance, risk, and international trade while handling all legal issues for the company. He also led the Human Resources department for eight years.  Mark has a BBA in economics with honors from the University of Iowa and a law degree from Southern Illinois University School of Law. He resides in the Chicago area.

Bob Kirke

Executive Director

Canadian Apparel Federation

Bob Kirke is the Executive Director of the Canadian Apparel Federation (CAF).

 

He represents the industry across a range of issues from trade and tariffs, product safety and chemical management to international business development.   He is or has been a member of numerous industry advisory groups and voluntary bodies and serves as a Director of Brands for Canada, Canada’s only permanent clothing bank. He is a member of the Canadian General Standards Board Committee on Responsible Business Conduct and the Canadian Border Commercial Consultative Committee (BCCC).

He received a Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) from McGill and a Master of Arts (Political Science) from Carleton University.  In 2012 he received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal, nominated by then Minister of International Trade, the Hon. Ed Fast.

Michael Lambert

Executive Director of Global Trade and Compliance, 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. 

José Pablo Maauad

President, National Chamber of the Apparel Industry (CANAIVE)

Mr. Maauad studied Industrial and Systems Engineering at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM), and has an MBA from the Universidad Iberoamericana and diplomas in International Trade Negotiations by the Washington Center; and in Finance from the Virtual University of ITESM..

In addition to his responsibilities as the new president of CANAIVE, Maauad is the CEO of TEXIN, a leading company in the design and manufacture of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which uses technologies and certifications that protect its users from industrial and occupational hazards, such as flash fires, electric arc flashes, chemical splashes, and firefighting.

His professional experience includes over 15 years in the garment industry in leadership positions areas of quality, operations, sales and management; mainly in the management of manufacturing for export, including products with high added value such as security uniforms and fire resistant electric arc, and fashion oriented products with high consumer recognition brands.

He has also participated in boards of investment and entertainment companies; as well as venture capital investment in innovation products.

Felicia Pullam

Senior Director, APCO

Felicia Pullam has 25 years of experience working on international trade, investment, and supply chain transparency in the U.S. and Asia. She is currently a senior director at APCO, a global public affairs firm. Immediately prior, she served as executive director of trade relations at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, where she grappled with issues like forced labor, illicit trade, tariffs, and customs modernization. She has worked at both the federal and state government level, including as a deputy assistant secretary covering textiles, apparel, consumer goods, metals, chemicals and other materials at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Earlier in her career, she spent nearly a decade in China, leading APCO’s Asia-wide corporate responsibility and sustainability practice, working with American companies across the region.

 

Thais Pupio

Director of Customs and International Trade at PwC

Thais is the Director of Customs and International Trade at PwC, advising US and multinational companies on various issues related to customs compliance and import-related duty, tax and fee savings opportunities. Thais has over sixteen years’ experience with PwC in different capacities, including 13 years acting as tax advisor in Brazil, supporting clients to address a variety of complex tax issues.

Thais helps clients navigate the statutory, regulatory and practical requirements, and assists companies in identifying savings opportunities and implementing transactional structures to realize savings. Thais supports companies assessing their trade compliance functions and develops proactive, efficient operations at the local, regional and global level.

Thais holds a Law Degree and a postgraduate degree in Corporate and Tax Law, both from Brazil and holds a LL.M. degree in International Business and Trade Law from Fordham University in New York. Thais is admitted to practice law in Brazil.

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.

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.