Advisory Board

Rolf Andersen's career in international financial services spans almost 40 years. He served as Senior Trade Consultant, Trade Finance with the Royal Bank of Canada in Toronto. In this capacity he acted as an internal consultant to the Bank on all aspects of trade finance, structured and documented trade transactions, and advised Bank's clients on their international trade dealings. Prior to his career at Royal Bank, Mr. Andersen served in a variety of capacities with Mercantile Bank of Canada where he was responsible for rewriting all of the Bank's international trade finance policies and procedures.

George F. Chandler, III, is an international leader in the development of the rules for trade and transport under Electronic Commerce. He is a Partner at Hill Rivkins & Hayden, LLP, in Houston, Texas. Chandler served as Counsel, Chemical Carriers Association, Inc., 1987-1994. Member, U.S. Delegation to UNCITRAL Working Group on Electronic Commerce (1992-1996); Member, American Bar Association; Maritime Law Association of the United States - Proctor [Board of Directors, (1993-1996); Chairman, Electronic Communications and Commerce Committee, (1995-1999); Chairman, Committee on Carriage of Goods (1981-1995); Chairman, Electronic Bills of Lading Subcommittee, (1990-1991)]; Comité Maritime International - Titular Member [Member, CMI International Subcommittee on Carriage of Goods, (1995-1998); on Issues of Transport Law (2000-present); EDI Working Group (1996-present); CMI/UNICITRAL Group of Experts on Electronic Contracts of Carriage 1995]; Houston Maritime Arbitrators Assoc. - President (1998-present). Chandler is the author of 'Maritime Electronic Commerce for the 21st Century'. 22 Tulane Mar. L.J. 463 (1998); Negotiable Transactions Using EDI, EDI Forum; The Journal of EDI. 138 (1992); Transfer of Ownership in Int'l Trade: USA. Transfer Ownership in Int'l Trade. Kluwer ICC (1999), and has written in various other publications.

Robert Parson is a Partner at international law firm Reed Smith where he and leads its London based Commodity and Trade Finance Team. He advises banks and trading corporates on legal issues arising out of a variety of structures and tecniques for the financing of energy and raw materials and the trade instruments used in transactions globally. He publishes and speaks regularly in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Prior to joining the advisory board, John W. Richardson served for 34 years in a variety of capacities in the international transportation industry. His experience includes assignments with the Port of London Authority, the RAF Air Traffic Control, The New Zealand Shipping Company and P&O Nedlloyd. He has a high degree of expertise in drafting operating agreements, charter parties, slot charterparties, bills of lading and other contracts of carriage. He is the author of the P&O Nedlloyd’s Merchants’ Guide, the Guide to Hague and Hague Visby Rules, the Guide to BOXTIME Charter party (LLP) and recently published Combined Transport Documents. He has written a number of articles promoting the concept of an electronic waybill that can be used in a trade finance transaction. Richardson wrote the Waybill Clauses that are an integral part of @GlobalTrade.

Soh Chee Seng previously served as the Head of Trade Services of Overseas Union Bank in Singapore. Mr. Soh has more than 25 years of experience in trade financing and is currently a Technical Consultant to the Association of Banks in Singapore on trade finance issues. He is Singapore’s representative to the ICC Banking Commission and member of the working group on International Standard Banking Practice for Examination of LC Documents. Mr. Soh is a member of @GlobalTrade eBL Working Group and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of Documentary Credit World (DCW) and L/C Monitor (www.lcmonitor.com).

Prior to joining the advisory board Peter Sproston, BSc (Hons) ACIB MIEx (Grad), was Head of the Trade Finance Department for Marc Rich & Co Investment AG. Prior to his role with Marc Rich & Co Investment AG, Peter served as Head of the Trade Finance Department at Glencore International AG, Assistant Vice President at Bank Hofmann AG (formerly BHE), and as a Documentary Credit Specialist at UBS. Peter is a widely acknowledged expert in Trade Finance and has tremendous knowledge and understanding about trade finance payment instruments.

Ron joined Cargill International Trading Pte Ltd in February 2011, as Asia Credit Manager for the Energy, Transportation and Ferrous Metal commodity trading platforms. Ron is now based in Singapore. Previously Ron worked for RBS Sempra Commodities in London, as Vice President - Credit Risk Management, from October 2007 and became Executive Director of Counterparty Risk Analysis and Portfolio Management EMEA, with J.P. Morgan’s Global Commodities Group when the latter purchased the former on July 1, 2010. Prior to October 2007 Ron was Credit Manager for Global Supply & Trading with Chevron Corporation for 16 years. Ron earlier worked for various companies and commercial banks becoming a specialist in financial analysis, corporate credit management, trade operations management and trade finance-related marketing. Ron specialises in counterparty risk management, which demands a broad range of knowledge and skills, as well as an extensive network of contacts. His most significant experience is related to pro-actively supporting the physical trading of commodities and to trade finance.

Ron Wells maintains a free access, credit management resources web site at: www.BarrettWells.co.uk. He has delivered numerous presentations relating to credit and performance risk management, and taught several classes in related subjects; see www.barrettwells.com for details and copies. Both sites include a Google Search facility. Ron is the author of Global Credit Management, an Executive Summary published by John Wiley & Sons. This concise work describes the essence of effective credit management, which too often is a passive and reactive discipline within a company.  It includes practical guidance to equip a reader with the basic tools necessary to establish a holistic credit management discipline within a business. The Mandarin Chinese (simplified characters) version of Global Credit Management was published by T3P LIMITED in July 2007, titled Huan Xin Ping Heng Biao Shang De Shui Shi - Awaken the Sleeping Lion on the Balance Sheet. See www.t3plimited.com (Chinese version: www.t3plimited.net) for details. Ron is a Certified Credit Executive (CCE), a Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA), a qualified International Banker (ACIB) and a Chartered Corporate Secretary (FCIS). He participated in the NACM Graduate School for Credit and Financial Management in 1996/97, passed with distinction and was elected Best Student.