International Trade Awards 2026

Payge Aitchison brings over nine years of practical hands on experience in customs and foreign trade, with a particular focus on the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors.

Holding advanced qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade and the Global Customs Academy, she pairs technical expertise with a clear dedication to the future of the industry.

In her role with the IOE Foundation, Payge is determined to empower the next generation, championing the creation of education pathways, and opportunity for young people seeking careers in Customs and International trade.

Shemina Amarsy works for the International Trade Center (ITC) as Advisor on Sustainability Standards & Value Chains. ITC is an international organization focused on trade development for developing and transition economies and dedicated to supporting the internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Prior to this, she worked as Sustainable Development Coordinator in the retailing industry, and then for Fairtrade International as Liaison Officer in the Caribbean and Latin America, giving support and training to agricultural SMEs to access sustainable export markets and improve local livelihoods. After this, she joined the Fairtrade Strategy & Policy Direction as Senior Standards Manager. She also worked for GoodWeave International, an initiative aiming to stop child labour in international supply chains, for Sphere as Humanitarian Standards coordinator, for IDH as Recognition Leader on Living Wage Benchmarks Methodologies and accompanied the NGO Geneva Call in its strategy to make humanitarian standards respected by armed-non state actors and protect civilians in conflict-affected areas. She studied business management in Neoma in France and Fundacao Getulio Vargas in Brazil and holds a Master of Philosophy.

Nadine Bloxsome is Chief Executive Officer of the Aluminium Federation (ALFED), representing the UK aluminium sector from primary production and recycling through to downstream manufacturing and distribution. Her work focuses on strengthening the competitiveness, resilience and export capability of UK aluminium businesses through effective trade policy, industrial strategy and regulatory engagement.

Nadine works closely with government departments, member companies and international stakeholders on issues including CBAM, circular economy frameworks, energy costs and supply-chain security. She also leads cross-sector initiatives such as the UK Aluminium Alliance and is a Director of the Back British Metals campaign, supporting domestic metals supply chains and UK manufacturing resilience.

Noreen Burroughes Cesareo MBE, MA, FRSA is an international thought leader and strategist in enterprise, inclusive trade and finance, with deep expertise in business growth, marketing and communications. Her career spans leadership roles with blue-chip organisations and global enterprises across diverse sectors.

She is the founder and principal of Market Accents, a strategic international marketing advisory that helps businesses define their offering and positioning, uncover new market opportunities and scale internationally. Her expertise and work span foreign exchange, wealth management, financial and professional services, travel and hospitality, research, strategy, and marketing — with a consistent focus on driving inclusive growth across global markets for goods and services.

Noreen serves as Executive Vice-President of OWIT International and Founding President of OWIT UK. She also holds several non-executive and advisory roles, including member of the WTO Gender Research Hub, and Trustee of the Commonwealth Girls Education Fund.

She was awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 for services to women in international trade and entrepreneurship.

Sabina Ciofu is International Policy and Strategy Lead at techUK, where she heads the International Policy and Trade Programme. Based in Brussels, she shapes global tech policy, digital trade, and regulatory cooperation across the EU, US, Canada, Asia-Pacific, and the Gulf region. She drives strategy, advocacy, and market opportunities for UK tech companies worldwide, ensuring their voice is heard in international policy debates.

With nearly a decade of previous experience as a Policy Advisor in the European Parliament, Sabina brings deep expertise in tech regulation, trade policy, and EU–US relations. Her work focuses on navigating and influencing the global digital economy to deliver real impact for members.

A passionate community-builder, Sabina co-founded Young Professionals in Digital Policy (800+ members) and now runs Old Professionals in Digital Policy (more experience, better wine, earlier nights). She is also the founder of the Gentlewomen’s Club, a network of 500+ women supporting each other with kindness.

She holds advisory roles with the UCL European Institute, Café Transatlantique (a network of women in transatlantic tech policy), and The Nine, Brussels’ first members-only club for women.

Recognised by ComputerWeekly as one of the most influential women in UK tech, Sabina is also a sought-after public speaker on tech, trade and diversity.

Sabina holds an MA in War Studies from King’s College London and a BA in Classics from the University of Cambridge.

She is a frequent traveler and a marathon runner.

Nick is the Trade and Transaction Banking business lead for NatWest Bank’s Commercial and Mid-Market customer base. His primary focus is supporting companies operating across the UK in a wide variety of sectors with their core banking needs, including import/export activities and associated working capital requirements. With over 25 years’ experience working in commercial banking, cash management and trade finance, Nick is well placed to support UK businesses through NatWest’s solutions and accessing specialist support from key partners.

With over 30 years of experience across a range of sectors, I have built a strong foundation in strategic planning, organisational development, and business transformation. My career has been driven by a genuine interest in how organisations function and how people contribute to meaningful change.

 I have worked extensively in international markets, supporting organisations through change, advising on strategy, improving systems and processes, and engaging diverse stakeholders. These experiences continue to shape my approach and reinforce my commitment to practical, effective solutions.

In my current role as an International Trade Adviser with Business Wales, I support MSMEs to navigate growth, manage change, and build resilient partnerships. Contributing to their success remains both rewarding and motivating.

It is an honour to support the CIOE&IT through the International Trade Awards, and I am delighted to play a part in recognising excellence within the sector.

Jakub Kopinski is an experienced corporate banking professional with over 13 years of expertise in trade finance, client relationship management, and product implementation. He began his career at mBank S.A. (Commerzbank Group) in Warsaw, Poland, progressing from Trade Finance Specialist to Head of Trade Finance Sales, where he led a team of 12 trade finance relationship managers.

In 2024, he relocated to the UK to join NatWest Group (Royal Bank of Scotland) as a Trade Finance Sales Manager, where he successfully built a new trade finance customer base in Western Scotland. Fluent in English, Polish, and German, Jakub combines deep technical knowledge with strong leadership and advisory skills.

He was awarded the Raising Talent in Trade Award at the Import Export Show 2025.

Lars Langer specialises in delivering IT solutions that enhance cross-border trade and customs operations. With deep expertise at the intersection of technology, policy and logistics, he helps authorities and companies modernise border management through data-driven systems, digital platforms and integrated supply-chain solutions.

His work focuses on translating complex trade and compliance regulations into efficient, scalable resilient digital infrastructure that enable smoother compliance, transparency and collaboration across markets. Combining strategic insight with hands-on delivery experience, Lars works hard to ensure that technology becomes a true enabler of smarter, faster and more secure international trade.

Dr. Di Li, BSc, MSc, PhD, SFHEA, is an Associate Professor and Deputy Head (SEE) of Business Innovation, Supply Chain and Trade Group at WMG, the University of Warwick. She is also the Programme Director of MSc International Trade, Strategy and Operations (ITSO), which is ranked 4th in the World in the QS International Trade Rankings 2025. Di conducts research, teaching, and projects in the field of supply chain and operations management within the international trade context. Her primary research focus lies in digitalization-enabled sustainable operations and trade, supply chain resilience in Industry 4.0, global supply network design, reversed FDI, and business strategy analytics. Di is a Chair of the Academic Conduct Panel and is a member of the Academic Quality and Assurance Committee at WMG, ensuring high-quality teaching and learning activities. Meanwhile, Di serves as a review editor for world-leading journals, such as International Journal of Operations & Production Management (IJOPM), and the Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice (JUTLP). She is also a member of the EurOMA conference review committee. In addition, she plays the role of academic consultant for multiple companies and the governmental Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, while leading and/or participating in projects with accumulated funding generation up to £4.7 million. 

Thomas Mercuri is a senior logistics and customs leader with extensive expertise in customs brokerage, regulatory compliance, supply chain optimisation, and cross-border trade management. As Managing Director of Getlink Customs Services, he provides strategic direction for the company’s UK operations, leading high-performing teams and shaping long-term customs and logistics strategies to support seamless cross-border trade.

Previously, Thomas has held senior leadership roles at major logistics organisations, including Managing Director at DHL Freight UK and Managing Director at Gerlach Customs Services UK. In these roles, he was instrumental in shaping customs strategy and delivering growth during periods of significant regulatory change, including Brexit. His earlier career includes senior commercial and operational roles within international freight forwarding, covering air, sea, and multimodal logistics.

Thomas holds a degree in International Trade and Logistics from the University of Westminster and regularly engages with industry stakeholders on the practical and strategic implications of trade and customs developments.

Lucinda O’Reilly is an international trade consultant with over 15 years’ experience of global imports and exports. As the Exports Director of a UK industrial flooring manufacturer, she grew exports to over 40 countries worldwide. Having successfully managed the transition through Brexit, Lucinda set up The International Trade Consultancy to provide practical, customized support to companies struggling to navigate the new regulatory landscape and supply chain challenges caused by the pandemic.

Areas of expertise include tariff classification, duty relief schemes, reclaiming incorrect duty payments, restoration of seized goods, audits of import/export processes, complying with rules of origin, global customs compliance, achieving AEO status, global export strategy and supply chains.

She is regularly invited to communicate the views of SME manufacturers in the media and to Members of Parliament. 

Enxhi Tresa is a Trade Policy Analyst in the Trade Policy Division of the OECD. Her recent work focuses on the intersection of international trade and environmental sustainability. She has previously worked as a research economist at the WTO and shortly at UNCTAD. She holds a PhD in economics from THEMA, Cergy Paris Université and a master’s degree in Analysis and Policy in Economics from Paris School of Economics.

Rebecca is currently the Head of Business Innovation, Supply Chain & Trade at the University of Warwick (WMG), where she leads the strategic development and academic delivery of programmes across international trade, supply chain management, and business innovation. Her work sits at the intersection of research, education, and policy, with a strong focus on fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and government to shape resilient and future-ready global trade systems.

During her time at the University of Warwick, Rebecca has held several senior leadership roles, including Head of Supply Chain and Trade, Reader in International Economics & Trade, and Interim Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education. She oversees large-scale postgraduate programmes serving over 500 students annually, manages key accreditation partnerships with professional bodies such as the Institute of Export & International Trade (IOE&IT), the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), and contributes to an extensive international teaching portfolio.

Beyond academia, Rebecca is the co-founder of the Women in Trade Hub (WiTH UK), a joint initiative between the University of Warwick and the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade, dedicated to advancing gender equality and promoting inclusive trade policy.

Her policy engagement includes advisory roles with the UK Department for Business and Trade, as well as contributions to the International Chamber of Commerce United Kingdom (ICC UK) and The Trade and Public Policy Network (TaPP). She is particularly committed to supporting evidence-based approaches to international trade, with a focus on gender equality, economic inclusion, and sustainable development.

With a background in economics spanning both academic research and applied policy, Rebecca is passionate about translating insight into impact, supporting the development of more equitable, innovative, and sustainable global trade systems.