WASHINGTON DC – National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) President Jake Colvin today announced that John Pickel has joined the NFTC as Senior Director for International Supply Chain Policy.
Mr. Pickel joins the NFTC from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) where he served as the Principal Director of Trade and Economic Competitiveness in the Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans.
Prior to joining DHS, he served in various roles at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), where he advised CBP executives on trade policy issues and led engagement with senior administration officials, Congress, and others in the trade community to inform the development and implementation of trade priorities.
“John brings a remarkable wealth of expertise and experience in a range of supply chain, trade facilitation and customs issues that are critically important to our member companies,” said Colvin.
“We are thrilled that John is joining our team to kick off the new year, and look forward to his leadership in helping our member companies continue to navigate the supply chain crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the changing international landscape,” he added.
John’s full bio can be found below.
—
John F. Pickel Jr.
Senior Director, International Supply Chain Policy
John Pickel is Senior Director of International Supply Chain Policy at the National Foreign Trade Council, the leading business association dedicated solely to advancing the interests of U.S. companies in international commerce.
In this role, John sets strategic direction and executes efforts to promote efficient, resilient and stable supply chains. This includes advancing policies related to anticounterfeiting, product safety, environmental sustainability, human and labor rights, and preventing illicit trade. He also promotes the implementation of trade facilitation measures and customs best practices across government agencies and international organizations to increase predictability and enable compliance with U.S. trade laws.
John previously served as the Principal Director of Trade and Economic Competitiveness in the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans (Policy), where he was a primary trade and supply chain policy advisor to agency leadership, served as the DHS representative to various interagency groups and processes, and led implementation of trade-related initiatives across DHS components.
Prior to joining DHS Policy, John served in various roles at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) over a decade. More recently, he was the Counsellor to the Commissioner for trade facilitation and enforcement matters. In addition to advising CBP executives on trade policy issues, John led engagement with senior administration officials, the trade community, and others to inform the development and implementation of CBP trade priorities. Earlier, John coordinated CBP Congressional Affairs efforts related to trade policy. In this role, he worked closely with Members of Congress and senior staff to shape legislation including the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (TFTEA) and Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act.
John has represented companies, nonprofit organizations, and cities before Congress and federal agencies at a government relations firm and worked in a leadership office in the U.S. House of Representatives.
John is a graduate of The George Washington University (B.A., Political Science).
###
About the NFTC
The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) is the premier business association advancing trade and tax policies that support access to the global marketplace. Founded in 1914, NFTC promotes an open, rules-based global economy on behalf of a diverse membership of U.S.-based businesses.