Academic faculty

With a strong background in business, trade and customs, Kevin leads the Institute’s trade digitalisation agenda – liaising with governments, commercial businesses and NGOs around the world.

An advocate for international trade for more than 40 years, Kevin is highly respected within the international trade community. He has facilitated cross-border trade for thousands of UK businesses and been pivotal in designing and delivering new documentation and processes pre- and post-Brexit.

Formerly the Institute’s Director of Stakeholder Engagement, Kevin was involved in developing the Diploma in World Customs Planning and Compliance, a Foundation Degree in International Trade and the Northern Ireland Customs and Trade Academy (NICTA).

Kevin has led many trade initiatives in the UK and Internationally, including work with Invest NI, Scottish Enterprise, UK Export Finance and Saudi Export Development Authority. 

He is a United Nations-approved trainer and author of a best-selling book: Trade for Good.

Vicky Payne has over 20 years’ experience in logistics, supply chain and customs compliance environments, previously working for businesses such as Caterpillar Logistics, Neovia Logistics and Jaguar Land Rover Limited.

Vicky’s career started in import and export operations dealing with trade documentation leading onto managing a team of analysts. She then went on to join Jaguar Land Rover Limited in the customs compliance team dealing with all aspects of trade including imports and exports, special procedures and duty mitigation, finally specialising in origin and preference whilst supporting the Brexit readiness teams throughout the business. During her career, Vicky has obtained a Business Management Degree with Honours through Coventry University.

Recently, Vicky has supported the Trader Support service, Institute of Export & International Trade and the UK Customs Academy by delivering post Brexit content updates, providing students with tutoring support and developing educational and training programmes.

Vicky is also a member of various government trade and customs committees.

Patrick has over 30 years’ experience in Warehouse, Logistics, Supply Chain and Customs procedures and processes, previously working for manufacturing companies in the UK and USA.

Patrick’s career started in Stock Control and Stores Administration and this led to roles in Warehouse Management and Logistics Management. The next was to progress into Customs compliance and procedures, specifically AEO Accreditation and Customs Declarations.

During his career, Patrick has obtained qualifications with the Chartered Management Institute and is an award-winning student in the DWCCR course with the IOE&IT, and has also recently achieved a Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (RQF). Patrick has supported the Trader Support Service, the UK Customs Academy and the Global Customs Academy with Brexit content updates, providing students with course updates, and tutoring support.

Since 2000, Bénédicte Meille has been actively involved in customs training & capacity building (CB). From 2000 to 2016, she has been working for the World Customs Organization (WCO) on human resource development (HRD), customs & modernisation and CB programs.

She has managed and supported the development of the current WCO Human Resource Management (HRM) and Human Resource Development (HRD) strategy, setting up standards, guidelines and tools for customs competencies, customs career pathing, distance and collaborative learning and development, and accreditation of customs trainers.

She has been instrumental in the adoption of WCO competency-based experiential learning and development strategy for the international customs community.

With over 15 years of experience spanning Europe, Brazil, and the UK, Luciana is a leading international trade and customs advisor. Thanks to her language skills, varied roles across different contexts, and a legal background including a LLM at La Sorbonne University, Luciana possesses a deep understanding of different cultures and trade regulations.

Luciana started her career in France, at a start-up trading company playing a pivotal role in negotiations with African and Brazilian suppliers, ensuring customs and trade compliance. Since then, she has maintained a steadfast commitment to the field, consistently evolving and enhancing her expertise in this ever-changing trade landscape.

Whether it is serving as a personal assistant at the Brazilian Embassy in Paris facilitating cooperation between navies, advising major OEMs like GM and Renault, or guiding UK traders through the new customs scenario post-Brexit, Luciana’s purpose is to collaborate across borders and industries to propel trade forward.

Presently, as an educator at the prestigious IOE&IT, Luciana prepares students to adapt and lead in the dynamic world of global commerce. She lives by her multi-cultural heritage and thrives at the intersection of law, business, and diplomacy.

Barbara Barros has accumulated over 8 years of experience in International Logistics & Customs compliance. Specialising in guiding export and import procedures, her expertise shines in the sectors of Industrial Ventilation systems and Industrial coatings.

Barbara initiated her career within the import-export sector during her tenure at Zitron, a global leader in Underground ventilation. This experience also allowed her to develop her skills in trade compliance. Her responsibilities encompassed taking charge of export projects to the EU, UK, Latin America, Middle East, Russia, Canada, Australia, India, and South Africa.

Later, Barbara transitioned to Axalta Coating Industries, a spinoff from Dupont Group. In this role, she managed export processes for coatings and potentially dangerous paints. Her primary focus was on Francophone nations in Africa and the Caribbean, highlighting her skill in navigating a wide range of global markets.

Within the Institute of Export & International Trade (IoE), she works as International Customs Specialist, specifically engaged with the Global Customs Academy. Her responsibilities encompass teaching and mentoring various IOE courses, and she also provides consultancy along with maintaining a highly collaborative relationship with the Department of International Projects.