Gavin has worked in international trade compliance since 2016 and is currently expanding his field of practice by pursuing a law degree at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio (graduation expected in May 2025). Gavin gained deep experience in helping companies to understand and manage the relationship between trade regulations and business practices by building new compliance programs at two global manufacturing companies over the last decade, working across departments and entities—domestically and internationally—to ensure entity-wide alignment.

Gavin’s work has touched nearly all areas of both import and export compliance. Notably, he has led corporate responses to investigations and inquiries by US, Mexican, and Canadian customs authorities; designed a comprehensive value chain mapping and forced labor due diligence program; conducted internal audits on valuation of merchandise; implemented and used ERP systems for free trade agreement qualification, harmonized tariff classification, and multi-tiered partner screening; developed inventory management methods to identify countries of origin for commingled fungible goods; and prioritized solutions that make compliance easier for workers.

Gavin has an MA in International Trade, Investment, and Development Policy and an MBA from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies; a BA in Anthropology from Macalester College; and a US customs broker license. Throughout his education, he has focused on developing strong qualitative and quantitative research skills, including interviewing, surveying, network analysis, and statistical analysis.

Gavin has worked and studied in China, Ecuador, Norway, Spain, and Turkey and speaks Spanish, Mandarin, Norwegian, and Uyghur (in descending order of fluency). Gavin loves gardening and has gradually transformed his front and back lawns into habitats filled with native wildflowers and perennial edibles. His neighbors know him as the “Night Gardener” for his habit of gardening when his kids are asleep.