Global Chamber® NYC Raising The Bar of Trade Compliance: Navigating CBP’s Stringent Enforcement Strategies

Thomas Cook - Managing Director of Blue Tiger International (bluetigerintl.com)

Tom is Managing Director of Blue Tiger International (bluetigerintl.com), an international business consultancy advising on supply chain management, trade compliance, purchasing, trade and disruption management, global business and logistics. Tom was former CEO of American River International in NY and Apex Global Logistics Supply Chain Operation in LA. Tom has over 35 years’ experience in assisting companies all over the world manage their import and export operations. He is a member of the NY District Export Council and serves on the board of directors of the National Association of District Export Councils (NADEC). Tom is also the Director of the National Institute of World Trade (niwt.org), a 30-year-old educational and training organization, based in NY. Both Blue Tiger International and the National Institute of World Trade are strategic partners of the Department of Commerce. Tom has authored over 20 books on global trade, the latest published in January 2026 entitled “Managing and Mitigating the Impact of Tariffs, Pandemics, and Trade Disruptions in the Global Supply Chain.”

Doug Bruhnke is founder and CEO of Global Chamber®. He's an entrepreneur, mentor and global connector focused on supporting Global Chamber® members to gain new clients, and enter into new markets.

Doug is a chemical engineer and an optimistic embracer of technology who has worked for decades as a global executive for DuPont and Phelps Dodge / Freeport McMoRan. He's had two expatriate assignments, one in Tokyo and another in Singapore, and he knows enough Japanese to travel comfortably to every corner of Japan, which he has, loving it! 

Doug has also traveled to 65 countries, and his 40 years of global trade experience includes working for clients in every market segment including automotive, aerospace, industrial, semiconductors, healthcare, life sciences, mining, retail, food and beverage, technology and consulting.

Doug has 5 U.S. patents and his education includes a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Utah and an EMBA from Michigan State University. His affiliations include the Arizona District Export Council, U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and Global Chamber®. Doug is a German-Polish American born in Mount Kisco, New York, living in Phoenix and Los Angeles. He's been married 44 years, with a superstar daughter and grandson.

Susan Gitenstein Assadi, Executive Director at Global Chamber® New York City

Susan leads GAPR, a PR firm with an emphasis on expert and thought leadership campaigns. She is a highly respected national media strategist who helps her clients to be promoted to the national media, weaving in compelling stories that resonate with top media outlets. Her campaigns have enabled her clients to have features and recurring citations in The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Reuters and Bloomberg.  As a result of her campaigns, her clients have been boosted into leaders of their respective fields. Susan has over four decades representing public and private companies in the financial services, corporate governance and the proxy industry, alternative energy, and those with an emphasis on responsible business practices such as ESG. Most recently she has been working with disruptors who are helping to build the domestic supply chain of rare earth materials.  Susan also has represented some leading non-profits. She also co-founded Safed House, a non-profit, that provides a welcoming place for refugees and recent immigrants to share their stories.

Her firm’s campaigns are fresh, creative, tech savvy, and innovative, a cocktail that engenders powerful results.

Prior to founding her own PR firm, Susan was the publicist for PBS MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour.  She received a Master's Degree in Fine Arts from New York University, and obtained a Bachelor's Degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Charles Bernard  - Advisory Board Chair at Global Chamber NYC and Founder and CEO of Criteria for Success 

Charles is an accomplished speaker that has trained thousands of CEOs, Sales Managers, and Salespeople on the art of business relationships, growing revenue, and overcoming challenges. 

With over 20 years of experience in direct sales, sales management, recruiting, and training, Charles is a subject-matter expert with a knack for troubleshooting. 

He was born in Madrid, Spain and was educated in Surrey, England. Currently, Charles resides in New York City where he is authoring his debut book, “Enabling Buying in a World of Selling 

About Global Chamber

Global Chamber® connects CEOs, executives, investors and industry leaders to new opportunities using an easy-to-use platform in 195 countries across 605+ chapters. We're the only chamber of commerce that delivers strategic connections and trusted resources while operating in hundreds of locations, facilitating exporting, importing, investing and growth across regions and borders.

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