The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has announced new appointments to lead the Industry Advisory Board (IAB) of the Digital Standards Initiative, the global platform for digital trade standards alignment, adoption and engagement. Stephan Wolf of GLEIF assumes the Chair role, as the inaugural Chair Gerard Hartsink steps down. Robert Beideman of GS1, continues in his current role as Vice-Chair and is joined by ING banker Lynn Ng as newly appointed Vice-Chair.
Since its formation in August 2021, the IAB has convened industry leaders, standards development organisations (SDOs), and trade and technical experts who are dedicated to solving the key challenges of trade digitalisation, including standards, interoperability, and digital trust. The IAB has played a key role in developing a simplified approach to digitalising the end-to-end supply chain under the Key Trade Documents and Data Elements (KTDDE) process. This process provides guidance on digital standards for each point on the supply chain to facilitate data sharing, alignment and interoperability across networks and platforms. Initial parts of the work were published in March 2023 and November 2023, and the conclusion of the work will be marked with a final, comprehensive publication in the weeks ahead.
“Gerard Hartsink, our outgoing IAB Chair, has been instrumental in helping us frame and advance our approach, while bringing together all key stakeholders into a single coherent effort. We are extremely grateful for the foundation he has built, as we turn our attention to driving adoption,”
ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO.
Stephan Wolf, CEO of the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation, who has been serving as Vice-Chair of the IAB since 2023, said: “I am honoured to take on this new role and eager to work with Robert, Lynn and all our IAB members. Together, we will build on the DSI’s accomplishments and scale the adoption of global standards and trusted technology principles to digitalise trade faster and more broadly.”
Incoming Vice-Chair Lynn Ng, who leads Sustainable Value Chains for ING Bank and is currently Chair of the ICC Banking Commission, said: “Gerard Hartsink has given generously to the cause of digitalising trade, finance and payments. I’m looking forward to continuing his work on these essential, overlapping areas to build a more sustainable, inclusive future.”
Robert Beideman, Chief Product Officer of GS1, who has led the KTDDE work as IAB Vice-Chair, said: “With the KTDDE work, we have reached a significant milestone in presenting a single integrated vision for addressing digitalisation challenges across global supply chains. We’re grateful to all who have supported the work thus far, and excited to continue to work to realise the potential of trade digitalisation globally.”
For more information about the ICC DSI, including tools and reports, please visit https://www.dsi.iccwbo.org/.
