TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) has appointed David Beer as the new Chief Executive Officer succeeding Frank Matsert, who has served the organization for over a decade. According to a statement shared by TMEA, Beer will be assuming his new position from the 1st of September 2022.
Beer has over 20 years of senior international experience that spans aid for trade, governments and diplomacy, multilaterals, and development in the British Government and organizations across Africa, which TMEA believes will position him to provide continuity of purpose, the statement says.
“David’s extensive government and trade development skills should help TMEA strengthen its programming, develop strategic alliances, and roll out fit-for-purpose products that respond to market needs at macro and micro levels so Africa can maximize its trade potential. We believe his strong leadership experience will help focus TMEA during these turbulent economic times and stabilize its funding base.” TMEA Board Chair Ambassador Erastus Mwencha stated.
He recently completed his tour as High Commissioner for the United Kingdom (UK) in Malawi.
Beer previously represented the UK, advising respective UK Executive Directors to the Boards of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund on areas such as institutional risk management, adaptive programming, and disaster risk financing, alongside macroeconomic management, and development programming.
He joins TMEA at a time when the organization is expanding to the rest of Africa and scaling up support for the implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement.
TMEA is an aid-for-trade organization that was established in 2010 with an aim of growing prosperity in East Africa through increased trade. Its work revolves around reducing trade barriers through improved transportation and logistics systems, digitization of key trade processes, enhanced standards, and SPS compliance, and targeted interventions supporting women and youth in Small and Medium Enterprises in critical sectors.
Over the years, TMEA has partnered with various private sector organizations in East Africa such as the Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Associations (FEAFFA) to support trade facilitation interventions to reduce the time and cost of moving cargo across the borders.
TMEA remains a key partner in the successful implementation of the East African Customs and Freight Forwarding Practicing Certificate (EACFFPC) Programme, a one-year joint regional training program of the East African Revenue Authorities, National associations of the Freight Forwarding industry, the EAC Directorate of Customs and FEAFFA. EACFFPC aims at equipping practicing or prospective Custom Agents and Freight Forwarders with requisite skills that significantly contribute to faster clearance of cargo in the region.
The 39th meeting of the Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance, and Investment last year in Arusha EACFFPC Programme recognized EACFFPC as the regional training Programme for freight forwarders in the EAC region.
Since its establishment in 2006, the EACFFPC program has graduated over 7000 freight forwarders in East Africa.
