MARK ROBINSON, Director of Business Development and Operations has 30 years of experience with the Department of Homeland Security, formerly the US Customs Service, where he rose to the position of Attaché in the US Embassy, Bangkok, Thailand. He has extensive knowledge of working with the customs departments and governments throughout Asia, as well as the United States. During his career he served as the Director, Fraud Investigations Division and the Executive Director, Foreign Operations Division, both located at Customs headquarters.
Mr. Robinson has devoted significant efforts towards anti-money laundering programs, combating trade fraud and illicit trade practices and has also developed and initiated programs to protect trade agreements and prohibit the use of children in the manufacture of goods imported into the US. He created and implemented the multi-agency National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center. Located in Washington, DC, the IPR Center is a multi-agency center responsible for coordinating a unified U.S. Government response regarding IPR enforcement issues. Investigative personnel provide core staffing from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Particular emphasis is given to investigating major criminal organizations and those using the Internet to facilitate IPR crime.
More recently, Mr. Robinson was responsible for developing the investigative strategy for the newly enacted Protect Act. This statute was passed by the US Congress to allow for the prosecution of US citizens that sexually abuse children in a foreign country. He also negotiated and implemented the creation of the Container Security Initiative, the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (supply chain security), the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code and other national security programs with the Thai government.
Educated at Harvard and Columbia Universities, Mr. Robinson can read, write and speak Thai.
