The Board of Directors of the World BASC Organization (WBO) wishes to inform the 23 BASC chapters of the World BASC Organization and their 4,000 member companies, Chapter boards of directors, and valued stakeholders, that Mr. Fermin Cuza, our beloved International President of the WBO, has expressed his decision to retire after more than 50 years dedicated to international trade, customs, and border security.
After graduating from California State University, Los Angeles, Mr. Cuza began his career with the United States Customs Service. He joined the private sector after a successful 15 years at U.S. Customs, and in March 1996, he developed and presented to the U.S. Commissioner of Customs, Mr. George Weise, a concept for cooperation that resulted in the first customs-business alliance to fight drugs and facilitate trade and which we all know today as the Business Alliance for Secure Commerce (BASC). Mr. Cuza has dedicated more than 25 years to his dream of customs and business working together. This dream has become a collective and passionate one for today's BASC companies and has been adopted by customs administrations worldwide.
Fermin Cuza's decision to retire to dedicate more time to his wife, children, granddaughters, and other personal projects will be effective Friday, April 1, 2022. However, the Organization will retain his services as Senior Advisor for International Affairs through November 2022. The specific functions that Fermín will perform in his new role will focus on representing BASC at the World Customs Organization (WCO) in Brussels and the Private Sector Consultative Group (PSCG) that reports to the Secretary-General of the WCO. In addition, we wish to add that Mr. Erik Moncayo will assume the duties of Executive Director and International President.
Finally, we want to announce that the World BASC Organization will hold an official farewell event for Fermin Cuza during the X World BASC Congress in Lima, Peru, November 17-18. We will publish further details before the Congress.
We wish Mr. Cuza, the "Father" of BASC, and his wife Ines, health and happiness in this new stage of their lives. Our deepest gratitude to Mr. Cuza for his leadership, vision, innovative spirit, and the passion he dedicated to our Organization for much of his illustrious career.
