September 18, 2024 – AAEI recognizes members who lead the Association on key issues, initiatives, and projects. This week, AAEI spotlights Ana Hinojosa of Oritain.
Ana is a highly recognized leader in the international trade community, having served for more than 30 years as a regulator in various positions at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the World Customs Organization (WCO). Ana has been a speaker at AAEI conferences and webinars. Ana left the public sector in 2021, as Executive Director at CBP, where she was responsible for directing trade threat assessment units, special investigations and enforcement programs focused on detecting, deterring and disrupting illicit trade, with a focus on forced labor.
“As I reflect on the nearly 35 years of government service,” Ana says, “I realize that although I ultimately stayed with one agency, I had many jobs in many locations, and although I had opportunities to leave and try something else, I was still in love with the work.”
Now that Ana works in the private sector, she shared with AAEI some of her key insights from being in a different role.
“Professionalism and respect for people is indispensable in transitioning from one role to another.
“No matter how much you know, you don’t know or understand everything, so stay humble and help others.
“Network and read as much as you can. You can miss valuable information and insights, if you don’t listen and ask questions.
“Embrace the challenges that you face, you will learn and grow from those difficult experiences.”
At Oritain, Ana serves as Advisor on Government and Regulatory Affairs. Oritain is an industry service provider for companies in need to verifying the origin of a product, input component or raw material. Oritain specializes in determining a material’s chemical or origin fingerprint. The company became in AAEI member this month.
