Behind the Scenes: the world of illicit trade – Webinar, 6 March, 2025

Based in Basel, Switzerland, Laurent Giezendanner leads a team of 25 security professionals in strategic locations. He focuses on criminal detection, deterrence, and response and safeguards Syngenta’s assets with advanced anti-crime strategies, including AI technologies.

With 25+ years of security experience, Laurent previously headed Corporate Security at Merck in Germany. He holds an MSc in Security Management from Loughborough University (UK) and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green and Black Belt. Recently, he completed a professional education in No-Code AI and Machine Learning from MIT.

Jeff Hardy is the Director-General of the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade, where he manages a unique multi-sector business approach to mitigating illicit trade worldwide. Before joining TRACIT, he served as the Director of the International Chamber of Commerce’s Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP), where he united the global business community to fight illicit trade in the forms of trademark counterfeiting and copyright piracy. From 2010-2017, he also served as Director of the ICC G20 CEO Advisory Group, where he coordinated international business priorities on the G20 policy agenda related to trade, investment and anti-corruption. Jeff has long been an advocate for open and fair trade, and to achieve these goals he mobilizes expertise from companies and business organizations. As President of IDA Consulting, Jeff has worked with dozens of international trade associations to help them more effectively navigate key policy arenas and gain from emerging legislative and regulatory regimes.

From 1985 to 1998, he worked for the U.S. Department of Energy, where he held positions as International Energy Economist and Director of the U.S. Clean Cities program. Jeffrey currently serves on the Advisory Committee for Combating Illicit Trade, a project of the Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights. He holds a Master of Public Administration and Policy from George Mason University, a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Illinois State University and an Honorary Degree for Energy Policy from the Oxford College of Petroleum Studies. In 1992, he was awarded the U.S. Secretary of Energy’s Silver Medal for his meritorious service during the Gulf War.