Mr. Craig Burchell

An advocate for globalisation, multilateral cooperation and equal opportunities to share prosperity and deliver technology for all.

Craig Burchell is a trade lawyer with 30years’ experience as advocate to governments and stakeholders around the world on law, business & policy in the technology sector. Craig is a multicultural European with work experience across Asia, Europe and America. Craig advises on trade strategies for business and advocates open markets, “level-playing field”, fair competition and non-discrimination. After a 20 year career at Philips Electronics, Amsterdam, as Global Head of Trade & Market Access, and delegate for Philips’ CEO Frans van Houten at the European CEO Round Table, Craig was Head of European Affairs for Samsung (ROK) and Xerox (USA), before joining Huawei Technologies in Q2 2019. He combines knowledge of international policy, trade law in practice and business to government processes as well as pragmatic business experience.

Craig is a selected member of the B20/G20 Trade & Investment Global Task Force 2021, the WEF Advisory Board on “Digital FDI”, the OECD-EMNet Advisory Group and the International Expert’s Group on the WTO’s “Investment Facilitation Agreement” a global project of ITC, WEF and Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik. Craig is author of “Digital Investment for Recovery” and “Innovations in Digital Trade” plus blog posts and articles published by Nikkei Asia, Financial Times, Wall St Journal, Computerworld. Craig has been a panellist at conferences and webinars organised by the ICC, Economist, OECD, Forbes, World Investment Association WAIPA, and organised business input to the B20-G20, WTO, OECD/ BIAC, ICC, ITC, WEF and UNCTAD.a Craig is the thought leader behind the “Economist” 2020 Report on “The Cost of Deglobalisation”.

Craig’s activities include leading delegations of European tech companies to 3 WTO Ministerials; Chair: Digital Europe’s Trade Policy Committee; Chair: Business Europe WTO Reform WG; representing Dutch business federation VNO-NCW in Business Europe International Committee; EU Chair of Transatlantic Business Dialogue EU-US Steering Committee, (which produced the Transatlantic Economic Council and laid foundations for TTIP; Chair: European Policy Centre WTO Forum; ERT, Transatlantic Policy Network, Board Member of the Transatlantic Business Council.

Craig has worked with decision-makers and business groups in many countries including the US Dept of Commerce, USTR, EU Members States Ministries and Perm Reps, EU Institutions, Ministries in Russia, Japan, China, India, Mexico and other markets.

After graduating from Strasbourg, (France), Leicester (UK) and Guildford Law School, Craig’s legal career traversed London, Brussels, Amsterdam and the world for Philips. Craig has Belgian and British nationality, speaks French, English, Dutch and Mandarin and lives in Shenzhen, P.R.China.