Delegates take part in 2nd UK & China Cross-Border eCommerce Forum

Hurricane was delighted to take part in the Second UK and China Cross-Border eCommerce Forum which was held at the Peking University Business School in Oxford.

Our CEO Martyn Noble was among the keynote speakers during the day which was entitled ‘Post-lockdown challenges and opportunities for global cross-border eCommerce’.

The event was a mix of in-person and virtual with over 150 delegates taking part, including representatives from government and some of the biggest names in global logistics and online retail.

China’s cross-border eCommerce imports and exports reached 419.5 billion yuan ($65.57 billion) in the first quarter of this year – up 46.5 percent year-on-year and shows no sign of slowing down.

But increasing regulation including the US STOP Act and the EU’s recently launched VAT Package and Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS) mean that the need for complete and valid data on shipments has never been greater.

Through our strategic partnership with ELI Holdings, Hurricane is helping some of the biggest Chinese logistics and ecommerce players to integrate best-in-class data provision into their global operations.

Hosts for the Oxford event were the China Europe eCommerce and Logistics Club (CEELC) and the UK & China Chamber of eCommerce (UCCE).

Among those taking part in the Oxford event were JD.com, Yodel, and The Very Group.

Martyn Noble, CEO of Hurricane Commerce, said: “It was an extremely professional event and built upon the success of the launch event last year.

“While there are significant opportunities for logistics and eCommerce companies to grow their cross-border operations, there is also a growing recognition of the importance of having best-in-class data to meet the regulatory challenges.

“We are hearing of more and more cases of shipments being held by customs authorities around the world because of the poor quality of consignment data.

“Businesses which have the highest levels of data provision are the ones which will have a competitive edge over their rivals and therefore will be best placed to reap the biggest rewards in the global eCommerce space.”

June

 

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David SpoTtiswood
Co-founder

Interesting Fact: I am an amateur baker, but I still have no idea how sourduogh starter actually works, and am intrigued how it all reacts together to produce an incredible taste.

Favourite Music: November Rain by Guns ‘n’ Roses.  Going to Wembley with my wife our go to fun thing in our early years, our youth with long hair and rock clothing and not a care in the world other than getting the best spot in the house.

Favourite Quote: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results ” – Albert Einstein

Harry Reilly
Non-exec

Interesting Fact:  I learned Arabic for five years!.

Favourite Music:  A Long December by Counting Crows.  Memory of best family time together in California.

Favourite Quote: “Don’t forget execution, boys. It’s the all-important last 95%”

Tom Lee

Technical Director

Interesting Fact:  I am completely self-taught from a technical skills persepctiuve, and left formal education at 18.

Favourite Music:  Blink 182 – Aliens Exist.  Brings back fond memories of stickly floors and cheap beer.

Favourite Quote: “He sprayed water in my face – thta’s not allowed” – James Haskell.  The whole event surrounding it is hilarious and shows the power of a good wind up

Martin Palmer
Co-Founder

Interesting Fact: I started my working life training to be an accountant but decided I hated numbers. (Ironically I now love them!). I really wanted to join the Hong Kong Police force but couldn’t do that until i was 24. I took a temporary job in Imports and 47 years later here I am.

Favourite Music: There only was one choice. Harry Chapin. Meant a lot to me in my early years as an import broker. We played Chapin for hours and this one seemed to cover so many modes.

Favourite Quote: “No man is an island”

Neil Harmer

Operations Director

Interesting Fact:  As a Geologist my idea of the perfect beach holiday is going to the beach and investigating the rocks in the cliffs behind.

Favourite Music:  Broken Stones – Paul Weller, I’m a huge Paul Weller / The Jam fan; Broken Stones is a very relaxing song, I love the use of the electric piano in it

Favourite Quote: “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today”. This is a great quote by Benjamin Franklin, to have in your head when working through a series of tasks to help keep focused.

Robert Dundas
Sales Director

Interesting Fact:  One of my life goals is to be able to speak French, I’ve been doing Duolingo every day for the last five years, and I’m still rubbish! 

Favourite Music: Where do I even start! Tom Petty Running Down a Dream, this is my top-down driving next to the ocean song

Favourite Quote: “This time will pass”

ASHLEY DEXTER
CFO & Co-founder

Interesting Fact: I was nearly named Battle Dexter (I would have probably now been residing in one of His Majesty’s establishments)

Favourite Music: Even though I spent a few years in the music industry my taste of music was always a cause for concern with my colleagues, so to surprise them all my current favourite is Kids by MGMT (absolute belter)

Favourite Quote: “Quitters never win and winners never quit”

Ian Venner
CTO & Co-founder

Interesting Fact: Runs Red Lantern Records, a not-for-profit, ethical label as a side project, whose artists have regular national BBC radio airplay.

Favourite Music: Tom Waits, pretty much all of his work.  Beautifully observed avante-garde vignettes of life.  Oh, and anything really loud!

Favourite Quote: “It’s not the mountains we climb, but the grit in our shoe that grinds us down” – which sums up taking a business from start-up to enterprise.

Martyn Noble
CEO & Co-founder

Interesting Fact: Played a high standard of semi-professional rugby union (too many years ago now!)

Favourite Music: Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven…my first live gig – Knebworth 11th August 1979, the track never grows old and is the iconic song of ‘hope’ whatever mood you are in when listening too it…and I’m still trying to work out what the lyrics mean!!

Favourite Quote: “Know your customers, Know your People, Know your Numbers” – plagiarised from Sir John Harvey Jones when I met him very early on in my career and values I stick to in my business life.