Steven
Guo

Asia-Pacific Operations Manager

Resolving Pain Points

Steven has been with Livingston for over 20 years. He plays an important role in all our China and Asia-Pacific managed services and consulting programs, specializing in trade compliance and logistics solutions. He is adept at designing trade processes based on individual clients needs and often negotiates with customs authorities on behalf of our clients. "My passion, he says, "is resolving client pain points caused by the complexities of international trade."

"Working with clients in different industries has given me wide experience — export control for the communications industry, import control for the auto industry, classification for chemical industry, and so on. My mission is to set up processes that simplify trade operations."

Professional ethos: Reliability. Empathy. Win-win thinking. "I devise the best practice for the price quoted. Every client wants good value for money. I worked recently with a client where we changed the operating model for a repair-and-return process. The savings were over $2 million a year. That was value for money."

The biggest opportunity for clients today: "Constant change is the biggest challenge in international trade. The opportunity for clients is to stay informed. I follow all industry developments and keep closely in touch with my clients so we can change processes if required. The change can also come from their side. That's where listening matters. I am a good listener."

Personal passion: Reading. "Reading improves my EQ and attitude at work. It also helps me communicate and negotiate more effectively."

Steven has an MBA from China Lanzhou University. He obtained his China Customs Broker license in 1998.