We are thrilled to announce that Ketil Ottersen, a distinguished global leader in customs operations, border control, and international law enforcement cooperation, has officially joined the CustomAI External Advisory Board (EAB).
With a career built on frontline expertise and international leadership, Ketil brings invaluable operational knowledge to CustomAI. Trained as a customs officer in Norway, he has held high-level leadership positions both nationally and globally. His distinguished career includes serving as Head of the Border Control Section in the Norwegian Customs and Excise Directorate, as well as serving overseas as the Norwegian Drug Liaison Officer in Spain and Nordic Drug Liaison Officer across Central Europe (covering Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Slovak Republic, and Slovenia).
On the global stage, Ketil led the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and World Customs Organization (WCO) Joint Container Control Programme, where he specialized in the selection and targeting of high-risk shipments. He subsequently headed the UNODC Passenger and Cargo Control Programme (PCCP), pioneering integrated screening strategies across complex, high-volume border environments worldwide.
Advancing Seaport Container Intelligence
Within the CustomAI EAB, Ketil serves as a primary customs expert dedicated to the Seaport Container Intelligence use case. His expertise will be instrumental in refining risk assessment methodologies, intelligence-led enforcement strategies, and international customs protocols.
Ketil’s deep operational background directly informs the design of CustomAI’s Virtual Customs Control Office (VCCO) and AI-driven risk anticipation engines. By ensuring that multimodal threat detection models—integrating everything from cargo manifests to customs declarations—align with global best practices, his contributions will empower customs officers to identify illicit trade with precision.
“Effective border security relies on translating complex, multi-source data into actionable intelligence for officers on the ground. I look forward to working with the CustomAI team to refine their AI-driven targeting models, ensuring they deliver practical, high-impact tools that enhance risk detection across global supply chains.”
— Ketil Ottersen
We are honored to welcome Ketil to the External Advisory Board and look forward to his strategic and operational guidance as we advance next-generation AI solutions for global customs authorities.
