The CustomAI External Advisory Board (EAB) brings together distinguished international experts who provide strategic guidance, practical insights, and operational advice to the project. Leveraging decades of high-level experience across policy, customs operations, security technologies, and international trade compliance, board members share their expertise to help assess and refine CustomAI’s approach. Through ongoing exchanges, targeted recommendations, and active participation in project meetings, the EAB plays a key role in ensuring CustomAI’s innovations—from AI-driven risk anticipation to the Virtual Customs Control Office (VCCO)—align with real-world border challenges, regulatory standards, and end-user needs. Learn more about the members of the CustomAI External Advisory Board below.
Wil van Heeswijk
Wil van Heeswijk brings 30 years of distinguished service with the European Commission, culminating in senior leadership roles within DG TAXUD (Customs Directorate) in Brussels. Over his extensive career, he oversaw security technology development, customs control equipment, smart border implementations, and supply chain security measures across Europe. Prior to his retirement, Wil led the Customs Control Equipment Instrument team within DG TAXUD’s Customs Policy Unit, chaired the EU Customs Detection Technology Expert Group, and represented the EU in the World Customs Organization (WCO) Technical Expert Group on Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) equipment and the Border Monitoring Working Group. His foundational operational background includes a decade as a Customs Officer with Dutch Customs and 13 years in the Security Department at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra, Italy.
As an EAB member, Wil offers strategic policy and practical advice on border management, customs control equipment, and EU Horizon research alignment. His deep experience in non-intrusive inspection, radiation and nuclear detection, and smart borders helps inform CustomAI’s multi-layered detection suite—including AI-enhanced X-ray analysis, vapour-based detectors, and 3D digital modeling—ensuring it remains operational, policy-compliant, and well-suited for integration into modern European customs infrastructure.
Martin Palmer
Martin Palmer brings over 40 years of international trade, compliance, and global supply chain experience, demonstrating how customs control and regulatory compliance can serve as both a security pillar and a commercial advantage. Throughout his career, Martin has held executive leadership positions, including Global Export Controls and Customs Director at TNT Express, where he shaped global compliance frameworks. He is the Co-Founder and Board Member of Hurricane Modular Commerce Ltd, which specializes in cross-border e-commerce classification and compliance technologies, as well as the founder of Supply Chain Compliance Ltd. Beyond commercial logistics, Martin frequently collaborates with enforcement agencies, intergovernmental organizations, and NGOs to tackle global risks such as counter-proliferation, illicit trade, and wildlife trafficking. He currently serves as Thematic Chapter Rapporteur for Customs and Product Security for the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Consultative Committee in Bern.
Martin’s role on the EAB focuses on evaluating CustomAI’s concepts through the dual lenses of trade compliance and cross-border commercial flow. His expertise in export controls, parcel classification, and e-commerce logistics informs CustomAI’s risk anticipation algorithms and parcel-tracking mechanisms. By bridging the gap between customs enforcement and commercial supply chain realities, Martin provides valuable perspective on how CustomAI’s toolkit can effectively help flag high-risk goods without creating unnecessary friction for legitimate international commerce.
Ketil Ottersen
Ketil Ottersen brings extensive experience in customs operations, border control, and international law enforcement cooperation. Trained as a customs officer in Norway, he has held key leadership positions at national and global levels. His career includes border control roles in the Norwegian Customs and Excise Directorate and overseas assignments as the Norwegian Drug Liaison Officer for Spain and Nordic Drug Liaison Officer across Central Europe. Globally, Ketil led the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and World Customs Organization (WCO) Container Control Program, driving international efforts to identify high-risk sea and land shipments. He subsequently headed the UNODC Passenger and Cargo Control Program, pioneering risk-based, integrated screening strategies across diverse border environments.
As a CustomAI EAB member, Ketil contributes critical advice on risk assessment methodologies, intelligence-led enforcement, and international customs protocols. His operational insights help shape CustomAI’s Virtual Customs Control Office (VCCO) and AI-based risk anticipation engines, ensuring that data integration—from manifests and declarations to multimodal threat detection models—reflects global best practices and supports customs officers in identifying illicit trade.