Please view this month's Member Spotlights!

We thank all of the participants for contributing and sharing their expertise with us. Member companies are randomly chosen each month to participate as a way to connect and educate our member community. To view our previous member spotlights, click here. 

Laurent Venetz 

ConsuTrust SA 

Executive Director, Founder 

Lausanne, Switzerland 

What are the top 2 challenges in IP enforcement you see affecting your industry over the next year?

One of the main challenges in IP enforcement I have observed is the rapid shift of production of counterfeit products to new production hubs outside China in Asian and Middle Eastern countries. This shift imposes to right holders to get familiar with challenging jurisdictions with less mature legal frameworks and be ready to invest in brand protection activities to counter the expansion of the illicit activities. The second challenge is to get the right resources to take actions in these jurisdictions. The access to effective and compliant investigation service providers is a must for deploying enforcement activities before the situation gets out of control. It is a fantastic journey to lead clients into the implementation of brand protection activities in these new territories and provide them with local support and connections to get the results they want.

How do you show your clients the value of brand protection?

For me, the best way for demonstrating the value of brand protection to clients is to highlight the tangible benefits it offers. By safeguarding their brand, clients ensure consistent quality, maintain consumer trust, and safeguard market share. It is all about generating impact on the counterfeit supply chains and reducing the counterfeit market-share. As I consistently stress in relation to counterfeiting: Opting for the appropriate actions leads to a reduction, while refraining from action inevitably leads to its escalation.

What is the most interesting place you have been to?

My brand protection career has led me to travel across all five continents, making it challenging to choose just one captivating place. Nonetheless, Ethiopia and Syria have left an indelible mark on me. In Ethiopia, the rich cultural heritage imprinted itself deeply upon me, while Damascus offered a captivating blend of history and resilience. These journeys have gifted me unforgettable memories, enriched by encounters with remarkable individuals and partners.

Drawing from the insights cultivated through my brand protection career deployments, I have cultivated intimate connections with diverse cultures and individuals across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. These connections serve as a dynamic resource to drive my clients' projects towards success.

Contact info: laurent.venetz@consutrust.com 

James G. Ashe 

Opsec Security

What are your top 2 recommendations to a brand that is building up its IP enforcement program?

1.) Go to industry events and 2.) Form relationships.  Industry events provide the opportunity to learn what is happening in the IP industry.  And forming genuine personal relationships is more important than ever as AI and automated processes make it more challenging for people to connect with one another to solve problems.

How do you show your clients the value of brand protection?

I believe clients already know the value of brand protection, that is why many engage with a service provider to help them protect their IP – they realize the scale of the problem is beyond their own capacity to deal with it.  

What’s your favorite famous or inspirational quote?

“Wait by the river long enough and the body of your enemy will float by you” - Sun Tzu.  Patience is the best way to resolve problems.

Contact info: jashe@opsecsecurityonline.com

Michael Gillespie 

Trtl

What’s one piece of advice you can give a brand looking to enforce their IP?

Make connections and ask questions. I come from a tech background, so brand protection was something I was mindful of, but not directly involved in. Since starting to work in the industry I’ve found one of the most valuable resources to be other individuals working in brand protection. From my experience these individuals are extremely open with a real willingness to share knowledge and insights as well as contacts and recommendations which can prove essential for instigating a brand protection operation.

How can companies use customer feedback to enhance its brand protection program?

At Trtl we work hard to not only provide a range of unique and exceptional travel accessories, but also use our various platforms to build a community of travelers who feel connected to the brand as well as each other.  As such we see reports coming in from customers and members of our community of copycat and counterfeit products, they themselves find, so by actively engaging with our customers we are able to better protect our brand as they also feel obliged to help by reporting instances which we can then enforce on.

What’s your favorite famous or inspirational quote?

Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good – I like this quote as I am someone who can sometimes be paralyzed by the need to get something exactly right the first time but sometimes you need to jump in, learn as you go and do your best.

Contact info: Michael.gillespie@trtl.co.uk

Gary Nelson 

U-NICA 

What are your top 2 recommendations to a brand that is building up its IP enforcement program?

It is crucial to identify the goals and strategy of the IP Enforcement program. Limiting IP infringement and illicit activities such as counterfeiting, grey market, warranty fraud, piracy, and parallel trade is the immediate objective. When expanding the program, the brand owner must take into consideration how the strategy can assist and coordinate with other business units within the organization. It is important for the IP enforcement program to gain support internally and communicate to evaluate and identify the vulnerable points in a distribution channel and supply chain.   

How do you show your clients the value of brand protection?

The value of brand protection is critical for any brand owner to assure customers or patients are safe and maintain their credibility and reputation. The complete brand protection strategy involves proactive technologies that provide digital authentication, connectivity, verification, and product identification. These applied insurance technologies provide the metrics to analysis distribution channels. The financial impact of not protecting the brand and product value due to illicit activity can be millions of dollars in lost revenue and the reputation can be permanently damaged. The brand protection program shares data and analysis for marketing, executive management, risk management, distribution channel and commercial sales operations.

What hobbies or causes are you passionate about?

I have a passion for woodworking, furniture, and cabinet making, which would be very evident when you see the inventory of tools in my garage.  My passion and interest was handed down from my father.

 Contact info: gary.nelson@u-nica.com 

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