Global Expert Briefings

Fred Dons, Head-Structured Trade Finance, Aria Commodities

Fred Dons has worked in trade finance for more than 30 years at various international banks like ABN, AMRO and Deutsche Bank and is currently Head of Structured Trade Finance at Aria Commodities. Fred started in trade finance operations in 1989 with AMRO Bank before moving to Albert de Bary Bankiers Rotterdam in 1991. In 2003 he became Head of Trade Finance Operations for DB Amsterdam but left the bank in 2004 to become Head of the European Document Check Team at ABN AMRO before returning to DB in 2006. At DB he served amongst others as Head of Trade Finance as well as Head of Commodity Finance. During his banking years Fred Dons was a member of the National Committee for the ICC and the Dutch Bankers Association, working on the UCP, UDRG, ISBP and other rules and regulations for Trade Finance.

Ola Craft, Senior Trade Advisor, Lowenstein Sandler LLP

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has adopted a 50% ownership rule that significantly expands the scope of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), imposing strict liability for due diligence failures. Lowenstein’s Ola Craft will outline the key takeaways, compliance obligations, and action items for companies navigating these sweeping changes in today’s Global Trade & National Security client alert.

Ola Craft is the Senior Trade Advisor at Lowenstein Sandler LLP, where she brings over a decade of leadership in strategic trade controls, nonproliferation policy, and global compliance. Based in Washington, D.C., Ola advises clients on complex trade regulations, export controls, and national security matters, drawing from her distinguished career in both government and industry.

Prior to joining Lowenstein Sandler, Ola served as Director of Strategic Trade and Nonproliferation at the National Security Council, The White House, where she led interagency efforts to strengthen U.S. export control regimes and safeguard critical technologies. She also held senior roles at the U.S. Department of State, including Acting Chief and Senior Compliance Specialist, overseeing defense trade controls and regulatory enforcement.

Ola spent seven years at the Bureau of Industry and Security within the U.S. Department of Commerce, rising to Director of the Munitions Control Division. Her tenure included key leadership positions such as Acting Director and Deputy Director, where she shaped policy and operational frameworks for sensitive exports and dual-use technologies.

Her early career includes service as a Defense Trade Controls Analyst at the U.S. Department of State, and she has contributed to public speaking engagements and cross-sector collaboration on trade and security issues.

Ola holds a Master’s degree in Global Security Studies from Johns Hopkins University and an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Toronto. Her work spans the intersection of government policy, international trade, and national defense—making her a trusted advisor in today’s evolving geopolitical landscape.