GM Customs chief, Browning, to retire

The general director of global customs for General Motors will leave his post on March 31.    Douglas Browning, general director of global customs for General Motors, will retire March 31, according to an internal company announcement shared with American Shipper.
   He will be replaced by Amy Martin, customs director for General Motors South America.
   Browning, a former deputy commissioner of U.S. Customs, joined GM three years ago after six years at Sandler Travis Trade Advisory Services.
   He is credited at GM with centralizing key global customs activities, reducing the number of customs brokers and strengthening controls over customs processes, which significantly reduced expenses for outsourced services.
   Martin has worked at GMSA with purchasing, logistics and other departments, driving duty savings, cost efficiencies and improving compliance controls, according to the memo.
   Browning, who is based in Washington, said in an email to friends and colleagues that he had a three-year contract with GM to manage the Global Customs Group and help the company identify a Detroit-based successor. 
   He said he was pleased to have met GM’s expectations and is retiring with fond memories of the GM and its tax staff.