Ashley Bell Australian Border Force

Ashley Bell is the Assistant Secretary for Customs and Border Modernisation in the Australian Border Force (ABF), responsible for driving the reform agenda to modernise trade regulations and technology with a focus on improving efficiency for industry and enhancing the ABF’s effectiveness at the border. This includes working with stakeholders in industry and across Government to develop innovative new approaches to modernise the management of trade and customs over a long term, strategic planning horizon. Prior to joining the ABF, Ashley spent his career in the Australian Public Service working primarily in the Treasury and the Australian Taxation Office. In Treasury, Ashley worked across a range of policy areas including taxation (domestic and international), deregulation, small business, the not-for-profit sector, corporate regulation and the financial system. In 2016, Ashley was posted to New Delhi as Minister-Counsellor (Economic) and the Senior Treasury Representative in the Australian High Commission. Ashley has also previously worked in the Australian National University, teaching undergraduate and post-graduate classes on corporations and insolvency law. Ashley holds a Master of Laws from QUT and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Bachelor of Commerce from Griffith University.