Leadership We believe our greatest asset is our highly trained and dependable staff — some of the most knowledgeable and competent people in the industry. Our management team is just one piece of the puzzle at Western Overseas Corporation that makes everything come together seamlessly. Along with our employees and agency partners, these team members are the driving force behind what occurs within the four walls of our corporate headquarters and beyond. Executive Team Our seasoned team of executives brings decades of real world industry experience to the table. Michael Dugan Founder When Michael Dugan took the helm of Western Overseas Corporation in 1976, the company employed five people. His management philosophy of "be kind, work hard, and grow" has attracted talented individuals nationwide and today we have over 125 employees. Michael Dugan attended Vanderbilt University and did graduate work at Rutgers. He began his business career as an accountant at Columbia University. In 1968, he was appointed Vice President and Controller of F.W. Meyers & Company Customs Brokers, and in 1972, he came to California as President of the Frank P. Dow Company. Mr. Dugan considers the Western Overseas Corporation staff to be the company’s greatest asset. “We pride ourselves on being a group of the most knowledgeable and competent people in our industry, “ he says. Offices Michael Dugan holds or has held include: President and Chairman of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America President and Senior Counselor of the World Customs Brokers Association Director of the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce President of the Los Angeles Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association Director of the International Business Association Member of the World Trade Coordinating Council of Southern California Carlo De Atouguia President Carlo De Atouguia joined Western Overseas Corporation in 2000 and is the President and a Licensed Customs Broker. In this role, Carlo is responsible for supporting and guiding our branch managers across the USA and Hong Kong with daily operations, sales, business development, and customer relations. Carlo De Atouguia is a graduate of California State University where he received a bachelor’s in finance. Carlo is also a graduate of the University of Southern California’s Management Program. Carlo De Atouguia is an active member of the Foreign Trade Association and has served as FTA President and Chairman. Carlo is also actively involved with the professional customs and freight forwarding organizations within our industry, including the National Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association of America; Los Angeles Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America; and the Pacific Coast Council. Crystal Adair Sr. Vice President of Operations Crystal Adair has been in the international trade industry for approximately 35 years. She obtained her Customs Brokers license in 1990 and is a Certified Customs Specialist (CCS). Crystal has extensive experience leading Customs Brokerage operations and compliance on a national level. She also has demonstrated experience in growth strategies and leading large-scale projects. At Western Overseas, she is responsible for leading departments, employees, and operations for the company. Crystal is an active member of the Foreign Trade Association (FTA) and currently serves on the Board of Directors and is the Chair of the Membership and Marketing Committee. She is also active with the Los Angeles Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association (LACBFFA) and the National Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA). Crystal is a native of Southern California and enjoys being active and spending time outdoors. Tony Castrovillo Vice President of Air Operations Tony has been in the global transportation industry since 1979, working extensively in various facets of international trade and supply chain management. His experience affords him the knowledge of managing various industries involved in global trade. For 16 of those years Tony managed his own International Freight Forwarding / Customs Brokerage company, where teaching and working with his colleagues and customers was part of the culture that differentiated his team from others. Tony remains a hands-on asset for Western Overseas and our clients and global partners alike. At Western Overseas he is responsible for the National Air Freight product of Western Overseas and he and his team are anxious to service your Air Freight shipping requirements. Whether it is exports from the U.S., imports to the U.S., or foreign to foreign sales, Tony and his team can meet your needs. Elizabeth Esparza Director of Imports Elizabeth Esparza is a licensed Customs Broker and a Certified Customs Specialist. She has been with Western Overseas since 2000 and currently holds the position of Director of Imports with responsibility for import operations in all company branches. She has been a broker for more than 35 years with an emphasis on specialized commodities. She is a long-time member of the Participating Government Agency Committee for the Los Angeles Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association (LACBFFA). She was a small business owner before coming to Western Overseas Corporation and has extensive experience in Customs’ Regulations, Compliance, and Operations. Maurine Cecil Director of Compliance Maurine has been employed by Western Overseas Corporation since 2009 and has been working in international business for over 35 years. She obtained her Customs Brokers License in 1991, and is also a Certified Customs Specialist (CCS) and a Certified Export Specialist (CES). Maurine is well known by many Customs officials both in Los Angeles/Long Beach as well as at DC Headquarters as she is a member of board and several committees of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association (NCBFAA) and of the Los Angeles Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association (LACBFFA). Maurine is also chair of the West Coast Cargo Conference (WESCCON) of the Pacific Coast Council (PCC) and is a past member of the steering and policy committee for Cal State Long Beach’s Center for International Trade and Transportation and was an instructor for their Global Logistic Specialist training classes. Brandon Seedorf Director of Distribution, Warehousing and Domestic Trucking Brandon Seedorf has been with Columbia Distribution since 2015. Columbia Distribution operates 3PL services on both the West and East Coasts. Brandon graduated from California State University Long Beach and has 20 years of experience in Warehousing and Distribution. Brandon and his team put their focus on being the operational extension of their customers businesses. Brett Moeser IT Director Brett Moeser has been with the Western Overseas Corporation since 2003. He is responsible for all of the communication and computer related equipment for all offices and associated warehouses. Brett is also in charge of security at the main office and at our LAX office. Prior to his work with Western Overseas Brett enjoyed a long career with Verizon. Brett is a graduate of the University of Maryland where he was awarded a Bachelor of Science Degree in Advertising and Design and he also earned an Associates Degree of Business from Bucks County Community College. Brett is also in charge of physical and internet security for our Corporate Headquarters and LAX office. He manages our computer security to ensure that we are in compliance with CTPAT requirements. Binh Nguyen IT Manager Binh Nguyen has been with Western Overseas Corporation since 2015. His journey in the IT industry has spanned over 30 years, half of which has been in the logistics industry. Servicing various companies in a multitude of different industries such as financial, insurance, and entertainment has helped him hone the skills necessary for the wide ranging customers that we work with daily. Binh and the IT team are proud to support our customers as well as our fellow employees. Dieter Hadorn Controller Dieter Hadorn has been with Western Overseas Corporation since 2004. He began his journey in our industry in 1983, the early years dedicated to learning the industry from the bottom up. Industry specific financial analysis and risk management skills are the fruits of this early exposure. Dieter and his team are responsible for the timely financial reporting/analysis and risk management. Dieter is a graduate of the Basel School of Business (Kaufmaennische Schule, Basel). Alison King HR Manager Alison is a Long Beach, CA native. After graduating from Long Beach Wilson HS, she held various administrative positions until moving to San Luis Obispo, CA, where she obtained her insurance license to sell and administer group health insurance. She continued to move around the country for the next 20 years including Ithaca, NY, Chicago, IL, and Portland, OR, and enjoyed raising her two daughters. Returning to her native Long Beach in 2002 and deciding to return to work, she interviewed for a part-time position as Executive Assistant for the owner of Western Overseas Corporation, Michael Dugan. Today, in addition to her Office Manager and Administrative duties, Alison is now our HR Manager. She enjoys working with the staff and the variety of each day, never knowing which hat she will wear at any hour. SERVICES Air Freight Forwarding Land Freight Forwarding Ocean Freight Forwarding Cargo Insurance Customs Brokerage Warehousing & Distribution E-Commerce COMPANY About Us Leadership Core Values Locations Columbia Distribution Seahorse Container Lines Tracking & Tracing KEEP UP TO DATE Your shipping needs…delivered. © 2021 Western Overseas Corporation | Terms and Conditions | Designed & Developed by Big Hype Marketing