LUKE COWLEY
Towcester
Summary
Customs and trade compliance professional with 4+ years’ experience delivering HMRC-compliant import operations within high-volume, time-critical logistics environments, currently working as a Customs Clearance Broker at FedEx Express UK. Recognised for developing practical customs solutions that improve clearance accuracy, reduce errors, and protect key customer flows through regulatory and procedural change. Strong stakeholder communicator with proven experience coaching teams, standardising customs processes, and translating complex regulatory requirements into scalable operational tools that minimise delays and improve customer outcomes.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
Customs Clearance Broker
FEDEX EXPRESS UK
09.2021 - Current
- Process complex import customs declarations across multiple customs clearance systems, ensuring full compliance with HMRC regulations, licences, and international trade requirements within a high-volume, time-critical environment.
- Act as a trusted escalation point for high-risk and technically complex customs queries, protecting service performance, regulatory compliance, and customer commitments.
- Took a proactive, solutions-led role supporting a major global customer by designing and maintaining an advanced customs clearance spreadsheet used by multiple brokers to clear shipments accurately and consistently.
- Identified and addressed discrepancies in existing customs procedures, including outdated commodity codes, changes to general licences, and licence usage gaps, implementing corrective actions to prevent compliance errors.
- Ensured correct identification and application of general licences that were previously not being used or attached to import entries, significantly improving clearance accuracy and compliance integrity.
- Worked closely with clearance brokers to embed new tooling, guidance, and reference material, enabling right-first-time clearance without repeated clarification requests to the customer.
- During TNT–FedEx integration and post-Brexit procedural change, took ownership of safeguarding key customer flows by proactively analysing product data, regulatory requirements, and customs risk.
- Liaised directly with the customer to obtain a structured list of imported products likely to face UK customs or SPS controls (including seeds and items of plant origin), and shared this intelligence with FDA and clearance teams to enable proactive cross-referencing of invoice item numbers, preventing delays in customs clearance and delivery.
- Reduced unnecessary shipment holds by proactively gathering, validating, and disseminating product and regulatory intelligence, improving clearance speed, accuracy, and overall customer experience.
- Received formal recognition from management in the form of a certificate and monetary bonus for delivering measurable improvements in clearance accuracy and error reduction.
Online English Tutor (Self‑Employed)
LC TUTORING
01.2021 - Current
- Deliver structured online lessons to international clients, adapting communication style to different cultural and learning needs.
- Set learning objectives, track progress, and provide clear feedback to support continuous improvement.
- Build long‑term client relationships through expectation management, reliability, and professional communication.
- Transferable Skills: stakeholder communication, coaching, documentation, structured training delivery.
Secondary English Teacher
THE ELIZABETH WOODVILLE SCHOOL
09.2020 - 08.2021
- Designed targeted learning interventions and monitored performance data to improve student outcomes.
- Maintained safeguarding, compliance, and behavioural standards in a regulated environment.
- Developed clear communication and structured reporting skills.
Assistant Manager
GAME
09.2015 - 09.2020
- Supervised daily retail operations and supported team performance in a fast‑paced environment.
- Implemented stock control and workflow routines aligned with operational targets.
- Coached and developed staff, supporting performance improvement and engagement.
Education
PGCE - Secondary English
University of Leicester
Leicester01.2020
BA (Hons) - Journalism
De Montfort University
Leicester01.2017
Extended Diploma - IT & Business
Northampton College
Northampton01.2013
A‑Levels & GCSEs -
Northampton Academy
NorthamptonSkills
- UK import customs compliance
- Import declarations and clearance
- Controlled goods management
- Regulatory change management
- Customs process optimisation
- Customs clearance systems expertise
- Data validation and audit support
- Stakeholder management
- Training and knowledge transfer
- SOPs and documentation tools
- Advanced Excel tooling
Additional Information
Proven ability to work across operations, compliance, and system-driven processes, Highly detail-oriented with a strong focus on data integrity and right-first-time clearance, Comfortable operating in fast-changing regulatory and integration environments, Motivated to develop further in customs solutions, systems optimisation, and international logistics
Timeline
Customs Clearance Broker
FEDEX EXPRESS UK
09.2021 - Current
Online English Tutor (Self‑Employed)
LC TUTORING
01.2021 - Current
Secondary English Teacher
THE ELIZABETH WOODVILLE SCHOOL
09.2020 - 08.2021
Assistant Manager
GAME
09.2015 - 09.2020
PGCE - Secondary English
University of Leicester
BA (Hons) - Journalism
De Montfort University
Extended Diploma - IT & Business
Northampton College
A‑Levels & GCSEs -
Northampton Academy