Nonresident Fellow
William “Jeff” Merrell is Vice President for Strategic Export Control at Rolls-Royce North America, a firm that produces gas turbine engines and other power solutions for a global market. Mr. Merrell supervises a staff of 10 Export Control Managers, and oversees a range of export control issues that includes:
• Licensing and compliance for military and dual-use goods and technologies
• Government Relations
• Industry Relations
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Global Supply Chain
• Compliance with the Special Security Agreement
Before joining Rolls-Royce, Mr. Merrell served 20 years in the federal government, beginning as a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service. His postings included Manila, Frankfurt, and the State Department’s Bureau for Intelligence and Research. While posted to the Bureau for Political-Military Affairs he became involved in export control policy and licensing issues. Mr. Merrell eventually led U.S. policy in the newly created Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies.
After September 11, 2001, Mr. Merrell was asked to join the newly created Department of Homeland Security, where he coordinated international activities for protecting critical technologies, critical infrastructure and industrial base.
