Panel discussion: Global regulation, trade & supply chains: navigating policy disruption and market access
Regulatory disruption and shifting trade dynamics now represent the most significant strategic risks facing the nicotine and harm reduction industries. From flavour and disposable bans to new tax regimes, tariffs, import controls and heightened IP enforcement, companies must navigate an increasingly fragmented and unpredictable global landscape.
This panel brings together regulatory, policy and supply chain experts to examine how evolving global regulations and trade policies are reshaping product design, compliance strategies, market access and innovation. Panellists will share practical approaches for building agile, compliant supply chains; adapting packaging, marketing and product portfolios; and managing cross-border and geopolitical risks. The discussion will also highlight the key policy drivers influencing decision-makers today and identify emerging threats and opportunities to watch over the next 12 months—equipping businesses to future-proof operations and sustain harm reduction progress amid ongoing uncertainty.
Session Speakers
John has a strong background and reputation in the European e-cigarette industry, having held senior executive positions in some of the US and Europe’s biggest companies. As Managing Director of Dyflin Group Consulting, he advises many leading industry analysts, financial institutions and media organisations looking at the vaping and CBD sectors. John is also Director-General and one of the founders of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), the UK’s largest vaping Industry association and has advised the UK governments All Party Parliamentary Group on Vaping as well as giving evidence before the UK Science & Technology Committee investigation into the Vaping industry and the Australian Parliaments review on vaping.
John regularly appears on national television, radio as well as national and international print media. John is a popular guest speaker at many of the world’s leading conventions.
Founder & chairman of the Romanian trade association AIV and founder and board executive at Independent European Vape Alliance (IEVA)
Enthusiastic proponent of nicotine-based alternatives as a way to combat smoking, he is committed to making harm-reduction a reality.
As a board executive, Ciprian has been highly involved in IEVA’s communication activities and led recruitment and membership management during the last 7 years, against the background of an ever more complex EU regulatory landscape. This has given him an unparalleled level of interaction with main sector players from all over the world, and a deep understanding of what makes the industry tick.
Lee Bryan is a two-time international best-selling author and recognised global authority on regulatory compliance in highly regulated consumer products sectors. He is the founder and chief executive of Arcus Compliance, a strategic compliance advisory firm that helps innovative companies in regulated industries anticipate enforcement risks, interpret complex regulatory frameworks, and build business systems that withstand scrutiny.
Lee’s work combines deep regulatory domain expertise with a practical, commercial mindset. He has guided hundreds of brands across novel nicotine, consumer electronics, cosmetics, and other regulated categories through compliance strategy, product launches, regulatory submissions, and risk mitigation programs.
His books The Compliance Edge: How Disruptive Entrepreneurs Win in Regulated Markets and How Safe Is Your Vape? have both achieved international best-selling status and are widely used by regulators, industry leaders, and compliance professionals as core references on regulatory strategy, risk intelligence, and market access.
Lee is a frequent speaker at industry conferences worldwide, including regulatory symposia in North America, Europe, and Asia. He is known for translating dense regulatory regimes into actionable business intelligence and for a brutally honest advisory style that challenges assumptions and drives results.
Based in London, Lee works with emerging brands and global enterprises alike to build scalable, defensible compliance architectures and to proactively manage regulatory change across markets.
Sydney Hiller, Ph.D., specializes in navigating evolving regulatory and scientific challenges in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and consumer products industries across dynamic, global environments. Sydney has a proven track record of success integrating scientific rigor with regulatory strategy to support innovative product development, regulatory submission and market entry, and ongoing compliance in challenging sectors including tobacco harm reduction and cannabis. Her ability to distill intricate scientific concepts into actionable plans has consistently driven success in these high-stakes, regulated environments. Sydney received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Southern California and her B.A. from New York University. During her studies, she worked under Raphael Mechoulam, commonly known as the father of cannabis research. In addition to her active participation in numerous professional societies, Sydney is passionate about advancing women in STEM fields. She has served as a mentor for both Women in Science & Engineering (WiSE) and Women in Chemistry (WiC) and is a member of Organization of Women in Nicotine and Tobacco (OWNiT).
