Daniel Silva

CBAFF Member 39 years (since 1986) – Life Member 

 

 

In 1971, at just 17, I started my career in Lisbon as a Customs Broker. A family connection introduced me to the industry, steering me away from the risks of political activism and toward a future I hadn’t envisioned, but one I’ve come to cherish. 

 

A few years later, I visited New Zealand, thinking it would be a temporary stay. But by 1977, I knew this vibrant country was where I wanted to build my career and life. Nearly 50 years later, I’m proud to call New Zealand home. 

 

Learning the ropes of Customs work was relatively seamless, thanks to shared systems between Portugal and New Zealand. However, earning my Customs Agent Licence required a three-year course at Auckland Technical Institute. I graduated in 1981 with a NZC Commerce qualification in Customs Law and was honoured to be invited back as a lecturer. Teaching the next generation of Customs professionals was a rewarding experience that forged lifelong industry connections. 

 

In 1986, I launched my own practice—Daniel Silva Ltd, which later became DSL Logistics. Starting from a trestle table in a friend’s lunchroom, I built the company during a transformative period in New Zealand’s economy. Rogernomics opened the country to global competition, and I actively supported trade liberalisation, advocating for changes that reshaped the Customs and logistics industries. 

 

As President of the New Zealand Society of Customs Brokers (1987), I worked to strengthen industry collaboration. Later, as President of the International Federation of Customs Brokers Associations (1990), I represented the industry on a global stage, promoting innovative solutions like Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) to streamline Customs processes. A career highlight was presenting New Zealand’s advancements to the Customs Cooperation Council in Brussels, demonstrating live, cross-border data transfers, a groundbreaking achievement at the time. 

 

By the 1990s, my focus had expanded beyond Customs Brokerage into Third-Party Logistics (3PL). DSL Logistics grew into a leading provider of warehousing and distribution solutions, leveraging technology to manage complex supply chains. Today, our team includes 125 amazing team members who, with the recent addition of 65 robots, keep operations running efficiently! 

 

To those entering the Customs and logistics field, this is a career filled with opportunities to innovate, grow, and make an impact on global trade. The work is as exciting today as it was when I began.