Alan Drewsen has been executive director of the International Trademarks Association (INTA) since 1998 and is credited with greatly increasing the profile of the organisation. During his tenure, INTA has grown to become a truly global operation, with offices in Shanghai and Brussels, as well as the United States. INTA now has almost 6,000 members drawn from 190 countries worldwide, and is recognised for its lobbying activities in advocating trademark rights across the globe. Before taking up his current role, Mr Drewson worked as a litigator and an antitrust lawyer, including as general counsel for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance group.