David Hartridge is a former senior GATT and WTO official who played a significant role in the development and implementation of the multilateral trading system. He served as Director of the WTO’s Trade in Services Division, where he had principal responsibility for the completion and implementation of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and contributed to the development of disciplines governing competition and regulation in telecommunications. Previously, he served as Director of the GATT Office for Multilateral Trade Negotiations, which was responsible for launching the Uruguay Round and negotiating major agreements including TRIPS and TRIMs. Earlier, he served as Chef de Cabinet to the GATT Director-General and as Acting Director-General of the WTO in 1999. He later advised governments and businesses on WTO law, trade negotiations, and dispute settlement.