Sara Crossman

Sara Crossman specializes in all aspects of export controls and sanctions compliance, with a focus on defense and nuclear export controls. She works with clients to build and enhance their trade compliance programs by assessing internal processes and controls, auditing their compliance programs, developing or updating policies and procedures, and providing trainings. She has worked with differently sized and structured companies, from large multinational corporations with global export compliance programs to small entities that are still learning to which regulations they are subject, assisting them in implementing a compliance program that works with their unique needs and limited resources.

Sara has extensive experience advising clients on the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), Department of Energy (DOE) Part 810, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Part 110, and the Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR). Her expertise spans across several industries, including aerospace and defense; technology; energy, including nuclear, oil and natural gas; and telecommunications. 

Sara has significant experience assisting clients subject to U.S. government-directed audits. She managed audits of multiple defense contractors subject to ITAR consent agreements or who agreed to be audited as part of a disclosure. In these roles, Sara worked closely with Special Compliance Officials and officials at the Department of State. Sara also performed multiple audits related to EAR settlement agreements and assisted a major non-U.S. company subject to an EAR/OFAC/DOJ joint settlement agreement in enhancing its export compliance program globally.

Sara also has a passion for applying export controls in the often over-looked or difficult-to-manage area of research and development (R&D). She has worked with corporate R&D, university R&D, and R&D functions at government sponsored labs to help them understand the unique challenges related to export controls compliance in a research environment and how to manage these compliance obligations while understanding the natural tension that arises in a field focused on education, knowledge sharing, and advancing their fields of expertise through multinational collaboration.

Prior to FTI Consulting, Sara was a Senior Manager at a Big 4 firm focusing on export controls and sanctions compliance and prior to that she worked as one of two export compliance officials at a Department of Defense Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) associated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).