Each year the FITT Education Awards are given to students who have gone above and beyond in their academic studies. These students have exhibited unmatched dedication and drive to pursue a career in international trade.

All students enrolled at any of the educational partner training organizations delivering the FITTskills program and those whose international business program is recognized by FITT are eligible candidates for these awards.

This year we have six bright and ambitious students to recognize with the 2021 FITT Education Awards.

Without further ado, lets meet this year’s winners!

Student of the Year Award

This award is given to the student who has achieved the highest GPA for the 2021 academic year and is presented by FITT’s strategic partner Export Development Canada.

This year we are excited to present this award to the knowledgeable Patricia Ortiz, who studied at CDI College. Attaining the highest overall GPA is a true testament to the hard work and dedication Patricia has demonstrated throughout her studies.

Patricia’s program coordinator, Sonica Grewel, noted that Patricia put the time in to her studies as evidenced by her excellent attendance.

Congratulations Patricia, we can’t wait to see where your career takes you!

Hands on experience was the real reward for International Sales and Marketing Plan Award winner

The International Sales and Marketing Plan award is presented to the student whose project received the highest grade. This year we are pleased to award Malak Lamrani from Algonquin College for her outstanding project where she proposed adapting and launching an existing product into a new global market.

After extensive research was conducted regarding the local preferences, this export venture called for a customization of the product’s packaging, labeling, intended use as well as the marketing message and sales strategy in order to best appeal to the foreign target community and make it a successful venture.

As with any new business venture, there are challenges to overcome. Malak recalls a major challenge she faced with finding sufficient data needed to complete her project.

“In the end, I decided to use the ‘guesstimate’ approach to forecasting. Luckily, my research had revealed key data regarding the yearly number of visitors of my targeted stores as well as a five-year growth rate forecast of my industry of interest. I ended up using these, coupled with a series of logical assumptions and calculations, in order to come up with a five-year revenue projection.”

During the program, Malak found that the development of an international business plan and international sales & marketing plan were key learning experiences that will help her in her career. And she also notes one other course that provided her with practical experience that she predicts will be important in her professional life.

The development of investment pitch proposals which I learnt during my International Trade Finance class, was one of the most important things I learned. In fact, I am already using this skill today to get sponsors for our CSBW events, only it’s adapted for sponsorships.

Winning this award was a memorable way for her to cap off her student career.

It is a very unique way to remember my FITT experience, and for that I am very grateful.

Winning International Business Plan takes private company to Denmark

This award is given to the student who has achieved the highest grade for a completed international business plan. This year we are excited to announce a tie between Carolina Guzman and Jan Christian Baltazar from Fanshawe College.

Carolina and Jan Christian’s shared interest and hunger to learn about international trade made them an unstoppable team. Fanshawe Program Coordinator Sophocles Katsademas, noted how well-suited they were as partners.

“The result was success in every project they tackled. Carolina’s infectious energy, coupled with Jan’s unfettered positivity, allowed them to overcome all challenges that came their way,” Sophocles said.

The team’s business plan was to expand the company ‘SimpliSafe’ into new international markets that aligned with the company’s goals and values. Based on the research they conducted, Carolina and Jan Christian decided to expand to Denmark.

Since SimpliSafe is a private company, finding information related to their financial statements was a challenge. Without this information it made it hard to determine the ability of the business to generate a profit. To overcome this, the team used articles about the company’s growth over the past few years to estimate the financial forecast for the business.

The team shared their thoughts on completing the project, “The grueling hours we spent in transforming this limitless information into something relevant, consumable and timely, is probably the most satisfying achievement I have personally accomplished.” Jan Christian says. Carolina shares that she felt proud to see the project completed after putting so much time and hard work into it.

We did extensive research to understand the company and the market to ensure the business plan outlined all the necessary information for the company to pursue the recommended market entry strategy plan.

The team shared their thoughts on being this year’s recipients of the International Business Plan award. Carolina feels very honored to receive this award, and it motivates her to keep pursuing her international trade career. Carolina has recently also received her CITP designation, a fantastic career achievement for international trade professionals.

Jan Christian adds, “I would like to share this achievement with all our professors in Fanshawe College for their unending guidance and support. To my classmates for their hard work and dedication to their craft. They gave me the strength to push further. And of course, my family who have been there for me all throughout the process. I am forever grateful to everyone.”

The FITT Achievement Award goes to two enthusiastic and community-minded students

For this award students are nominated, either by themselves or a peer, and are required to show a combination of community involvement and academic success. The winner is selected by the Certification and Accreditation committee.

For the 2021 academic year two nominees were deemed deserving of this award. Congratulations to Gerardo Castillo Guerrero from Cégep Marie-Victorin and Ina Gogu from CDI College!

Gerardo’s program coordinator Lucie Sislian shared:

Gerardo has been always eager and curious to learn more about international trade in all its dimensions.

Ina’s program coordinator also shared a few words on her performance during her studies:

“Ina, your passion and dedication as a student was the driver to attain the 2021 FITT Achievement Award! Your achievements of today are the stepping-stones for the future ones. Congratulations,” said Hjalmar Leon, LLB, MBA, CITP, RCIC.

Being one of the winners of this award makes Ina feel honored, encouraged, and motivated. She also shared that she feels responsible for encouraging and motivating others who are enthusiastic about this career to pursue their dream.

From everyone here at FITT, we’d like to offer a huge congratulations to our 2021 FITT Education Award winners! We love that these awards have motivated you on your path to success and hope they stand as a reminder of all the hard work and challenges you have overcome. We have seen some remarkable careers begin with these awards and look forward to seeing the future accomplishments of this years’ winners.

The post 2021’s FITT Education Awards celebrate teamwork, overcoming obstacles, and community spirit appeared first on Trade Ready.

“The FITT Educational Awards acknowledge the exceptional work and results gained by the dedication of the winners who strive for excellence in knowing how to support businesses in the growth of their exports. It is an honour to recognize the winners who have demonstrated their commitment, knowledge, and skills in international business, and we look forward to seeing their future accomplishments.”—Caroline Tompkins, FITT President and CEO

Learn more about these leaders in global business below: 

Student of the Year: Elke Uribe blazes a trail 

Elke Uribe attained the highest overall grade point average after having completed all FITTskills courses and earned her title as the 2020 Student of the Year! She impressed both her educational institution, Nova Scotia Business Inc., and Export Development Canada, who was honoured to (virtually) present the award to her. Julie Pottier, SVP of Channels and Marketing at EDC said, “EDC is honored to present the 2020 Student of the Year Award to Elke Uribe. We’re delighted to recognize academic excellence in the field of international business, and we sincerely congratulate Elke on her achievement.” 

Elke, herself, found value in the knowledge she gained, stating:

“As a micro-business with no export experience, I now have a much wider view of what is needed to export after completing the FITTskills courses. The insights from the case studies in the course materials and from the experiences shared by the facilitators are a great way to learn about mistakes, successes, and helpful agencies. Taking the FITTskills courses has helped us plan our export strategy.”

International Sales and Marketing Plan Award: Allison Thorne and Robert Legere bring yoga and eco-tourism to Australia

The International Sales and Marketing Plan Award is awarded to the student attending an educational partner training organization who has received the highest grade for submission of a completed sales and marketing plan during the specific calendar year. In 2020, Allison Thorne and Robert Legere, both of whom studied at Nova Scotia Business Inc., created an incredible market entry plan into Australia that blended yoga and eco-tourism. We asked both what the award meant to them, and were thrilled with their answers: 

“To be recognized by such an esteemed organization such as FITT is truly an honour. As I seek to receive my CITP Designation, this award motivates me, and also reinforces my passion as an international trade professional.”—Allison Thorne, FITT International Sales and Marketing Plan Award Winner

Allison added: “As a consultant at Kisserup International Trade Roots, the FITT training has allowed me to think outside of the box in terms of international trade training while supporting my professional skills and abilities in supporting our global clientele. I am furthermore grateful to the wonderful team at Nova Scotia Business Inc. for providing this training as it has expanded my network amongst Nova Scotian international business professionals, a huge benefit for future endeavors.” 

Meanwhile, Robert Legere said of the achievement: 

“It is great to receive an award from an accredited international training partner such as FITT. This award increases my confidence in developing an international marketing and sales plan tailored to stakeholder requirements. This training has provided me a solid foundation of knowledge for all criteria related to international business and economic development.” 

When asked how they came up with the plan, both Robert and Allison noted a combination of personal experience and innovation as part of the spark, with Allison stating: 

“Our International Sales and Marketing Plan was developed on the basis of taking a Canadian-based yoga teacher training program to Australia. In 2017, I took 200-hour yoga teacher training to become a Certified Yoga Teacher in Costa Rica. Therefore, the plan was in many ways developed from my personal experience and understanding the landscape of international market entry and the corresponding sales and marketing strategies that correlate based on the FITT training and my project work at Kisserup. Australia was a natural fit based on the thriving yoga community that exits there.” Robert added: “We developed this plan together through a shared desire to travel and our aligning interests in eco-tourism and yoga.” 

Elke, Allison, and Robert all were recognized by NSBI as well: “Congratulations to Elke Uribe, our Nova Scotia participant for her win of the FITT Student of the Year award, and to Allison Thorne and Robert Legere on their win for best International Sales and Marketing Plan!” said Laurel Broten, President and CEO, Nova Scotia Business Inc. “NSBI’s comprehensive programs and services help exporters be competitive, connected and succeed in global markets, today and tomorrow. As part of that, Nova Scotia Business Inc. delivers the FITT (Forum for International Trade Training) courses in partnership with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.” 

International Business Plan Award: Nidal Islam impresses with dedication and business savvy

The FITT International Business Plan Award is given to the student attending an educational partner training organization who has received the highest grade for submission of a completed business plan during the specific calendar year. In 2020, Nidal Islam, CITP, student of Mount Royal University, blew judges away with his hard work and dedication. He noted of his achievement: “I’m humbled to be mentioned alongside such committed international trade professionals.” 

Meanwhile, Frank Cotae, FITT Coordinator at Mount Royal University said of Nidal, “Mr. Nidal is an intellectually curious student that placed keen attention on his academic development, registering continuous scholastic growth. His commitment to the course, where he developed the International Business Plan, was commendable and illustrative of an individual that showed the utmost dedication to his studies and his professional development as an international business practitioner. His determination to work on designing and writing an actionable trade plan that met the national standard set up by the Forum for International Trade Training showcased his exceptional focus and effort. As an alumnus, Nidal has continued his journey towards becoming an international trade expert by earning the most prestigious professional designation in Canada—the Certified International Trade Professional (CITP|FIBP ®) designation.”  

FITT Achievement Award: Esmeralda Rodriguez Arias shows an unbreakable commitment to international trade

The FITT Achievement Award is awarded to a student selected by the awards committee for a particular calendar year. Students are nominated, either by themselves or a peer, and are required to show a combination of community involvement and academic success. In 2020, Esmeralda Rodriguez Arias, CITP, who studied at Manitoba Institute of Trades & Technology (MITT), showed this combination in spades. She had much to say about her experience and achievement: 

Marking great beginnings in Canada 

Of her award win, Esmerelda said

“As an International Student that comes from Colombia, it means a huge recognition for all the hard work I have done from the beginning of my career here in Canada. It means that every person has a purpose in life and being able to receive this award is proof that mine is to serve the community and people not only from Manitoba but also elsewhere. I feel proud, honored, grateful and blessed. It means so much to me, knowing that there were also many people that applied and deserved it.”—Esmeralda Rodriguez Arias, FITT Achievement Award Winner

The big benefits of international business training 

Esmerelda found her experience with FITT Training to be exceptional, stating: “I think there are multiple benefits and I consider that the knowledge is something that never stops. I am very proud and fortunate to work with the World Trade Centre Winnipeg team, and I think the opportunity to establish a relationship with the companies and people has been the greatest benefit of this. I have also had the opportunity to work closely with experts like Willy Fogang, CITP, who was also my teacher at MITT and I would like to say thank you to him for all his knowledge and advice. I am also grateful to Mariette Mulaire, CITP, Derek Earl, Lucie Wiens, CITP, and Joelle Boisvert because they believed from the first moment that I would be able to work for the future of our companies and gave me the opportunity to demonstrate it.” 

The enthusiasm didn’t stop with Esmerelda. Her teachers were thrilled for her as well, with her teacher Willy Fogang, MBA, CITP, and Senior Account Manager at Export Development Canada stating: “Esmerelda was an exceptional student of mine with a keen interest in international business. For both of the classes that I taught her, she understood very early on that for the Canadian economy to prosper in a global ecosystem,  a good understanding of how global business works by trade professionals is paramount. She’s constantly investing in upskilling, expanding her network, and, more importantly, is always willing to bring her contribution when called on.” 

Celebrating a meaningful commitment to international business excellence with our Educational Partners  

The achievements by these hard-working students would not be possible without the support and commitment to industry-leading international trade training by our Educational Partners. We’d like to thank all our partners, including Nova Scotia Business Inc., Mount Royal University, and Manitoba Institute of Trades & Technology, along with the award presenters at Export Development Canada.  

For the class of 2020, there is truly no limit, and we can’t wait to see what they will all accomplish next! 

The post The 2020 FITT Educational Award Winners innovate and excel in every area of international business  appeared first on Trade Ready.

As we prepare for the start of a new school year, we want to celebrate the accomplishments of some of last year’s top students. We’re proud to present the 2018 FITT Educational Awards to these individuals, and are excited to see how their careers grow and evolve in the coming years.

Exciting plan to sell BBQ sauce in Germany wins International Sales Marketing Plan Award

The International Sales Marketing Plan Award is given each year to the student who received the highest grade for their marketing plan project. This year’s winner, Kayla Beck, CITP from Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), won the award for her project focusing on how Honey Bunny Inc. could export their Amazing Dads BBQ sauce product line to the German market.

She was very grateful for everyone who helped her along the way, and plans to continue excelling in her work with the Nova Scotia Boatbuilders Association.

“I felt extremely proud of myself and in disbelief that I achieved the highest mark of those plans submitted last year. My instructors at the Nova Scotia Community College – Truro Campus are amazing teachers and I have learned so much from them. Without them, I would have never been able to achieve this award. I would like to thank everyone that believed in me and supported me through my college journey, this one is dedicated to all of you.”

Leroy Lowe, CITP, the program coordinator at NSCC, was impressed with her accomplishment and excited to see how it’s already paying off in her career.

“We are very pleased to hear that Kayla has done so well. Her enthusiasm for international trade and her new knowledge and skills has translated into a new career. FITTskills courses have played an important role in her education, so it is great to see her now (as a program graduate) using those skills in her new job with the Nova Scotia Boat Builders Association.”

Winning the International Business Plan Award with a plan to sell dream catchers in Australia

Each year, FITT also awards the International Business Plan Award each year to the student who received the highest grade on their international business plan project. This year’s winner is from Seneca College.

“My team decided to be a marketing cooperative that teamed up with an Ojibwe tribe to see the feasibility of exporting high end dream catchers to Australia,” he explained. “What made our dream catchers stand out from competitors was the materials that were used, like precious metals, animal bones, and wood pieces. Attempting to cover the complete scope from production, transportation, importing and marketing to sell Australians was a challenging task but once all the pieces fell together, it all started to make sense. The analytics portion of determining the market share, production and product cost and current competition was the most interesting part of the project. It was even more interesting to find out that there are many Facebook groups and blogs in Australia devoted to dream catchers, which was very surprising!”

Winning the award was an unexpected reward for his hard work, but he now hopes to apply everything he learned during the project towards his career.

“I was very surprised to learn I had won this award to say the least. It definitely helped boost my confidence in my writing skills to find out about the award, but much of my success goes out to my teammates that worked on the project with me!”

Emiliano Introcaso, CITP and part-time faculty member for Seneca College, stated that “when I heard the news that he won this award, I was very happy to know that he won and that Seneca College was represented in this competition.”

Emiliano also emphasized how important the practical skills needed for this project are for international trade businesses looking for new employees, as they look for the right candidates.

“The skills he needed to excel in this project are extremely important for businesses across Canada. Thanks to all of the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) that have been implemented over the last decade, our country is becoming a nation of diversified exporters that needs to have qualified individuals like him, navigating exports and import regulations to ensure Canadian goods and services reach global markets.”

Securing the FITT Achievement Award with top efforts in and out of the classroom

The FITT Achievement Award is unique because students are nominated for the award by others for their combination of community involvement and academic success. The winner is then selected by FITT’s awards committee.

The 2018 award was handed to Iuliia Kau of Fanshawe College for her excellence in the classroom and tireless efforts around sustainability in trade.

“I have a thirst for knowledge and I like to study and learn as much as I can, and then share this knowledge with my community. I bombarded my professors with questions, and never missed a class, because I wanted to know everything.”

With the support of Fanshawe, Iuliia began volunteering with two Canadian companies, Race Roster and Qtek Design, to improve their sustainability efforts. She then presented her findings at a London Chamber of Commerce event, which included many local business owners and representatives from EDC, BDC, Global Affairs Canada. Upon graduating, she was chosen by Fanshawe as a research assistant to help open an Ontario business which will produce sustainably made bags and sell them internationally.

“This business will help convert waste to produce fashion bags and invite newcomers (recent immigrant allophones) to participate in manufacturing them. I am truly inspired to become more involved in the community, reach out to those who are under-privileged, and to share my knowledge with those around us in order to make a positive change in our community and our world.”

Nord Mensah, CITP, who serves as coordinator for Iuliia’s program at Fanshawe College and was one of her professors, was excited to hear about her award.

“It is an amazing achievement for Iullia to be recognized by FITT as this year’s FITT Achievement Award recipient. Iullia has remained a consistently dedicated student throughout her academics, and emulates the characteristics expected of a consummate international trade professional. Her positivity, energy, and adventurous nature truly exemplify what Fanshawe expects from its international trade students.”

Iuliia was filled with both excitement and gratitude when she learned she had won the award.

“I was very happy and excited to receive this award. This result was achieved because my lovely professors and coordinators of Fanshawe College had squeezed out many valuable hours to teach me. Without Fanshawe College’s professors and coordinators, I could not have received it. This award belongs us – Fanshawe College and me. For me, this achievement is an absolute honour that I will cherish.”

Iuliia now plans to apply for her CITP designation, and would like to attain both an MBA and a Ph.D in international trade in the future.

Congratulations to all four winners of this year’s FITT Educational Awards, and we look forward to seeing the bright futures ahead of you!

The post Honouring the achievements of tomorrow’s business leaders: 2018 FITT Educational Award Winners appeared first on Trade Ready.

With another school year underway, it’s time to recognize the accomplishments of four outstanding students from last year. We are honoured to present these four outstanding students with 2017 FITT Awards, and look forward to seeing their careers blossom in the years to come.

A future global trade superstar wins Student of the Year

Sunmi Kim, Discovery Community College

The 2017 FITT-EDC Student of the Year award was presented to Sunmi Kim, a recent graduate of Discover Community College’s International Trade Management program in British Columbia.

She received the 2017 Student of the Year award for finishing the 2017 academic year with the highest GPA of any FITT student.

“EDC is honored to present the 2017/2018 Student of the Year Award to Sunmi Kim,” said Derek Layne, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Innovation for EDC. “We’re delighted to recognize academic excellence in the field of international business and we sincerely congratulate Sunmi on her achievement.”

Fouad Menassa, the program coordinator at Discover Community College, was extremely proud of her achievement as well.

“If I had to summarize Sunmi in one word it would certainly be ‘Dedication’. I found her dedicated towards her studies, and in reaching her goal of establishing and bettering her career in international trade.”

Sunmi says that learning she won the award filled her with joy and a feeling of responsibility to thank everyone who helped her reach this accomplishment.

“A thousand thanks to the mentors who showed encouragement and whom displayed faith in each and every little step that I took. It is of the utmost importance that I continue moving forward in respect and to make them proud of me.”

“To Fouad Menassa at Discover Community College, thank you for answering my questions kindly with your years of work experience. Thank you to all the faculty members at Discovery, Pamela Ellison at DP World Duke Point, my role model, all the other staff at DP World, and all of my colleagues at LongHoh Enterprises. Thank you to FITT – it means a lot to me to receive this award from an organization I admire. And thank you to my absolutely precious family – I love you!”

While she feels like she still has a lot of room to learn and explore, she is driven to become an international trade expert.

“Utilizing what I have learned in combination with my experience will allow me to step forward in the Canadian work force and become a productive contributor to society. The capabilities and competencies gained through my completion of the FITT courses has created a positive momentum that is both exciting and boosts my confidence in becoming a part of this field.”

One exceptional student wins two awards in the same year

Yanrui Jia, Algonquin College

Each year, FITT awards the International Marketing Plan award for the student who attains the highest grade for a marketing plan in the International Sales and Marketing course, and the International Business Plan award for the student with the highest grade for a business plan in the International Market Entry Strategies course.

In a remarkable achievement, both awards for the 2017 academic year were awarded to Yanrui Jia, CITP|FIBP of Algonquin College.

“I was very excited when I was informed I won two of these awards. These awards recognize my hard works on these two projects. Moreover, they build my confidence, and will be the booster to my career development in the future.”

Both of her projects focused on the same company, a Canadian manufacturer of high-end air purification products for residential and commercial use. Her international marketing plan focused on selling them in the Chinese market, and the international business plan then outlined the rationale to sell in the Vietnamese market, with a completely different strategy and set of tactics.

“I come from Beijing, China where there is very serious air pollution and many people suffer from lung cancer due to air pollution. I understood the high and urgent demands on a suitable air purifier in China now, which led to the idea for my marketing plan.”

“The idea for my international business plan comes from my classmate who is from Vietnam. I talked to her about China’s serious air pollution and health problems, and she said Vietnam has the same issues.”

Norm Hotchkiss, program coordinator at Algonquin College’s International Business Management program, explains that “Yanrui is one of the very few students who was able to focus on the big picture while not losing sight of all the little details that make international trade a challenge at all levels.”

Since graduating, Yanrui has also applied for and earned her CITP®|FIBP® designation. She hopes her awards, designation and existing familiarity with Asian markets will help her develop her career even further.

“I want to assist more companies, especially Canadian companies, to export their products to other countries and help more and more people in the world access to the products from other countries they need. Currently, I am working on international trade strategies for some companies. I hope that FITT will be a good platform to broaden my social circle and these two awards will be a good reference for my career development in the future.”

FITT Achievement Award given to two standout nominees excelling in the classroom and the community

Justin Archambault, CITP|FIBP, Algonquin College

Erum Rashid, Durham College

For the FITT Achievement Award, students are nominated for a combined effort of academic success and community involvement, and the winner is then selected by FITT’s awards committee.

The 2017 award was handed to two very deserving students: Justin Archambault, CITP|FIBP of Algonquin College, and Erum Rashid of Durham College.

Justin excelled in his studies, finishing with the highest GPA in the history of Algonquin’s International Business Management program.

“At the end of my program it was an unbelievably proud moment seeing A+ beside nearly every course on my transcript. I was also honoured to receive the Algonquin Students Association’s Leadership Award for effectively bridging the concerns of fellow classmates with the faculty and administration.”

After completing the program, he earned his CITP®|FIBP® designation and started his own international business advisory firm, Bluecrown International Strategies. He already has a team of five, three of whom are CITPs (including fellow FITT award winner Yanrui Jia).

“We provide comprehensive services for prospective exporters and companies seeking opportunities in unfamiliar and non-traditional markets for Canadian firms. We also strive to also bring about a general awareness about the importance of trade as it relates to developing economies around the world and empowering people through opportunity and greater market access.”

As part of his work, Justin is also now serving as a trade advisor to an ambassador from a CPTPP member country, reporting on trade developments and seeking opportunities for businesses from the member country in Canada.

“I would like to thank my family and friends for their unwavering support, my professors from Algonquin College’s International Business Management program who saw my potential, recognized my abilities, and truly went the extra mile to mentor me, and my colleagues at Bluecrown International Strategies. This award would not have been possible without any of the above people.”

Norm Hotchkiss from Algonquin College also added that “Justin quickly established himself as the top academic performer in the program while also becoming the class leader and spokesperson with Faculty and School Administration.”

Justin now seeks to help more businesses from countries with trade agreements with Canada to expand to the Canadian market. He also hopes to play a role in negotiating closer trade relationships with emerging markets in whatever capacity possible.

For Erum Rashid, studying in Canada for the first time and going back to school after over 10 years away to raise her three children was initially both exciting and nerve-wracking.

“I always wanted to renew my passion for learning and to refresh my skills, and my previous experience in international logistics and educational background influenced my decision to enroll in this program at Durham. I was determined to overcome my anxieties and through perseverance, and my willingness to challenge my own limits, I was able to quickly get on the road to learning.”

“During coursework, I took it on myself to be both a mentor and an individual contributor to ensure deadlines were met while exceeding expectations on content quality. My fellow students, especially those who worked on group projects, acknowledged the guidance and direction I was able to deliver in guaranteeing everyone’s voice was heard and that individual contributions were not undermined.”

After hearing that she won the FITT Achievement Award, Erum described it as a “dream come true” and said she was overwhelmed by the news.

“I am truly humbled and honored from the appreciation received and I couldn’t have done it without the tremendous support and encouragement from all faculty members as well as my fellow students.”

Pauline Bessada, CITP|FIBP, the program coordinator at Durham College, was overjoyed for Erum as well.

“I am beyond delighted Erum won the FITT Achievement award! We are so proud of her! Her award is not only an achievement for Erum, but for Durham College as well! We couldn’t be happier or more proud! The idea we have contributed to Erum’s passion for international business and helped her achieve this award has us more than thrilled!”

Erum now hopes to advocate strong corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and introduce more ethical practices to international business worldwide.

“My goal is to work towards elite CITP designation and being able to have rigorous understanding of the international business at different levels. My long-term goal is to bring innovation in entrepreneurship for Canadian SMEs and how they can expand into different markets around the world successfully.”

Congratulations to each one of this year’s FITT Educational Award winners, and we are excited to see what you’re able to accomplish next!

Please feel free to offer your congratulations or any helpful advice in the comments below.

The post Celebrating the next wave of potential business leaders: 2017 FITT Educational Award Winners appeared first on Trade Ready.

When asked what they want to be when they grow up, the average five year old will give you a typical answer like a firefighter, doctor or athlete. Irene Jeremic was no typical five year old – she was already busy planting the seeds that would become her successful business career.

“I was less than six years old when I asked my parents to purchase my first sewing machine for me. I was about 11 when I realized that what seemed to be a little girl’s hobby could be turned into a profitable fashion merchandizing business. As it turned out, fate had it that fashion merchandizing did not become my career, although I have worked with some of the greatest retailers who trade fashion merchandise,” said Jeremic, who today runs a successful market research and consulting business at TheTableau Inc., and teaches law and international business at Vancouver Career College.

On strong academic background, earned at reputable Canadian universities, Jeremic has built a robust career in international business. She spent two years as the VP of Business and Customer Relations for eLearning Solutions Inc., a spin-off company of Simon Fraser University, offering online courses and related customized tools and services. While there, she worked on the eTechnologies project, which was sponsored by Industry Canada and involved over 200 different institutions.

Breaking new ground with an award-winning business revamp

In 2005, Jeremic was hired as a C-level executive by Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc., a baby furniture company, to lead and complete a “Stork Craft makeover.” The company had enjoyed domestic success, but found they wanted to expand their operations and take their company to a new level.

Though the initiative to complete a makeover was ambitious and grand in scope, Jeremic was confident in her abilities to execute it. She offers the following advice to those in a similar position in their careers:

“Clearly, talent must be combined with hard-work, but the only two barriers that we all place before us are fear and complacency. One of these barriers can be enough to block our progress and achievements. When combined, they can be paralyzing.”

Over the next four years, Jeremic spearheaded the revamp of Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc. in exciting directions. She totally transformed the company’s IT, inside sales and e-commerce capabilities. In 2005, Jeremic’s new business architecture project for Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc. won Dell’s ‘Top 10’ award.

Using this new business architecture, along with a new drop-shipping model that Jeremic also developed with her teams, the company shortened their delivery time from 3-4 weeks to 2-3 days. Within a few short years, e-commerce had jumped from about 5% of the company’s total sales to about 50%.

One of the biggest reasons for such exponential increase was the effort to integrate the company’s order processing systems with major retailers like Wal-Mart and Toys R Us, enabling a much higher volume of orders that could be automatically processed. In addition to her turnaround initiatives, that resulted in about 20 new business and technology solutions instituted for Stork Craft, Jeremic also created a novel web-solution for Wal-Mart Canada.

“I was able to innovate by architecting the first eCommerce engine for Wal-Mart Canada, which gave customers an option to purchase Stork Craft products on Wal-Mart Canada’s website and have them shipped directly to customer’s home. In 2008, this was a standard for Wal-Mart in the U.S., but Wal-Mart Canada website was still catalogue-based, with no real eCommerce engine.”

“The innovation was, that my team, working for a furniture manufacturer and distributor, developed the first eCommerce engine for Wal-Mart Canada, to be used by Wal-Mart Canada customers visiting their website, where that engine was actually owned by Stork Craft.”

This innovation was awarded with the CIO 100 Honoree award, as one of the most successful business technology solutions in North America in 2009.

For her efforts, in 2009, Jeremic was named Stork Craft’s honoree. Jeremic admits that among many challenges she had to overcome, some that she will remember included contract negotiations and satisfying the project’s legal requirements.

Going back to school – on both sides of the classroom

After facing the challenge of managing the contract and legal requirements of her project for Wal-Mart Canada and Stork Craft, Jeremic realized that going back to school and earning a law degree would help her improve her expertise in the area of business law. She went on to earn her Master’s degree in law at the esteemed Osgoode Law School in Toronto.

Wanting to see more young people in eCommerce and entrepreneur roles in Canada, Jeremic went on to look for opportunities to pass her knowledge to younger generations. She soon began teaching law and international business at Vancouver Career College—an experience that she continues to find incredibly rewarding.

“There is nothing more gratifying than to be able to touch the lives of young professionals who are building their careers and are eager to learn. Some of my favorite lessons marry business and law, including those about corporate social responsibility, ethical business practices, and lawful professional conduct.”

Jeremic’s work on transferring her knowledge to her students is well recognized within her organization. Notably, she taught one of the 2016 FITT Education Award winners, Russell Leith Yearwood, who just won the International Marketing Plan Award for his work.

Combining business expertise and a desire to give back to her community

In 2010, Jeremic started The Tableau Inc., and continues to serve as the company’s President and CEO. Focusing on international market research, data analytics, digital technology, and business turnarounds, Jeremic and her company help other businesses gather and understand data. This helps businesses with the end goal of customizing their business strategies and building competitive advantages. She also offers customized consulting to improve organizational efficiency and overall business strategies.

Over the course of her work, Jeremic came to know FITT and gained a deep appreciation for the organization and its members.

“I’ve collaborated with FITT for years now. It is clearly a hub for ethical international business, that gathers some of the greatest business minds. When you take the time to get to know people who run the FITT organization, you realize that you are linked with a great bunch of capable professionals, with terrific attitudes, who deliver on their promise!”

Given her valuable years of experience and expertise, Jeremic became a CITP®|FIBP® (Certified International Trade Professional) through the Executive Path option. She feels honoured to have the elite designation and be part of the larger FITT community.

“My career is dedicated to serving international business communities and mentoring young professionals.”

Just recently I realized that my CITP®|FIBP® designation serves as a great motivational tool for the young professionals I work with, to pursue their professional aspirations with FITT. They want nothing short of excellence, and they now know how to get it!

On top of all of this, Jeremic also made time to be involved in several local organizations and programs in the Vancouver area. She established the first co-op program between her alma mater, Simon Fraser University, and Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc., and also served as a mentor for the school’s Young Women in Business (YWiB) program.

She has previously served on the Association of Neighbourhood Houses (ANH) Board of Governors and Kitsilano Neighbourhood House (KNH) Board of Management. Furthermore, she established the Anti-Bully Bureau (ABB) to advocate against workplace harassment and all forms of bullying, and has been twice recognized as the International Women’s Leadership Association’s Woman of Outstanding Leadership.

A brilliant example to her clients and students alike, Jeremic’s expertise shines through everything she does and will no doubt continue to positively influence those around her.

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Following my undergraduate studies and initial international experience, I decided to further my education, and looked for an international business program that offered a practical application of the curriculum; enter the FITT-accredited Graduate Certificate in International Business Management at Algonquin College.

The program was detailed and the curriculum applied to real-world scenarios. This provided me with a strong foundation for an international trade career.

Over the course of eight months, and with the support of my peers and instructors, I achieved success in the program. In fact, in 2012 I was awarded a FITT Educational Award for my International Business Plan.

Applying international trade training in the real world

Following my graduation, I received a job offer from the South African High Commission in Ottawa. My position was focused on public diplomacy and aiding the mission with research and analysis of key priorities, Canadian governments and businesses, the Canadian market, and investment and partnership opportunities.

FITT laid the foundation for me to jump in and adapt to the international environment.

The work at the High Commission was diverse and culturally vibrant; it offered a series of challenges everyday that were conducive to my personal and professional growth. I had opportunities to conduct political and foreign policy analysis, review investment and partnership opportunities in western Canada, and experience the inner workings of the BRICS relationships.

Working in this diplomatic environment also provided me with numerous opportunities to expand my professional network.

I worked at the High Commission for seven months, and following the end of my term I was offered the opportunity to work for the World Trade Centre Dublin (WTCD), part of the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA).

Building global experience and forging connections

A few days after finishing at the High Commission I stepped off a plane in Dublin, Ireland, and was thrown into a work environment that was diverse and multifaceted.

Account management, sales, marketing, and trade facilitation; I experienced it all while at the WTCD. The experience was hands-on, rugged and exciting. It forced me to expand my thinking and use my FITT-accredited education to drive the growth of the organization, while continuing to build my global network.

From aircraft, medical and defence equipment, to food and textiles, there wasn’t much that didn’t filter through the Trade Centre.

Using the skills I gained from FITT, I worked with other traders, trade centres, governments and businesses from around the world, establishing relations with trade teams from over 15 countries.

The WTCD is a relatively small operation, and because of this, I had the opportunity to work directly with everyone from the heads of diplomatic missions and company executives from small-scale, locally-oriented businesses to tech and internet giants, such as Google, Twitter, PayPal and Facebook.

Having the confidence to take chances

Following my tenure at the WTCD, I returned to Ottawa and was offered a new position at the South African High Commission where I’m currently working on the economic and trade portfolio.

As part of a small team, I’m focused on the economic diplomacy efforts of the mission. Each day we explore opportunities to connect Canadian and South African businesses, and increase the visibility and awareness of South Africa as a market of great opportunity.

I deal with topics such as foreign direct investment, international marketing, trade events and importing and exporting. I try to find drivers for the growth of Canadian-South African economic relations.

Some of the most valuable lessons the FITT-accredited program and my experiences afterward reinforced were to build your network whenever you can and not shy away from any opportunities to gain experience.

The job market for young professionals is tough, but with those two things in mind, and FITT training in my back pocket, it has made moving forward with confidence and exploring the vast field of international trade a little bit easier.

The post Laying strong foundations for an exciting international trade career appeared first on Trade Ready.