Even before Kamo Mailyan and his family moved from his native Armenia to Canada in 2012, he had already achieved an impressive list of accomplishments.

With an educational background in public administration and international development, he served as an election observer during Ukraine’s 2007 parliamentary elections for It’s Your Choice, an Armenian non-profit organization dedicated to vote-monitoring for democratic elections. He also worked on youth and women’s programs with the National Democratic Institute (NDI), and coordinated the business component of a USAID project to help begin rebuilding relations between Armenia and Turkey.

Kamo moved on to co-found a successful company importing medical products to Armenia and Georgia from Europe. He is particularly proud that the company serves as a good corporate citizen in both countries and regularly contributes to social projects.

“The most recent project was a donation to the zoo of Tbilisi (Georgia’s capital city) after a flooding that left animals roaming in streets of the city,” he added.

A new beginning: country, education, and career path

Moving to Canada came with its challenges, but also provided some unexpected opportunities that led Kamo to where he is today.

“After arriving in Canada with my family in 2012, I faced a challenge in transforming my career path and finding where I wanted to be. For this purpose, I joined the marketing program for internationally educated professionals offered by York University, which helped me to explore various business sectors and understand where I want to be. I was in the middle of my studies when luckily I got introduced to Ronald A. Chisholm Limited, one of Canada’s best managed trading companies. I started my career in international trade at Chisholm working on market research and access strategies, and shortly after I started selling frozen meat and fish products.”

Ronald A. Chisholm Ltd., a wholesale frozen meat, fish and dairy trading company, has operated since 1938, and he says working for such a long-established company has been greatly beneficial to his training and career development.

“I call this company knowledge ‘a corporate social asset’. This is something no university can give you, and it keeps the company and its team strong during the ups and downs in international trade and markets. Shortly after I joined Chisholm, I witnessed sanctions in international markets and change in the trade landscape.”

It is important for a company to not only survive such challenges, but to overcome them with dignity and leave customers happy.

“I am pleased and proud to be a part of it, and believe in this changing global market there are still a lot of things for me to learn, and I am open to it.”

To augment his on-the-job training, he decided to take FITTskills courses with the aim of building on his international trade skills and expertise. As a strong proponent of continuous professional development, he recommends that anyone else who is interested in international trade should do the same, no matter their current career status or level of knowledge.

“For someone to be a professional in their field, they should always return to studying and continue improving their knowledge. A good athlete does not stop training after they win a competition, and professionals in all fields should follow a similar approach. Chisholm is a great school for me, and the people I work with are the best to ask for advice. Working here has taught me skills and knowledge no university can give. Nevertheless, I always try to use every opportunity to improve my knowledge and skills, and FITT was definitely a good investment of time and resources. I would highly recommend their training.”

The key to global business is being social

During his time with Chisholm, Kamo has especially enjoyed the outreach aspect of his work, meeting new people and building the connections needed to craft new business deals.

I’ve come to understand that sales is social, and it is the most interesting part of this job. You become friends with people, and there is a social component behind every successful deal and long-term cooperation.

“My favorite part is the exhibitions and trade promotion events organized by Canadian diplomatic missions in other countries. This is where I meet more people, explore new markets, and learn more information.”

Sometimes, his Armenian heritage is an important way to build those relationships.

“During an exhibition in Paris, I was walking in a hall when I heard two people speaking Armenian – my native language. I stopped by, and invited them to our Chisholm stand for coffee. Now we are friends, and we cooperate on business deals.”

In other instances, living in Canada has been the key to relationship building with customers.

“One of my customers told me his children like maple syrup and asked him to bring them some from the exhibition we were attending. He had approached a Canadian pavilion, which had some, but was told it was for display only and not for sale. I talked to the woman from that Canadian company, offered some treats from our pavilion, and said that we wanted some maple syrup for my customer’s children. We had a very nice conversation, and ended up taking more maple syrup with us than we’d asked for, and all for no money. Afterwards, my customer thanked the woman by email and has continued to order small quantities for his children.”

Two reasons for celebration in the summer of 2016

As part of his continued career development, Kamo applied for and earned his elite CITP®|FIBP® designation in June 2016. While adding the designation to his resume was certainly part of his motivation, his main priority was being able to connect with others and stay on top of the latest information.

“I applied for the CITP®|FIBP® designation to be a part of the network. I also wanted to improve my knowledge and skills to be more competitive in my job and move faster towards my goals. From time to time, if needed, I can connect with professionals and peers with the designation who work in various sectors, both government and private. In addition, the news, updates and tips I receive from are helping me stay up to date and follow current trends in international trade.”

Meanwhile, the company he co-founded in Armenia and Georgia had performed so well that it was attracting attention in high places, leading to his proudest achievement to date.

“For its business achievements and social projects, the company was nominated for an award in August 2016 by the Georgian government.”

Then an international committee, the Union of National Business Rating (including Georgia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan) granted me the Medal for Outstanding Achievement in International Markets.

My friends who co-founded that company and still run it received awards as well. I was unable to go to the awards ceremony in Kazakhstan, but the award was sent to my address in Armenia.”

“This is something that made me feel really proud. Like planting a sapling and watching it become a healthy tree, my friends and I have been able to watch our company grow since we first started it, and it’s exciting to know it will only continue to grow in the future.”

We look forward to seeing Kamo achieve even greater accomplishments in his already distinguished career.

The post Kamo Mailyan, CITP|FIBP – Trader, Eurasia Division appeared first on Trade Ready.

As a teenager, Benjamin Charbonneau was already taking his first steps towards his future career in global business and displaying entrepreneurial abilities.

“When I was 15, I asked my older sister to send a Western Union money transfer to someone in China for a 10-piece bulk order of collared t-shirts to resell online.”

He also had many other activities to keep him busy, including joining the infantry of the Canadian Armed Forces, working sales jobs and competing in athletics.

His involvement with athletics would end up playing a major part in moving his international business career forward. In 2008, he was offered an athletics scholarship to Lake Superior State University in Michigan, where he competed in javelin and earned his degree in finance and economics.

“My favorite topic during my undergrad was the concept of comparative advantage. It has always made sense to me to do business with others across borders and oceans if they used fewer resources to produce an identical product. As the school was located on the Canada-U.S. border, I witnessed the giant container ships crossing Lake Superior on a daily basis, which fueled my passion for trade even more.”

He excelled in his studies, and received Academic All-American honours all four years of his degree program. Athletically he did equally well, winning his conference championship three times. Benjamin also participated in the 2008 Olympic trials, the 2009 Canada Games and the 2012 NCAA Division II National Championships.

A passion for sports paved the way for a rewarding international profession

After graduation, Benjamin continued to develop his sales skills with different companies in data analysis, finance and insurance. He also never lost sight of his international trade goals, and began to set out on his own, specializing in imports.

“My first official import transaction was for an order of 1000 pairs of weightlifting collars. I wired US $7,000 at the time and had no idea if I’d receive anything in return. Obviously, I was green to the concept of trade insurance and letters of credit. To my surprise, I received the items a few months later, and that experience alone opened my eyes to the world of opportunities, prompting me to offer trade services to local companies.”

He continued to develop contacts and expand his reach into different industries over the next couple of years. One of the most important lessons he learned was to remain patient and build slowly, rather than risk everything he’d accomplished up to that point on one large, risky deal.

“There is a temptation to go “all-in” when you first start importing or exporting goods, but unless you test your specific market and make sure there’s an actual demand for it, you’ll be sitting on a pile of useless inventory.”

By 2014, he was ready to officially launch Hedgeports Company, which allows him to serve as an import broker to help SMEs import goods and raw materials from all over the world.

By using a fee per service model, rather than cost per unit, he is able to connect with manufacturers and suppliers to help businesses reduce their costs. With a strong knowledge of all of the fees involved, close relationships with suppliers and logistics professionals he trusts, and regular communication with customers to make sure they’re happy each step of the way, he’s been able to build a successful online business.

I’ve been able to spend more time nurturing client relationships and really providing a positive experience for my customers without having to worry about cash flow.

His expert knowledge of all of the fees involved is particularly useful, and something he advises anyone involved in importing to learn more about.

“Know the fees and know the risks,” he advises his clients. “There are a variety of fees that you won’t find in any textbook. There are odd little fees like ‘warehouse fees’ that generally do not accept anything but cash. You need to mind foreign exchange risk, and do not underestimate the value of forward currency contracts to hedge your risk.”

Combining training, experience and a diverse set of interests

On top of his successful business, Benjamin has plenty of other work and activities to keep himself busy. He also began working for CMC Markets, creators of an online market trading platform, and has now worked up to the role of Senior Sales Executive. In the role he leads and mentors a team of other sales executives, and practices a client-centric approach to find the ideal solutions for them.

He has continued with the Canadian Armed Forces as well, holding several different positions and now finds himself in a mentoring role through Cadets Canada. He hasn’t lost his athleticism either, and is also a licensed CrossFit trainer.

To continue to grow his skills and business, Benjamin began taking FITTskills online courses in 2016, and found them to be applicable for both his company and his work at CMC Markets.

The courses offer valuable information, and I found learning all of the vocabulary of international trade to be particularly helpful.

“Like any exam or any university course, you won’t remember everything but the courses help you formulate an opinion, help you recall certain terms and shape your professional conversation within the international trade industry. I have the Chartered Investment Manager designation and the extra emphasis on International Trade obtained through FITTskills courses has served me quite well in the global investments world.”

Shortly after completing the FITTskills program, he applied for the elite CITP®|FIBP® designation, and is already enjoying the benefits of earning the certification.

“Having the CITP®|FIBP® designation offers credibility in the international trade arena. Even though I have built a successful business that conducts transactions in the international trading world, I do not have the privilege of listing a series of popular companies that can speak to my experience in the industry. Having the letters beside the name confirms I have expertise when it comes to international business and especially trade.”

Benjamin is now currently working to add the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation to his credentials, with the hopes of adding a new line of financial services to his business.

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Sometimes, when companies are dealing with foreign subsidiaries, individual new transactions might be arranged quickly, but these would usually involve detailed planning at a corporate level where logistical and financial aspects are well understood.

More often, ventures into buying or selling goods or services from companies in one or more other countries without sufficient planning or without the necessary long-term commitment, would fail or would consume profits before proving successful.

Too frequently, companies, especially smaller organizations, have reacted to perceived opportunities for global business deals quickly without fully evaluating all the costs, time and effort, only to discover they have sold a product at a loss or have purchased at a total cost that far exceeds the cost incurred by the competition.

Properly and adequately researching foreign markets, evaluating all the costs, and assessing product marketability and the competition requires a long-term commitment.

Offsetting both the hard and hidden costs of this activity cannot reasonably be achieved in the short term.

Recognize all cost and price elements of global business deals to avoid setbacks

Trading on international markets requires a solid understanding of numerous elements, several of which do not exist in domestic business transactions. For instance, environmental factors include foreign exchange rates, varying inflation rates and applicable laws and regulations, at home and abroad. Market factors include competition, market share and the purchasing power of potential multinational clients.

Despite all these variables, pricing a product for export is one of the most important steps in evaluating the viability of transactions and should therefore be as accurate as possible. The cost of the sale will set the lower limit at which the export price will be set, and this will in turn set the basis for the negotiation between the exporter and importer.

Apart from the base price set by the exporter that will reasonably meet profitability requirements, the final price will ultimately depend on the trade terms agreed on by the two parties. Among other things, trade terms establish the responsibilities of the exporter and the importer for shipping the goods, responsibility for insurance in transit, title to goods in the transport process and payment of the loss if the goods cannot be delivered.

The complexities of global business deals render negotiation of trade terms more difficult than domestic trade. To make this process easier, international standards have been established by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

Called Incoterms (short for International Commercial Terms), these standards and definitions were first introduced in 1936, and are the only internationally recognized terms for defining the rules of trade and resolving contractual disputes. The latest version of Incoterms is available on the ICC website.

The choice of a term of trade, or Incoterm, is normally governed by which party can provide the service most efficiently or most cost-effectively, sometimes because of the varying cost of services in different countries. For instance, it is often desirable or necessary for the exporter to arrange the export permits and documentation. As well, the exporter is usually in a better position to package the goods to withstand shipment, while the importer is better placed to arrange inspection of goods.

In some countries, because of subsidies to shipping and logistics companies, the importer will be inclined to undertake the payment of freight. On the other hand, concerns of the exporter about transfer of title and access to insurance coverage in the event of accidents, etc., may influence the exporter’s willingness to relinquish control of these elements.

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Becky DeStigter, CITP|FIBP, is an international business consultant, speaker and author, better known to some as The International Entrepreneur.

She brings her exceptional passion and expertise in international marketing, strategic planning, market research and cross-cultural training to help companies worldwide expand to reach their full global potential.

Starting her career with a “eureka” moment

As an undergraduate student, Becky realized that international trade would be the career for her.

“I remember sitting in a university class on international marketing and having one of those lightbulb moments when I learned what international marketing entailed.”

From that moment on I knew I needed to be involved in some way in the field.

In the years since then, Becky’s understanding of the field has continuously grown, while her enthusiasm for it has lost none of its edge.

Upon graduating with her Bachelor’s of Business Administration, with a major in economics and a minor in German, Becky took a role as Marketing Manager for PACE Health Management Systems, where she gained hands-on experience in B2B technology marketing by writing proposals, designing marketing materials and coordinating trade show exhibits.

Her next role was in sales, for Oacis Healthcare Systems, and gave her a chance to rise quickly within the company. Starting as a proposal writer, Becky soon implemented steps to standardize the process, making it significantly easier for everyone at the company.

Looking at company sales figures, she then noticed a significant dip would be approaching, and the company promoted her to Sales Analyst to find ways to reverse it.

By implementing new lead generation techniques to guide customers through the sales process, introducing a CRM to the company, and teaching employees how to use it, she was able to increase the company’s sales figures back to optimal levels.

Setting off on her own unique path

With several years of experience under her belt, Becky decided to start her own firm, Park Place Marketing, in 1999. Having her own business gave her the chance to put one of the most important lessons she learned over the course of her career into place.

I wished I would have understood the importance of developing international professional relationships right from the start of my career. It took about 10 years to discover this. Now I realize that it’s not advantageous – it’s required.

Combining her marketing knowledge with an emphasis on personal relationships gave Becky the opportunity to help many technology and professional companies develop their marketing strategies, study their ROI and project management services.

Becky grew the firm over the next five years to include several clients and subcontractors, and offered her clients an average ROI of over 100%, a vast increase over the typical average of 3-5%.

Back to school – on both sides of the classroom

To augment her professional experience, Becky decided to simultaneously complete her Master’s in International Business and her MBA at the University of Colorado Denver. She was able to study under one of the world’s top academics in International Entrepreneurship, Manuel Serapio, PhD.

Her in-class results impressed the university so much that she was hired to work part-time as the school’s International Business Project Manager.

Her efforts included revamping the website to become one of Colorado’s top international business resources, and securing a grant from the Canadian government to add more Canadian-centric content to the department’s course curriculums.

After graduating at the top of her class in 2011, the university hired her again in 2013 to teach courses to upper-year undergraduate students.

One my proudest accomplishments was teaching International Operations at my alma mater. It was satisfying to see the passion students had for international business and to follow where their careers have taken them. I like to think I played my small part.

Becoming “The International Entrepreneur”

2009 was an extremely busy year for Becky. Not only was she working on her studies and working part-time for UC Denver, she also started her own consulting firm, The International Entrepreneur.

Since then, she has developed an active blog, spoken at many different regional and national events, and worked with a multitude of companies to improve their global competitiveness.

Becky has particularly enjoyed developing strong relationships with her clients, and working alongside them to maximize potential opportunities.

“I was working on a team of researchers helping a Colorado manufacturing company locate an Asian operations base.”

When the client discovered how large the Asian canned beverage market actually was (much larger than they expected), they were able to divert resources to support the market.

She’s also been able to find the joys of overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles with her clients.

“I have enjoyed working with technology companies who were afraid of having their IP stolen. It’s great to show options that can turn a negative, like stolen IP, into a market opportunity.”

She also recently completed a six-month project with AppointmentPlus to help develop a new product marketing function for the company, and drive advanced outbound growth-hacking techniques.

Standing apart from the crowd as an elite CITP®|FIBP®

Always searching for ways to continue to connect with like-minded professionals, Becky discovered FITT online.

“In international business consulting, there are many charlatans. They pretend to know more than they do. I was looking for a way to connect with those who genuinely represented international business knowledge and skills.

Soon after, she contributed articles to TradeReady.ca and presented a webinar on how to protect your IP in international markets.

Once she heard about the elite CITP®|FIBP® designation for professionals in the international trade industry, she was eager to earn it as well.

I was very pleased to earn my designation. It was a difficult exam and I was relieved that my experience and graduate school classes were enough to meet the standard. As a professional consultant and trainer, it sets me apart from many of my peers.

We’re excited to have Becky join our community of committed international trade experts, to continue to collaborate with her, and to see how her work as The International Entrepreneur continues to grow.

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