Growing up in St. Pierre-Jolys, a quaint French community in Manitoba, I was blessed with the opportunity to work alongside my father in his pharmacy and learn the ins and outs of business.

In 1996, I started a position at the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (CDEM), working to promote local economic development within Manitoba municipalities that had adopted a policy on bilingualism.

This policy was important, as I am a firm believer that Canada’s Francophone and Anglophone communities are major assets to the success and stability of the country’s economy. When it comes to trade agreements and investments, Canada should collectively promote its Francophone capabilities in all sectors, as it creates wealth and generates investments.

For example, beyond the most obvious countries, like France and Belgium, we have observed that many other regions appreciate working with those who have French language competencies. Through the World Trade Centers Association, we have met counterparts from Romania, Italy, Hungary, The Netherlands, and even from China, who speak French.

Having two official languages is an asset that has allowed us to become international.

Our efforts were fruitful and entrepreneurship was growing in the region. The initiative sparked a lot of interest. Several requests were made by the Francophone community asking us to use our bilingual skills to help companies do business on a national and international scale. Business people in our area were looking for connections in new markets.

In response to a growing need, the decision was made to develop an international trade agency named the Agence nationale et internationale du Manitoba—ANIM—of which I became President and CEO.

We began to work with targeted Francophone markets, such as France, Belgium and Quebec, and through them we were able to attract investment to Manitoba, benefiting the Canadian economy as a whole.

Bringing Winnipeg to prominence as a World Trade Centre location

Following ANIM’s success in international Francophone markets, it was natural for the organization to transition into a World Trade Centre. When we made the decision to invest in a World Trade Centre license, we knew that we had an important task in front of us. We needed to demonstrate the value of being part of such an important network, and convince the World Trade Centers Association that Winnipeg’s business community was ready to have a more pronounced presence internationally.

As with any major endeavor, you need the right conditions, the right climate and the right attitude in order to grow. This is exactly what we have in Winnipeg and Manitoba. In the spring of 2012, the dream became a reality through a partnership between The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and The National Bank of Canada. The Board of Directors of the World Trade Centers Association, a New York-based organization, approved Winnipeg’s application to acquire a World Trade Centre license.

Thereafter, we rebranded and repositioned ANIM as the new WTC Winnipeg.

Since then, WTC Winnipeg has been very active. During our first year of operations, several of our programs and services were certified through the WTCA’s Quality Certification, which means we are accredited with a high global standard.

Continuing to help Winnipeg businesses by focusing on local opportunities

One of our key objectives is to promote and position Winnipeg as an integral place to do business. Getting to know the businesses that exist in our community is a daily privilege that we are proud to undertake. The more we learn about how businesses operate, the better we can serve them and provide them with information that will help them along their path. At the end of the day, assisting Manitoba-based companies to grow and find new markets is the reason why work so hard.

We do this by consistently working to connect local companies with partnership opportunities abroad. Often, we look to our WTCA network to help connect companies within their respective markets. Our Business InfoCentre and local partners also help prepare companies to ensure that they are export ready.

Most notably, the WTC Winnipeg spearheaded Centrallia – an international B2B forum based in Winnipeg, focused on generating trade opportunities locally, nationally and internationally. Described by some as “speed dating” for businesses, Centrallia attracts hundreds of high-level business decision-makers from across North America and around the world.

Centrallia has become our signature event, and was the first trade and investment conference in the city to truly reach out and invite the world to come and do business in Winnipeg.

This past May, we wrapped up our 3rd international edition of Centrallia, having welcomed over 600 participants from 30 countries. We are looking to organize its next edition in spring 2019.

Hosting an event of this magnitude every few years has really helped propel Winnipeg and Manitoba onto the world scene. It has brought us together with partner organizations from across the province, and helped create countless business opportunities for the participating companies. It has really been a game-changer in our market.

We were also pleased to organize a ground-breaking focus group last February, in partnership with FITT. The initiative was part of a nation-wide series of consultations with trade professionals to develop International Competency Standards for international trade.

Staying on top of the latest trends in global trade

As a small organization, WTC Winnipeg is agile, able to rapidly shape its approach based on the latest insights of the business community and partners. This flexibility enables it to adapt to the changing needs of our clients.

We find ourselves in a very dynamic period, featuring new large-scale trade agreements and regional economic integration. The balance of power is changing and new trade alliances are emerging, such as the Pacific Alliance, which are affecting traditional patterns of trade, supply chains, and global competitiveness.

Although there remains some instability from the post-economic crisis, and a number of ongoing challenges, we choose to focus on the opportunities. The world is becoming a smaller place and we have an unprecedented opportunity to stay connected through channels such as the Internet.

The economic environment is changing in every market. We’ve experienced it firsthand in Canada in regards to the oil sector. This only emphasizes the importance of developing strong personal relationships so that at the end of the day, partners will want to seek out win-win solutions.

The marks of personal and professional success

Thanks to these efforts, I was honoured to be this year’s recipient of the Award of Excellence – Promotion of Linguistic Duality. Created in 2009 by the Commissioner of Official Languages, the Award of Excellence—Promotion of Linguistic Duality recognizes an individual that promotes linguistic duality or contributes to the development of Canada’s official language in minority communities. This recognition means a lot to me because my Francophone heritage is the foundation for many decisions that I have made throughout my career.

In August 2014, I obtained my elite Certified International Trade Professional (CITP®|FIBP®) designation which recognizes my dedication to ethical business practices and ongoing professional development.

I always enjoy learning about the Forum for International Trade Training’s (FITT) creative approaches as we look for ways to expand beyond the walls of our own World Trade Centre. In the upcoming months, we are excited that key members of the WTC Winnipeg staff will be actively applying for their FITT certification.

The post How building WTC Winnipeg from the ground up has helped local businesses appeared first on Trade Ready.

Fadi Ghaby, CITP|FIBP is a Supply Chain Analyst/Senior Coordinator at ALDO Group, based out of Montreal, Canada, where he supervises the complete customs operations group, including five supporting employees.

He is a highly skilled professional with over ten years of experience in the import/export and supply chain fields. With his exemplary abilities to organize and pay attention to detail, Fadi excels at managing multiple projects, as well as providing guidance and managing risks within supply chains.

Getting the right tools for the job

When Fadi decided global trade was the right industry for him, with an international background and language proficiency, he looked for the best education he could find to help him develop the skills he needed to break into the field.

After some careful research, he decided to pursue the International Commerce Import Export program, which delivers FITTskills courses, at LaSalle College in Montreal, Quebec. The program helped Fadi master the techniques, practices and laws he would use in his future career to develop strong, efficient supply chains.

FITTskills courses were very practical, and I use what I learned in the FITTskills program every day in my work in the import-export department at Aldo Group.

Wasting no time climbing the corporate ladder

Fadi got his big career break in March 2010, shortly after completing his FITT Diploma in International Trade, when he was offered the position of Export Administrator at ALDO Group.

After nearly two years in the role, Fadi decided to apply for the CITP®|FIBP® designation to show his commitment to the profession, as well as showcase his skill set and experience.

I decided to apply for the CITP®|FIBP® designation because I wanted to apply my knowledge and expertise in international business, and because the CITP®|FIBP® designation is the only comprehensive global trade credential recognized by the World Trade Centers Association.

Joining his fellow global trade experts was a dream come true for Fadi, and he sees it opening many doors for him in the future.

“I am very proud to have earned the CITP®|FIBP® designation, and I believe that it will help me to advance in my career as an import export and supply chain professional.”

In fact, he immediately began reaping the benefits of his new title by being promoted to a management role within ALDO Group. He started his new position as Customs Operations Coordinator in March 2012.

Shipments don’t go out without his stamp of approval

As Customs Operation Coordinator, Fadi was charged with coordinating all daily tasks and training for the export group at his company. He was ultimately responsible for ensuring his team met performance targets, and stepped in to solve any operations issues quickly and efficiently.

He reported his team’s results by performing statistical analyses and continually developing KPI’s to improve his team’s performance. He was also the last line of defence, reviewing customs documents, maintaining CIFTA, CCFTA and NAFTA compliance, and dealing with suppliers, brokers and carriers for each daily shipment from Canada to the U.S.

Fadi has recently been rewarded for his achievements by being promoted, yet again, to his current position as Supply Chain Analyst/Senior Coordinator.

This promotion gives him an elevated role in establishing and administering supply chain operations in order to improve global lead time performance.

To do this, he conducts research in collaboration with support departments to better understand logistics requirements, and communicates with partners, other logistics teams and freight forwarders to better achieve their goals.

Fadi is also involved in contract negotiations with freight forwarders and suppliers, and works with subject matter experts to resolve any supply chain problems.

Gazing into the future of logistics

An exciting aspect of Fadi’s work, is assisting in designing and implementing models and analytical reports – not only to evaluate and track current operations, but also to project future situations in order to identify opportunities for improvement.

On top of his international business training, Fadi has also received diplomas in Human Resources Management and Administration from the University of Quebec. He is currently completing a Professional Development Certificate in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the University of Waterloo.

Fadi was promoted to Manager, Business Navigating and Reporting in fall 2017.

Fadi enjoys getting involved in the global trade community and was proud to have been selected to take part in the Steering Committee for the International Trade Competency Standards (ICS) project, led by FITT and the Canadian Government.

He hopes to soon get involved in supporting the World Trade Organization.

Fadi has a bright future ahead of him in the supply chain industry and strives to someday open his own international business. We look forward to seeing what innovations his team achieves in the future.

The post Fadi Ghaby, CITP/FIBP – Manager, Business Navigating and Reporting appeared first on Trade Ready.