Emmanuel Asafo Adjei’s career in international trade has been an evolution. After earning a post-graduate degree in International Business from Fanshawe College, he worked for seven years as operations coordinator for a Canadian Military Defense contractor. To further grow his career, he went on to earn his Master’s of Geography from the University of Western Ontario.
Like many, Emmanuel was faced with new challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While working as an engineer, he was charged with coordinating global supply chains, a task that required fostering new business relationships. That role led him to sharpen and improve his international trade skills.
Working with and leading teams to seal international trade deals
Throughout his career, Emmanuel has worked with colleagues and trade partners to open supply chains and improve processes. He has collaborated with highly trained engineers and supply chain experts on the acquisition and distribution of Canadian government military assets around the globe. He’s also led a state-of-art materials requirement planning system (MRP) to enhance just-in-time production processes.
“It has always been refreshing to negotiate international deals with the knowledge of Incoterms,” he noted.
Celebrating accomplished trade deals and improved processes
In his work in international trade, Emmanuel has seen many successes. They include managing more than $100 million in inventory assets in one of southwestern Ontario’s largest warehouse facilities, facilitating and auditing shipping documents while ensuring that shipments met international standards, and building quality control and international trade databases that reduced audit time and paperwork by more than 80 percent. He also led the consolidation of two mega warehouses into a 500,000-square-foot facility without significantly impacting workflow during the three-month process.
In his latest venture, Emmanuel is working on farming the superfood tiger nuts in Africa for import into Canada. He’s packaging and distributing the superfood into niche food stores in Canada and the United States.
Through his career and FITT studies, Emmanuel has also learned the importance of perseverance:
“Never give up on any goal you set for yourself. There may be challenges, but they all pass away and give way to your success eventually. One of my proudest moments was getting my FITT diploma after leaving it for almost a decade.”
Gaining a better understanding of imports and exports
With his FITT coursework, Emmanuel earned a deeper understanding of the nuances of food imports, packaging, and distribution in Canada and the United States—knowledge that has proved extremely valuable as the owner of a food import business. FITTskills have helped him better understand importing goods, working with Canadian customs, the Canada Food Inspection Agency, Canada Revenue Authority, Port Authority, and import brokers.
Broadening perspectives on new markets
Emmanuel’s FITTskills courses—such as the International Trade Finance course—gave him insight into working with global clients, suppliers, and customers, along with expanding his global literacy and inter-cultural awareness. They’ve also helped him see future opportunities in trade.
“I chose the CITP designation to consolidate my skills sets in international business and to be an asset to companies that may want to expand into developing markets, especially in Africa.”
“My motivation has broadened to include the many growth opportunities with Africa’s 1.3 billion-person market, now one of the largest free-trade areas in the world. With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement signed by its 55 countries—and the projected $2.2 trillion GDP—Canada cannot ignore this huge market.”
The power of great teachers and courses
Emmanuel was lucky to learn about the CITP designation through a call with two of his Fanshawe college professors: Albert Knab and Morgan Murray.
“They both sowed the seed of grit and perseverance in me as an immigrant,” he noted, stating that they were an important part of spurring him to push full steam ahead with his courses and his career.
With so much accomplished already, we can’t wait to see what’s in store for Emmanuel next!
Website: www.tigernutsworld.com
Learn more about the CITP®|FIBP® designation
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CERTIFICATION—CITP®|FIBP®
Advance your career and build your professional credibility in the field of global business by earning the Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) designation.
Why Earn the Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) Designation?
The Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) designation is the world’s leading professional designation for the field of international business. So whether you’re new to global trade or have over a decade of direct experience, you’ll find the CITP designation can help advance your career and build your professional credibility.
The CITP designation sets you apart in the competitive international business industry because it’s proof you possess the competencies global business experts have identified as being essential for a successful career in international trade. It also recognizes your dedication to ethical business practices and ongoing professional development—both of which are desirable traits for today’s global business practitioners.
*Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) is trademarked for use within Canada. FITT International Business Professional (FIBP) is trademarked for use internationally. Both reflect the same FITT-certified designation.
**Note: This represents one of the current pathways to the CITP. Based on FITT’s application for ISO 17024 accreditation, this process will change as of January 1, 2023
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