Maysa Balout’s curiosity about international business first started when, after earning her diploma in business administration and management, she built a successful career as a manager for several retail chains. Dealing with regular shipments at the stores she managed, she realized she wanted to learn more about how the larger shipping and operations for her stores functioned.

“It always came to mind that the back-end operation of how and where the boxes came from and the process involved must be extensive and very precise. This is when I looked into supply chain, specifically international trade.”

As her interest and knowledge began to grow, she decided to reorient her career to focus on supply chain management and pursued further training in order to achieve this goal.

This training included the FITT-accredited post-graduate international business management diploma at Fanshawe College, which she found instrumental in developing the specific knowledge and skills she would need to build a successful supply chain career.

“It was great, and I would recommend it to anyone in a similar situation. My experience learning about international trade with the FITTskills program was very targeted and helped me reference back to anything I might have needed in negotiations and in understanding trade facilitation.”

“Feasibility of International Trade was my favorite course because of the intense research skills and knowledge I gained learning how to dissect a company and country of interest for the FITT project. This helped me become an expert in market research and allowed me to explore my research capacity.”

Thanks to her excellent academic performance and other work in her community, most notably helping Syrian refugees with the transition to Canada and settling into their new homes, she was also the winner of the 2016 FITT Achievement Award.

“The accomplishment I’m most proud of was receiving my 2016 FITT Award. It was a struggle juggling many things from professional career to schooling and family but was well worth it!”

Helping acquire the materials needed to build the community around her

Since 2014, Maysa has worked as the Buyer and Administrative Manager for The Construction Guys, a contracting company based in London, ON. For over five years, she has used her skills to build a sourcing and procurement strategy, acquiring the materials needed for the company to complete its construction projects at an affordable rate.

Her work has necessitated building contacts all over the world, negotiating contracts and ensuring delivery among many other tasks.

One of her favourite success stories involves convincing her company to switch flooring suppliers in China.

“ After many days of negotiating and scoping out suppliers, I came across this amazing company that would reduce overall costs for the customer and the contractor significantly. After negotiating and receiving confirmation on the offer, I calculated out the overall reduction in company expenses to be roughly 30% annually. This contract not only allowed for more options to be provided to our customers, it also reduced overall annual costs at the company. We eventually secured the contract. Once the annual report came in, costs had gone down 26% within nine months . It was one of the proudest moments of my career.”

As she’s developed relationships with businesses around the world, she’s realized that having the intercultural knowledge and competence is crucial. She that recommends those new to international business make that a focus early on.

“Learning more about other cultures is a mandatory factor in effective and efficient building of trade relationships. It took time for me to learn how vastly important it is to know other countries’ business practices and routines.”

Proving knowledge and experience with international trade certification

With her FITT Diploma and her years of experience, Maysa wanted to acquire the CITP (Certified International Trade Professional) designation as proof of her career accomplishments, and successfully applied to earn it in 2019.

“This designation highlights the hard work and knowledge that went into learning and demonstrating international trade management, as well as the expertise and success I have accomplished. I feel very honoured and very appreciative I am a part of a global organization that can share and support international trade learners.”

She is now excited to see how the designation will open doors and provide further opportunities for growth and experience in her career.

“I feel this will jump start my career in international trade in various roles and capacities, as the designation represents the level of hard work attained thus far in my career.”

With a relentless drive to pursue his career goals and constantly expand his skills, Rafael Ramos turned an internship after graduation into a successful import-export career a continent away.

Originally from Brazil, Rafael studied international relations and affairs in university. During his studies, he completed an internship with a maritime shipping company in Rio de Janeiro, preparing shipping documents and submitting them to the proper authorities to ensure loading, unloading and transport. Immediately after graduating, he then completed a second internship with a different shipping company. Taking on greater responsibilities, he handled some aspects of the crew exchange process, updated port lists of current ships and crews, and held financial control for services provided to crews on those ships.

With his experience from those internships, he then secured his first full-time job in international trade as an International Operations Assistant with Golden Foods Alimentos, also in Rio de Janeiro. He quickly took on responsibility for the import process and packing validation of the company’s meat, fish, beverage, appetizers and other seasonal products. Combined, these accounts represented nearly half of the company’s revenue!

“I worked closely with suppliers to develop private import labels for my company and some selected clients, which I was quite proud of,” he says.

Pursuing an international business education with a move to Canada

Looking to reinforce his experience with training specific to the practical needs of importers and exporters, Rafael moved to Vancouver to take the FITTskills program through Canadian College, one of FITT’s educational partners.

“I learned a lot about finance tools and how technology can improve my work experience, for example using EDI (electronic data interchange) to improve inventory control.”

My favourite course was Feasibility of International Trade. Learning how to create a feasibility study from scratch to penetrate new markets is extremely useful.

By completing the program, he earned both the FITT Diploma in International Trade and an International Trade and Co-Op Diploma from Canadian College.

Staying in Vancouver to expand his career

Shortly before graduating from Canadian College, Rafael started his current position as an Import Coordinator with Thai United Food Trading Ltd. in Vancouver.

He works directly with exporters on purchase orders for food and personal care products, negotiates ocean freight with maritime shipping companies, schedules container arrivals and manages related costs, and analyzes import data to forecast.

Taking a direct role in final negotiations, including the pricing, has been an aspect of his work he’s glad to have learned, and recommends new professionals prepare to handle such responsibility.

“I wish I’d known from the very start how to negotiate with different cultures. Always study intercultural business to guarantee a great relationship with your partners.”

With suppliers and customers in multiple continents, ever-changing schedules and costs, new data to analyze on a daily basis and other unexpected challenges, his work requires adaptability, as well as the ability to think on your feet and look for unconventional approaches. While some may find this overwhelming or overly challenging, it’s one of his favourite parts of his current job.

“You never know what to expect in international trade, and intercultural business makes you think outside the box. Also, some unexpected events force you to find creative solutions.”

With his FITT Diploma and work experience, Rafael also applied for and successfully added the CITP (Certified International Trade Professional) designation to his list of career accomplishments. He hopes the designation will further improve his credibility as a trade professional, and open doors for new responsibilities.

I am a very young professional who started my experience as an intern. Having an international designation emphasizes and proves my skills, and shows that I am prepared to take on and excel in new challenges.

Already on a strong upward career trajectory, Rafael’s experience and elite professional designation now equip him with all the tools he needs to take on any new challenges in the world of international trade.

As Ifeyinwa Egboka completed her Bachelor’s degree in economics in Nigeria, she knew that she wanted to pursue a career in international trade.

“I was interested in the industry because I have a passion to grow business ventures and help others create new markets,” she explains.

Soon after graduating, she started her first job in client services with Diamond Bank, with a primary focus on helping clients determine their financial needs and develop growth plans. She also developed a marketing campaign to increase awareness for the bank’s e-banking and mobile platforms, to ensure customers could meet their banking needs on the go as well.

A year later, she moved to Zenith Bank, where she continued to work with clients on a daily basis. Her responsibilities expanded to offering in-depth analysis and recommendations to their business strategy, and to serving as an advisor to clients on the dynamics of their international trade transactions.

Getting to see individual companies achieve the success they had hoped for with her help remains a notable career highlight.

“Every story is exciting, but one that stands out is when I was able to identify an opportunity for a client in the abattoir manufacturing business and opened up a massive market for them in West Africa. It was a win for all involved: the manufacturer, the clients, the immediate host community and the government.”

Moving thousands of miles to continue her studies and career development

As Ifeyinwa progressed in her career, she realized staying on top of the latest changes and adopting a continuous learning mindset was a priority to her.

“The world is a dynamic place! Things change all the time. Don’t assume you know the market or region too well. Always keep abreast of the changes even if they are coming thick and fast.”

Wanting to continue her education in Canada, Ifeyinwa moved to Toronto and completed the FITT courses through Seneca College’s international business management graduate certificate program. Finding the training helpful to her career, the program also spurred an interest in adding trade certification to her resume.

“One of the courses on offer as part of my program at Seneca was international trade and logistics. I realized that this was I had mostly spent my career doing before deciding to further my studies in Canada.

I checked out the relevant certification and decided that I would love to acquire the CITP|FIBP certification.

Immediately after completing her graduate certificate and earning her FITT Diploma in International Trade, she applied for the designation and is now proud to have earned the CITP|FIBP.

“When I found out I’d officially earned it, I felt elated and great. I am still exploring the advantages and privileges that the certification comes with, and I hope it play a big positive role in my future.”

Now working as a Fraud Officer for the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) in the GTA, she is helping to keep client accounts safe from fraudulent activity and working to identify and eliminate fraudulent actions or trends.

With her career now established in Canada and her CITP certification, we look forward to seeing what she accomplishes next.

Kellen Spence, now an Account Manager with the Erb Group in Kitchener, Ontario, got his start in international trade while working in manufacturing and quality control at BlackBerry.

“I have always been interested in international trade and global supply chains. I worked for BlackBerry after high school and I watched the supply chain gradually become global, and then the manufacturing activities were outsourced to foreign markets as well. It was at that time I decided to jump straight into the international trade industry.”

After nearly five years there, Kellen accepted a new position with Farrow, one of North America’s largest logistics, customs broker and compliance companies, as a Customs Release Agent. In this role, he worked with clients to facilitate the release of their goods from customs, ensured all shipping and customs documents were completed and filed properly, and dealt directly with CBSA to solve any client issues.

As his responsibilities evolved, he then took on a new Business Development Analyst position. He helped research and prospect qualified leads, analyzed client activities to find new ways to assist, built relationships with new clients to meet their logistics needs.

Since evolving job responsibilities are increasingly common, trade continues to change at a rapid rate and resources are available, he recommends other trade professionals in a similar situation do everything possible to stay up to date however possible.

“Read! Consume as much industry content as you can get your hands on. With the advent of Youtube and other video recording platforms, I now watch as much industry related content as I can as well.”

Applying his skillset to a diverse set of logistics experiences

Over the past few years, Kellen has tackled a varied set of challenges within the logistics industry. When he first started with the Erb Group, his current employer, he worked with truckers to ensure their manifests and other documents were accurate, plan shipments based on availability, and assist them in other ways, including speaking to CBSA and CPB on their behalf regarding border crossings and compliance questions.

As an Account Manager, he now works with clients to find the best solutions to their specific opportunities and problems, and foster productive long-term business relationships with a multitude of companies.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to work on a couple of projects with a large fair trade retailer based in southern Ontario,” he explained to illustrate the kind of projects he works on. “Combining my passion for global trade and fair trade has by far been the best story to come of my career so far.”

As he worked with clients, he wanted to expand his knowledge into other areas of international trade and maximize his potential opportunities, so he took the FITTskills courses online.

FITTskills was a great experience and has given me the knowledge needed to leverage my career and develop brand new opportunities.

“I enjoyed the International Trade Finance course the most. Understanding different insurances and financial instruments that can be used to mitigate and eliminate risk is an area not usually explored within the logistics industry. It allowed me to bridge the gap between the finance and logistics business functions.”

Matching experience with the education and credentials to back it up

Once he completed all six FITTskills courses to earn his FITT Diploma, Kellen successfully applied to become a CITP (Certified International Trade Professional) to prove his competency and skills in global trade and continue to help his company achieve their goals.

“I feel extremely optimistic about the potential opportunities that the CITP designation will bring in my career. I plan to help my company build brand new services and solutions that focus on global markets. I strongly believe that the CITP designation is my platform to achieve this.”

His CITP designation, along with his other credentials, experience and education, now serve as a point of pride as he continues to make new strides in his career.

“I’m most proud of the diverse experience and education that I’ve gathered so far in my career. Having the opportunity to work in customs brokerage, international freight forwarding, and trucking has allowed me to package that knowledge along with my Certified Customs Specialist designation, an advanced certificate in freight forwarding from the Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association, and now the CITP designation. I now have an excellent hand of knowledge cards to play as my career progresses.”

With nearly two decades of experience, fluency in four languages (English, French, Spanish and Portuguese), an MBA, a Master’s degree in science and her CITP designation, Griselda Ramos brings an impressive and unique combination of assets to her international trade career.

After earning a degree in veterinary medicine from Mexico and her M.Sc. in animal science from Australia, she moved back to Mexico for her first job as a technical affairs officer with a veterinary pharmaceutical company.

Realizing how business knowledge could augment her scientific expertise, she then went back to school to earn a marketing diploma and took a new job as a marketing assistant with Merial Mexico (now part of Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies). In her new role, she combined her two areas of knowledge to implement marketing strategies, coordinate events, design brochures and marketing tools, and perform market research.

Adding international trade to her science and business background

Two years later, Griselda moved to Canada and began working at CiToxLab, a contract research organization dedicated to outsourcing pre-clinical research services for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry worldwide, as their Global Business Development Manager.

“I was helping to contract research services throughout all phases of drug development from preclinical to clinical phases I – IV, and worked heavily with companies in both North America and Europe. I also opened new markets for the company in the U.S., Spain and Australia. One of my career highlights was the first time I signed a single contract worth more than a million dollars!”

She has now lived in the Montreal area for over a decade, working for pharmaceutical companies in various business development and consulting positions. Her work has helped these companies meet their sales goals, acquire many new customers worldwide, meet their customers’ regulatory requirements, and monitor and analyze data related to drug development and clinical trials.

During her time in Montreal, she has also made professional development an important focus. In 2007 she earned her diploma in project management from McGill, and then graduated from Concordia’s Executive MBA program in 2015.

Exploring new trade opportunities as a CITP

In 2019, Griselda applied for and earned her Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) designation through the Executive Path, specifically designed to accelerate the process for professionals with 10+ years of trade experience.

I applied because I wanted to give a professional and international boost to my career  while continuing to build my network. I am thrilled to now be a CITP! I feel that it is a very powerful tool that can help me meet my career goals.

As a talented expert in the international pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector, Griselda is poised to continue to excel in this field and to help companies meet even the most ambitious sales and acquisition goals.

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 Kevin Khazrai of 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,” Kevin 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 Kevin 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 Kevin, 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!

As an Account Management Representative with UPS Capital, UPS’s supply chain insurance and finance service company, Kyle Laflamme uses his several years of experience and knowledge to protect customers’ supply chains, assist with claims and provide the best possible service.

His international trade journey began as an Algonquin College student, studying international business through the college’s FITT-accredited program.

“That’s what really peaked my early interest in international trade. I’ve always found the prospect of exploring new markets fascinating, from learning different languages to negotiating logistical challenges, so it’s just been a natural fit for me from then on.”

Thanks to his Algonquin professors and the FITT course content, Kyle built the foundation he needed in international business to launch his career.

“My professors were all very knowledgeable, approachable, and professional. Much of what I was taught I still actively use today years later, so they’ve had a direct result on my success thus far.”

The International Market Entry Strategies course was the most intriguing to me because it encompassed so much of what it takes to get a project off the ground (logistical considerations, laws and regulations, social norms and working conditions, finance, etc.).

“This not only prepares one for international market entry, but also crosses over into many other facets of business as well, from project management to cross cultural negotiations. I’d absolutely recommend FITT’s courses to anyone interested in international trade, they’ve been very beneficial.”

Quickly building an impressive list of career accomplishments

After graduating and working in financial advisor and quality assurance roles in Ottawa, Kyle moved a couple of years later to Montreal to take a position as an Account Specialist, working primarily with business owners in the U.S.

“I ended up moving to Montreal and later accepted a position in a company that needed someone with my theoretical knowledge of international trade. I was responsible for many different sorts of tasks at this company, but the international trade aspect was what interested me the most, so that’s where the majority of my focus was directed.”

Building upon that experience, he next took a job with Wholesale Payments Direct, a new payment processing company at the time. Within a few months he worked his way up from Lead Generation Manager to Director of Operations. Taking on a multitude of challenges, from acquiring new customers, creating sales strategies and handling logistics to building new internal policies and procedures, overseeing payroll and improving data management practices, the position allowed Kyle to stretch his wings in a way he’s continued to do ever since.

“I’ve always been a firm believer in coming up with solutions for complicated challenges as opposed to finding reasons what things can’t be done. Many of my favourite moments stemmed from applying this philosophy to scenarios when logistics and/or communications seemed to have broken down. Reassuring the client that I will fix their problem and then actually pulling it off always produces a great sense of achievement for me, especially when you consider that deadlines are always that much tighter when you have to factor in international time zones and different customs regulations for each country and whatnot.”

In his next role as a logistics specialist and customer service representative with Diebec, he also had the opportunity to help the company improve how it approached acquiring new business, which he found professionally fulfilling and an exciting chance to apply his knowledge to something new.

“One of the most interesting projects that I’ve been involved in was working with senior management to come up with pricing proposals to acquire international business. I’ve always had a knack for Excel, so on one hand I was brought onto the projects for being able to design pricing solutions for our prospective clients, but also because I was the resident expert on the additional costs we faced for shipping internationally as well as what the costs were when a mistake was made. Factor in the tight deadlines and the amount of money that hung in the balance, and that made these project right up my alley.”

“The senior management really took me under their wings and helped actualize my theoretical knowledge by mentoring me and encouraging me along the way.”

The continuous process of professional training and achievement

Even with his many years of career experience and success, Kyle makes an effort to keep learning and expanding his horizons and appreciates how much he’s learned along the way.

“When I first started my career, I wish that I properly understood how fast things can take a turn for the worst if you haven’t prepared adequately for the task at hand. In domestic business, if a simple mistake has been made, it’s usually easily fixed with a phone call or an email.”

“With international business, a simple mistake can mean a package gets held up at customs, a disagreement arises over where the responsibility of risk transfers over in the event of a damaged shipment, possibly losing a client because of a language barrier, etc. It’s much more important to do your research beforehand because there are so many little details to consider that can have a huge impact on your company’s bottom line and your reputation.”

In 2018, he graduated from Concordia University with a BA in philosophy, and intends to pursue a Master’s degree in the future, either in business analytics or business administration.

He also recently met a goal several years in the making by earning his CITP (Certified International Trade Professional) designation, and is excited to see his hard work come to fruition.

“The CITP®|FIBP® designation was a big pull-factor for our college program, so upon graduating I had always intended to apply. Once I found my way into a company that allowed me to gain the necessary experience and knowledge to develop and serve their international market, applying for the CITP®|FIBP® designation was the next logical thing to do, since this is the direction that my career is heading in. It’s very pleasing to see my work and study throughout the years come to fruition.”

He now sees a great deal of value in his designation moving forward, both in his current work and as a potential avenue towards exploring the myriad opportunities available at a company the size of UPS.

“I’m excited to see what doors will open, and what value can be generated from leveraging this designation.

I foresee the CITP designation opening a lot of doors for me internally within my company, given that we’re such a large international transportation company, and also will help provide our clients with confidence knowing that my advice and work is backed by knowledge attained from pursuing accreditation from a recognized international organization like FITT.

Afzalur Rahman’s interest in international business began after he moved from Bangladesh to Canada to study at the University of Windsor. Hoping to benefit from a Canadian education, his international perspective quickly sparked a lifelong passion.

“I had a natural interest in global business activities. I was fascinated at how businesses work differently from country to country, how tastes and preferences contrast from one marketplace to another, and how variances in political economy may affect the way of doing businesses from culture to culture.”

Upon graduating, he continued his education by earning his MBA with a focus on finance in Bangladesh, and then his Doctor of Business Administration from Argosy University in Tampa Bay, Florida.

How teaching has shaped his views on intercultural decisions

Since earning his doctorate, Afzalur has served as an international trade professor and instructor at several different educational institutions. He initially taught at two universities in Bangladesh before moving to Shanghai to teach, which he found to be a fascinating cultural experience.

“I taught at the Shanghai Institute of Technology in China in the winter of 2014 and 2015. It was very interesting to observe some of the core differences between Chinese and North American cultures.”

“For example, while it was quite common in China that students would present their instructor some gifts at the end of the semester, in Canada it may consider unethical to accept gifts from the students. Remarkably, in China, many students would feel depressed if instructors do not accept gifts from them. While Gunaxi (which means “relationship” in Mandarin) is a popular approach to build strong networks between businesses and government, in Canada it is seen as a corrupt and morally repugnant way of doing business.”

This experience shaped the way he perceives how business professionals should adjust their cultural behavior in other markets.

“For many professionals, there’s a cultural dilemma in other countries – for example, should we act like the Chinese when in China? I’ve decided that no culture is good or bad – they are simply different from each other. It is very important to avoid an ethnocentric attitude. Failure to understand local tastes and preferences would jeopardize the business on a foreign soil. Success in the home country doesn’t guarantee success in a subsidiary.”

Moving back to Canada to share his knowledge

Afzalur has now spent the past several years living and teaching in British Columbia, including the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University. Since 2017, he has taught at Douglas College, one of FITT’s educational partners, as a full-time instructor in their Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration.

“As a full-time instructor at Douglas College, I teach eight classes in an academic year. Usually, I have classes four days a week. The class time varies from semester to semester.”

Above: Afzalur (front, middle) with one of his classes at Thompson Rivers University.

Along with his teaching responsibilities, he also continues to research a wide variety of topics related to his courses, and periodically publishes his work. One of his career highlights was his first case study publication in 2014, “Nevado Roses and the Ecuadorian Rose Industry” in the Journal of International Business Education.

“My research has focused primarily on the areas of international business, global management, and international marketing. Recently, I have concentrated on analyzing a variety of interdisciplinary topics such as international trade theory, regional economic integration (NAFTA, ATPDEA, BRICS), foreign direct investment, international entrepreneurship, international retail management, and cross-cultural communication. For last two years, I have also been a member of Douglas College’s International Education Committee.”

On top of his work at Douglas College, he has served as the chair of the Global Conference on Business Management and Economics (GCBME) for the past two years.

Continuing to add to his international trade credentials

In 2018, Afzalur earned his FITT Diploma in International Trade, earning all six credits through FITT’s Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) process. Shortly after, he successfully applied to earn his CITP (Certified International Trade Professional) designation.

Earning my CITP was one of my proudest and most rewarding career accomplishments. I already had a Doctorate degree in International Business, but I was lacking a professional certification – the CITP was the missing feather on my hat!

“The CITP is the world’s leading designation in international business and trade. Earning it will add value to my teaching and research at Douglas College, as well as my professional skills and abilities.”

Among the other benefits, he says the CITP will open new doors to his career and allow him to pursue additional opportunities on top of his current course load and research.

“Now, after having both my doctorate and the CITP, I have a wider range of options to work and research in different areas of international trade. In the future, I see myself consulting for multinational corporations and government agencies in addition to teaching international business courses.”

On top of his excitement about becoming a CITP, he also became a Canadian citizen in 2019, which he considers to be a personal highlight.

As he shares his knowledge with upcoming international trade professionals and expands his work into other areas, Afzalur is now perfectly placed to add new projects and achievements to his already impressive career.

Karmesh Patel first became interested in international trade during childhood. His interest was twofold, as he was fascinated by trade’s importance to both the global economy and international development.

“Growing up, I was always passionate to learn about importing and exporting and how the world economy relies on international trade. I also strongly believe that before the rapid development of technology that we see today, it was the international movement of goods and people that helped spread international culture and language. When you look into history, many civilizations were developed near oceans and international borders, since they were able to capitalize on transportation of goods and people.”

To pursue this interest as a career path, he earned his Bachelors of Commerce from Ryerson University, with a specialization in global management studies. During his studies, he worked on projects that gave him his first experience of what exporting companies have to deal with on a daily basis, and won a Global Citizen award from the school for his accomplishments both in the classroom and the community. After finishing his degree, he then also earned a post-graduate certificate in international development from Humber College.

Moving halfway around the world to pursue his career goals

Once he completed his studies, Karmesh wanted to improve his knowledge of international business and cultures, and decided the best way to do so would be to gain international experience. To do so, he accepted a position as Program Manager with the TATU Project, based on Moshi, Tanzania.

The organization’s focus is sustainable development in rural communities in northern Tanzania. His responsibilities mainly involved managing project finances, social business projects and the transport of goods to the rural communities he worked with. The final of these responsibilities led to one of the most memorable stories of his career to date.

“One of the major bridges we crossed on a regular basis was under construction and we were faced with a big challenge, because we needed to transport bulk goods to the community. Given that we were not provided with a concrete time frame for when the bridge would be repaired, and that we couldn’t purchase too much food in bulk, because of spoilage, we had to make some critical decisions.”

“Luckily, during the construction of the main bridge, the local administrative government built a small temporary bridge for the purpose of walking or driving via motorcycle only. When we spoke to local officials about our dilemma, local youth overheard and offered to help transport bulk bags of goods via motorcycle, since the overall goal was to help keep the local community and its businesses operating. Due to our bridge dilemma, we decided to work with the local youth to transport goods to our community stakeholders.”

“I really like this story because it shows you how community support and collaboration and help overcome any obstacle.”

Learning online at his own pace to further his career in international trade

Still passionate about international trade, he began taking the FITTskills online courses to continue learning about the industry, earn his FITT Diploma and expand his career options.

“I had a wonderful experience taking the FITTskills courses. The FITTskills courses all provided highly detailed information and really helped me further understand each area of international trade. They are perfect for anyone who is interested in gaining a broad-spectrum perspective about international trade and business. I found the material in the Global Value Chain and International Sales and Marketing courses really helped me excel in my Program Manager role with the TATU Project.”

His favourite course, International Market Entry Strategies, was also helpful for his current work and in helping him plan to make a career dream come true.

“I found learning about the research and analysis required to choose the most advantageous market entry strategy to be very fascinating. This course demonstrated the reality of what international businesses have to go through to be prepared for a new business venture.”

“Another key reason why this was my favourite course is that it has always been my goal to be part of a foreign direct investment team/organization implementing a greenfield investment in a foreign market. This course provided detailed information and helped me gain knowledge on how I can make this dream come true one day.”

Joining the Livingston team and the CITP community

Early in 2018, shortly before earning his FITT Diploma, Karmesh began his current job as a Cross Border Agent with Livingston International, one of North America’s biggest customs broker and freight forwarding companies. His responsibilities include processing electronic manifests, resolving shipment issues with CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency) and CPB (U.S. Customs Border Protection), and ensuring shipments are in compliance with all relevant rules and regulations.

He says his role has helped him develop a better understanding of North America’s international trade traffic. His FITTskills training has also been helpful in settling into the role.

“I found that the Feasibility of International Trade course really helped me, as the course provide in-depth knowledge of creating an export plan and clearly explained import/export procedures.”

Wanting to prove himself to his clients and employer, Karmesh also successfully applied for the CITP®|FIBP® designation. He is optimistic it will help him stand out from the crowd, as well as learn from and connect with others.

“I chose to apply for the CITP designation because I wanted to join the CITP community, meet fellow designation holders and learn from some of the industry’s elite. As a young international trade professional, the designation also provides me with a further level of credibility for my employers and clients. I foresee my CITP designation playing a major role in assuring employers and clients of my credibility in international trade and business.”

With the credibility the CITP designation provides, I know I am one step closer of achieving my long term goal to implement a greenfield investment in a foreign market. I also foresee the CITP designation helping me start my own international business to help small agriculture business owners in developing countries.

For Andreina Figuera, moving to Panama with her family at age 15 was an important catalyst in her future career choice.

“My interest in trade and international business started at a very early age. I have always wanted to know how it worked and how the world was connected. This curiosity deepened when I first visited the Panama Canal.”

Remaining in Panama for her education, she then completed her Bachelor’s degree in International Commerce at the Inter American University of Panama.

“This educational experience allowed me to understand that this field requires specialized human resources in foreign trade. I learned about the operational tasks of foreign trade, such as international quotations, adjusting to customer requirements, export and import logistics, issuance and control of documentation, calculation of export and import costs, market surveys, strategic business plans and development of intercultural relations.”

Partway through her program, she started working as an international trade assistant with her current employer, which deals in selling heavy mining and construction equipment.

Initially, this was a helpful way for her to put the theoretical knowledge she was acquiring in school into practical use, further improving her skills. As time went on, her responsibilities expanded and she helped her company expand into new Latin American markets, building a wide series of contacts and learning more about tariff barriers, free trade agreements and the legal and intercultural aspects of trade.

Taking her education to the next level

When Andreina completed her degree in 2013, she knew that it would not be the end of her education. Since then, she has also completed her graduate diploma in senior management in 2016 and her MBA, with a focus on finance, in 2017.

“As a young and dynamic professional, I was very interested in pursuing my continuing education and keeping up to date with the demands that the market presented. The desire to continue advancing professionally and to gather the necessary skills for decision making and to achieve an effective management greatly inspired me to take on post graduate studies in senior management.”

“Completing my MBA also allowed me to have a macro and microeconomic vision of trade. This helped me develop into an agent with deep knowledge in business management, and gave me management skills I needed to make assertive and rational decisions, contributing to my continuing development and progress in the personal and professional field.”

In 2018, she also added the FITT Diploma in International Trade to her educational achievements, earning it via a combination of FITT’s Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) process and the online courses.

“The FITTskills online courses gave me the opportunity to validate what I have learned during my work experience. It was a great experience to take these courses with a reputable and recognized organization, and it is very helpful for professionals in the field to share experience and increase their knowledge.”

Expanding partnership opportunities, new international branches and the Panama Canal itself

During this time her work responsibilities also evolved, and she now works as an international sales executive and commercial representative. This role include everything from helping companies with their business plans and marketing strategies to representing them in trade shows and fairs, negotiating and closing sales deals and managing the legal and administrative aspects of those deals.

One of her greatest professional victories was as part of a team assessing the opportunity to open a new company branch in different Latin American countries, which turned out to be a successful venture.

“After extensive market research and cautious analysis of the political risks, tax requirements, legal framework and more, we decided to open a branch there. I was responsible for defining specific import strategies with different custom agents that would be fiscally optimal and meet all legal requirements, as well as how to best manage our various intercultural relationships in the market.”

She also played an important role in negotiating and managing a new strategic alliance with another leading company in the heavy equipment industry, which helped her expand their sales significantly in different countries within South and North America.

“During different partnership experiences, I’ve been able to negotiate the agreement and manage the logistics, as well as rigorously monitor any commercial issues crossing borders.”

In another career highlight, she played an important role in a team to buy equipment that had originally been manufactured for the use on the Panama Canal expansion project.

“In this process, I had the opportunity to work directly on the contract negotiation for the exclusive international marketing and sales of said equipment. It was especially exciting for me because I think the Panama Canal is one of the greatest engineering masterpieces in the world. The canal changed the world’s transport system, not only because crossing it was the fastest and most effective way compared to the traditional routes of Chile, Africa or the Suez Canal in Egypt, but also because it contributes in a cost reduction of 7% to 17% per shipping container, according to the calculations realized by several logistic operators at that moment.”

Her new challenge is helping her company break into the Canadian market. She is currently working in Montreal as part of a larger strategy to build contacts and attract new business there.

She also decided to spread her knowledge and experience to the next generation, and is now teaching business related subjects at a reputable college in Montreal. She believes that when teaching blends experience with knowledge, it makes a real difference in education.

In 2018, she furthermore became an author on TradeReady, writing the article Are you ready to export? 8 golden rules for success in a new market.

Cementing her expertise with the trade certification to back up her skills

With nine years of experience, the ability to communicate in three languages (Spanish, Portuguese and English), experience visiting over 15 countries throughout Latin America, North America and Europe, and a wide network of professional contacts, in both commercial and educational sectors, Andreina has already built up an impressive resume in international trade.

Her Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) designation is now the latest addition to that resume, which she is proud of and recommends to other professionals looking to get ahead in the industry.

“The challenges and the constant changes worldwide encourage me to continue getting prepared and staying up to date, which is why I was motivated to obtain the CITP®|FIBP® certification. My aim was to validate my capacity and experience, and to acquire more credibility through commitment and interest in the business of international trade.”

“This designation gives exposure for professionals to advance in their careers, as it heightens their profile and which will definitely open new doors to them.”