roundtable


2017 arguably marks a new era for exporters; a far more uncertain world post-Brexit and post-Trump, yet one in which the UK economy looks set to remain buoyant and resilient. Against this backdrop, the roundtable – sponsored by global supply chain solution company Charles Kendall Freight, international payment experts HiFX and UK Export Finance – met to discuss the issue of .....


Exporting in an environment of risk to achieve sales growth


Participants


Ian Jenkins: Director global trade, Charles Kendall Freight


Alex Tatham: Managing director, Westcoast


David Shaw: Director, trading controller Europe & emerging markets, Standard Brands


Stuart Stoter: Export finance manager, UK Export Finance


Jan Ward CBE: CEO, Corrotherm


Chris Towner: Managing director, HiFM and director, HiFX


Lined up to debate: the Roundtable team Matt Wright reports on a very thought-provoking roundtable Current state of the global market


David Taylor, international trade adviser, DIT asked the rhetorical question to the roundtable: “When has there ever not been risk in terms of international trade?” He cited the fact that those around the table with greyer hair and longer memories remembered the original debate, back in 1975, as to whether the UK should remain in the common market? That was also a time of great change where many contradictory opinions abounded, and going forwards Brexit is likely to prove no different.


“Retrenchment is not the safe option though – the future lies in embracing new opportunities.”


Opportunities over the next five years


David Murray, chairperson and managing director of The Business Magazine, asked the roundtable to outline the export


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opportunities they foresaw over the next five years.


Jan Ward, CEO, Corrotherm, explained how she currently sat on business councils for both Saudi Arabia and for the Gulf States and so was able to see, at first-hand, the immense potential for the UK to do business outside of the EU.


“They want free trade agreements and they want them quickly, in sectors such as education, cyber security, financial services to name but a few. It’s interesting to see that in the recent Queens’ Awards list, the vast majority of winners exported exclusively to Europe. I find that rather disappointing, given the huge opportunities to trade with the rest of the world; cautiousness is holding companies back at a time when they should be looking outwards and forwards.”


Stuart Stoter, export finance manager, UK Export Finance, agreed with the global opportunities, pointing out that in his experience, businesses were now “looking


Domenico Sansalone: Corporate treasurer, Expro Group


Margaret Romanski: CFO, Designers Guild


David Taylor: International trade adviser, Department for International Trade


David Murray: Managing director, The Business Magazine, chaired the discussion


at these markets more than they ever have done in the past.” Given the general uncertainty likely over the next few years, Stoter highlighted the wisdom of “creating Plan B outside of Europe.


“There are huge opportunities in countries such as India, China, Australia, Africa … in fact, many of the fastest growing countries in GDP terms come from Africa at present – high risk, but also high opportunities.”


David Shaw, Trading controller Europe and emerging markets, Standard Brands, agreed with this risk/reward argument pointing out that many exporters have only been “playing at exporting” outside of


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – MARCH 2017


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