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Whether to open a subsidiary or to export to a new country, the international expansion of any company does not only depend on having a good product, a solid strategy or a high advertising budget. If there is an essential element to grow in the world, it is the export managers, the professionals who make up the company's internationalization departments. They are the people who know the culture and customs of each client, who travel, who negotiate and who then meet with a Chinese distributor or resolve incidents with Mexican clients.
“Only one in 10 companies that start exporting becomes a regular exporter. Having specialized talent is the company's great challenge and one of the determining factors to consolidate sales abroad,” says Cristina Serradell, International Business Director of ACCIÓ, the Government agency for the company's competitiveness. Talent management, therefore, represents a vital issue for companies with an international vocation and the desire to continue growing.
For this reason, the talent to internationalize will be the central axis of the ACCIÓ Internationalization Week, an annual reference event in Catalonia for companies that want to export or open subsidiaries abroad, which will be held from October 23 to 27. A week full of activities that will have as its epicenter the central day of October 25 at the World Trade Center in Barcelona, dedicated to analyzing and learning about the figure of the export manager of the present and the future.
During this day, participating companies will be able to listen to the people who know the most. On the one hand, Isabel Perea, partner at Grant Thornton, will give the key ideas to take advantage of the talent that companies need to expand internationally; and on the other hand, Ferrer, Frit Ravich and Grifols, three of the most exporting Catalan companies, will explain the management they carry out and everything that needs to be taken into account in a context like the current one.
Furthermore, within the framework of the Talent Marketplace, Catalan companies will be able to participate in a speed meeting with 150 students and graduates in international trade and logistics from the Barcelona Logistics Institute, Tecnocampus or ESCI-UPF. A unique opportunity to meet future professionals through interviews and meetings to exchange experiences and knowledge.
What should the export manager of the future be like? Beyond languages, the person who accompanies companies to grow abroad requires skills of all kinds. Some have to do with the ability to detect new business opportunities for the company. To achieve this, three key competencies are necessary: knowing the target market in depth, having important technical knowledge and the ability to understand and adapt to changes in the environment.
We must not forget that we are talking about a profile that must also have a global mentality, curiosity about traveling and a desire to get to know other cultures and countries. It is a very relational job and interpersonal skills, empathy and active listening are essential to ensure success and understand the client's needs to provide the solutions they need. All of them, and others, are skills that can be learned within the framework of the Week's activities.
As always, Internationalization Week is synonymous with international expansion, new projects and growth. During the main day, participating companies will be able to meet with the directors of the 40 ACCIÓ Trade and Investment Offices in the world and the Internationalization Support Agents to get to work and resolve doubts about the projects.
Between October 23 and 27, the Week also offers dozens of activities, in virtual format and spread throughout Catalonia, organized by ACCIÓ and entities such as Amec, the Chambers of Commerce, Cecot, Connect-IN, Foment del Treball, Pimec and Secartys: sessions dedicated to learning about opportunities in new markets such as Japan, China, France or Australia; workshops on taxation or logistics or presentations on how to improve your international online strategy, among others.
