CITP in the News!

Thomas McKaig, CITP launches the second edition of his widely-acclaimed textbook, Global Business Today

Thomas McKaig, Certified International Trade Professional (CITP), professor, author, business adviser, and international keynote speaker, is pleased to announce the launch of the second edition of his widely acclaimed textbook, Global Business Today.

Global Business Today (McGraw-Hill Ryerson) provides instructors with the comprehensive coverage, accessible presentation of theory, and focus on managerial implications they expect from the Hill text, with Canadian content that reflects a Canadian perspective on international business and helps students relate core concepts to their own experience. A superior technology support package supports teaching and student success. This is a core textbook in many international trade courses at both the university and college levels, as well as in Executive MBA programmes.

Mr. McKaig is Adjunct Professor in the Department of Marketing and Consumer Studies at the University of Guelph, and has been recognized as Special Graduate Faculty by the University's Board of Graduate Studies. He is Principal in Thomas McKaig International Inc., a highly successful international development firm offering advisory services in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. He has also been the Executive in Residence at the University of Tennessee for the past few years.His early career included working in institutional equity sales at Midland (Doherty) Walwyn in London, Zurich, and Milan, where he developed a new Italian equities market for a leading Canadian bank. Following that, he carried out an international tenure as Sales Manager with the Royal Canadian Mint's Gold Maple Leaf Coin Department, and was the sole adviser working on the worldwide marketing strategy for the United States Gold Eagle coin, minted by the US Treasury Department's Bureau of the US Mint in Washington, DC.

Recently, Thomas delivered a series of successful international trade seminars and workshops in Uruguay with the Cámara Nacional de Comercio y Servicios del Uruguay, the Canadian Embassy in Montevideo, and the Universidad Católica del Uruguay.

Congratulations Thomas!

What is the value of FITT membership?

Membership organizations, like FITT, bring together leading experts and an interested and involved community to set standards and invigorate progress industry-wide. In the field of International Trade, the value of FITT membership is two fold, offering benefits both to the community and our individual members.

For you…

• Publications, resources and support abound for FITT members, including The Members’ Forum; Partner communications (such as I.E. Today Headlines and EDC’s eNews.); event material and presentations; Goingglobal.com; as well as on-going access to current trade statistics and other data.
• Certify and enhance your skills with continuous professional development opportunities, the CITP designation, and knowledge sharing at our Annual Conference and Regional Events.
• Take advantage of discounts developed just for you such as the FITT Ambassadors Program, discounts on eConcordia courses, and reduced rates at many FITT and FITT-partner events!
• Connect with your peers through the Online FITT Membership Directory, Discussion Forum, social media outlets, and via the CITP Speakers Bureau!

For the Community…

• Your membership contributions allow FITT to offer our programs and services to all individuals and businesses involved in international trade. These initiatives include:
• The identification of knowledge and competency gaps that are most relevant to the success of businesses;
• The development of international trade-specific curriculum, standards, and certification; and
• The promotion of industries that are still expanding into the field of international trade.

FITT’s members are leaders in the International Trade community. Their commitment to personal and professional growth is shaping the future of International Trade on a global scale.

To all of our members, Corporate, Certified, General and Student, thank-you for your continued support and participation in these important efforts.

For more information on our community or on becoming a FITT member, please visit our website.

Feeling Lost?

FITT’s CITP designation is a great road-mark for any Professional interested or working in International Trade. If navigating the various requirements of the CITP seems daunting, don’t fret, FITT is here to help!

There are several ways to obtain your CITP, including the Educational, Professional, Executive, and SME Acceleration paths. Not sure which route to take? Our Membership Team can help you find the path that best suits your needs and experience. It’s as easy as that!

You can also visit our website for a map to the FITT educational partner nearest you.

Whether you are just starting out or are seasoned in the ways of the road, the CITP is within your reach—an essential compass for your professional journey.

FITT Discussion Forums – An Explosion of Knowledge!

Whether you are a member of FITT or not, the online Discussion Forum is an open arena for dialogue, questions, and debate on anything and everything that interests our community!

Over the past few weeks we have been seeing an increase in the traffic on the Forum and we would like to encourage everyone to take part! This forum is for YOU!

For students, the forum offers an excellent platform to ask questions, get to now other International Trade Professionals, and engage in some thought-provoking and educational discussion.

For our more established community members, the Forum is a great place to shine. We recognize the invaluable expertise that exists within our community and want to encourage participation and collaboration between members at all levels. And hey, we could all use some advice now and again!

Visit the Discussion Forum and contribute today!

You can also subscribe to the Forum’s RSS feed to be alerted every time there is activity!
And, for the tech savvy, visit Google to download an RSS reader for your cell phone, to stay in-the-know no matter where your business may take you.

More than One Way to Strut Your Stuff!

In 2008, FITT reached new heights with over 330 CITP Designations earned by International Trade Practitioners, to-date!

But, there is more than one way for our community leaders to strut their stuff! FITT Certificates and Diplomas are also noteworthy indicators of expertise in the field of International Trade.

The more than 3100 individuals who hold a FITT Certificate of International Trade have proven their dedication to the industry by completing at least 4 of the intensive FITTskills courses. These thorough and practical courses require students to develop and apply a solid comprehension of real-world issues and challenges.

The FITT Diploma of International Trade is awarded to individuals who have completed all 8 of the FITTskills courses. The 1700 students and professionals who have achieved this mark of excellence have demonstrated a level of dedication, to personal and professional development, that is an important factor in the rising standards and overall advancement of the industry. Furthermore, they are within short reach of their CITP designation!

To learn more about how Certificate and Diploma holders can achieve the CITP designation, please visit our website.

Or, for more information on any of the FITTskills courses, please visit the links below.

• Global Business Environment
• International Marketing
• International Trade Finance
• Global Supply Chain Management
• International Market Entry Strategies
• International Trade Research
• Legal Aspects of International Trade
• International Trade Management

Congratulations to all community members who achieved any of our notable benchmarks in 2008!

Where in the world?

Did you know that FITT has more than 65 educational partners across the globe?

And, with our online delivery partner, eConcordia, you can enroll and participate in FITTskills courses from anywhere with an internet connection—even 13,600 feet above sea level!

Check-out our website for a complete listing of our delivery and accredited partners!

See you in the classroom!

Tis' the Season for Networking

Looking to do some networking, but feeling daunted by the snow?

Join FITT on LinkedIn to connect with a community of more than 14 million professionals with just a click of your mouse!

An online tool that allows people and groups to connect, share, and network, LinkedIn is FITT’s latest venture into the world of social media. Join our group today for on-going discussions, news updates, and collaboration.

LinkedIn also allows the FITT community to share our organization and resources with their contacts.

So, don’t wait! If you are a LinkedIn member, sign-in and visit our group to join. Or, to learn more about LinkedIn, please Click Here.

We look forward to your contributions!

Project Chincha Baja

FITT’s CITPs have been spanning global markets for over a decade. Involved in every facet of international trade, our CITPs are global leaders in countless disciples, employing their expertise in numerous countries world-wide. FITT is proud of the monumentous influence our CITPs hold globally, including one of our longest standing members, Mr. Joseph Gubbels.

Joe has been a CITP for 10 years. With extensive international experience, Joe’s expertise focuses on market research and the development of marketing and business plans. Although educated in Canada, he spent the earlier part of his career working in Peru. There, he was active in the promotion of education and community development, fostering the advancement of many children through his efforts.

Ismaél Cárdenas Gallardo is a sincere and well presented Peruvian, now working as an Administrator for Amigos de Siempre in Chincha Baja, Peru. He is one of the children who were given an improved foundation by Joe nearly 40 years ago. In 2004, Ismaél found his mentor in Edmonton and convinced him to return to Peru to assist in the development of Chincha Baja – a small community on the West coast.

Joe’s return to Peru, as a volunteer retiree, contributed greatly to the transformation of this community. With his international and business knowledge, Joe worked with the local authorities, community members, and international partners to foster the building and development of two primary schools. Focusing on an underprivileged area, the schools saw dramatic transformations with improved infrastructure, programs, and academic standing. These positive changes extended beyond the school walls, radiating throughout this community.

However, on August 15th, 2007 a magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck only 6km from Chincha Baja. The devastation was horrific, with nearly 90% of the Adobe-constructed buildings destroyed. The only two schools left standing were the ones recently built with Canadian support.

Then in Canada, Joe immediately recognized the critical need of the community and returned to Peru. He began working with Canadian sponsors and the local community to construct common kitchens, classrooms, and shelters to sustain the town. He also raised $25K, which was matched by the Wild Rose Foundation of Alberta, for the rebuilding of Chincha Baja.

Joe assisted the local group Amigos de Siempre in the legitimization of their fundraising program by registering their charity for accountability and standards. Contributions to the rebuilding effort were enormous, facilitated through cooperation of the city council, town mayor, and Rainbow of Hope for Children—a Canadian-based charity aiming to “alleviate suffering and change the structures causing injustice” throughout the world.

Their present project is the Centre for Occupational Education in Chincha Baja. This facility is purposed to “provide a series of sustainable adult educational programs for Peruvian women and men which will lead to equality, self-esteem, personal identity, capacity building and improved employment opportunities”. Bringing positive change and progress to the community, Project Chincha Baja is critical not only in the sustaining of the community but also as an example for the entire country.

Joe’s work is an inspiration to all Canadians, but particularly to those involved at an international level. His dedication to the development of Chincha Baja and work with the Rainbow of Hope for Children Society speaks volumes to his personal and professional commitments.

Rainbow of Hope has a goal of $150,000 to continue support and development in this area. If you are interested in contributing to Project Chincha Baja, we encourage you to contact Joe at: 780.484.5060 / jgubbs@shaw.ca. All contributions raised within Canada will be matched in triplicate by the Canadian International Development Agency.

http://www.rainbowofhopeforchildren.ca/

New Resource Available!

Check out the Step by Step Guide to Importing that has just been added to our website!

This is a great free resource for Canadian Entrepreneurs.

Look under the Resources tab, or in our What's New section on the home page.

New Benefit for General Members!

All FITT certificate and diploma holders, who are also FITT General Members (this excludes Free Full-Time Students), now have access to Harvard Manage Mentor10, a professional development series offered in partnership with Harvard Business Publishing.

Harvard ManageMentor 10 is the most practical, engaging online resource for fostering management skills and applying them on the job immediately. Members gain access to action-oriented information on 42 key management topics, developed under the guidance of world-renowned experts, practitioners, and business leaders.

To take advantage of your new benefit today, log in to the members’ only section of our website and click on the Harvard ManageMentor tab. It’s as simple as that!

A Certificate of Achievement will be awarded to all members who have completed 21 modules. Contact Jennifer Bowman (jbowman@fitt.ca or 613.230.3553 ext. 108) today for more information on this exciting new benefit!

Chapters Gift Card Winners!

FITT would like to thank YOU - a valued member - for your continued support.

As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, all members who renewed before November 7th were entered into a draw for a chance to win 1 of 12 Chapters gift cards. Here are the lucky winners:

• Larraine Adrain, CITP, Agricom International Incorporated, Coquitlam, BC
• Lisa Di Michele, CITP, Al-Ti Express, Candiac, QC
• Carmen Elizabeth Kimlin, CITP, JP Morgan Chase Global Trade Services, Burlington, ON
• Vincent Taddeo, CITP Cavendish Farms, Dieppe, NB
• Sherilyn Acorn-Leclair, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI
• Eric Maag, Northern Ontario Trade Initiative, Timmins, ON
• Chris Maxwell-Smith, C-Max and Associates, Mississauga, ON
• Kamran Etessam-Yazdani, Unique Garnet Incorporated, North York, ON
• Serge Robinson Désir, ALSTOM Transportation Information and Security Incorporated, Saint Laurent, QC
• Paul MacCuish, Telus, Vancouver, BC
• Grant Titan Dalton, Full-time Student, Hamilton, ON
• Rafael Campos, Full-time Student, Vancouver, BC

We look forward to continuing to work on your behalf by helping you to acquire the information, support and knowledge you need to market your products and services around the world. We thank you in advance for renewing your membership and for your help in promoting the benefits of FITT to your colleagues and peers.

The World of Social Media

Last month we announced our latest venture into Social Media with the creation of our Facebook page & Flickr account. We have now added icons on FITT’s homepage for easy access to both, as well as an icon for our RSS feed. Click here to be redirected to our homepage now.

We are currently working on creating a FITT group on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is an online network of more than 30 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 150 industries. Through your network you can:

• Find potential clients, service providers, subject experts, and partners who come recommended
• Be found for business opportunities
• Search for great jobs
• Discover inside connections that can help you land jobs and close deals
• Post and distribute job listings
• Find high-quality passive candidates
• Get introduced to other professionals through the people you know

We will be updating the LinkedIn group page regularly with news and information on FITT – including events, announcements, and general points of interest. If you have something to share or would like to learn more about FITT and our friends, please drop by.

We hope to see you there!

Reminder: Pro-Rated Membership Fee Schedule!

On June 1, 2007 FITT implemented a Pro-Rated Membership Fee Schedule and introduced the FITT Membership Year (September 1st to August 31st).

Renewing FITT members, according to the implementation schedule, in 2007-2008 would have seen their renewal date adjusted to either May 31, 2008 or August 31, 2008 based on their original date joined.

New FITT members would have paid a pro-rated membership fee (according to the fee schedule below) and would have an expiry date of either August 31, 2008 or August 31, 2009 [depending on the month joined].

The purpose of the above-mentioned procedures is to align all FITT members on a common renewal date (on cycle with the FITT Membership Year). The process of coordinating this change will take until August 31, 2009, and we ask for a bit of patience while we finalize our latest membership updates.

All FITT Members now have an expiry date of August 31, 2009.

Please click here to view the FITT Membership Fee schedule.Reminder: Pro-Rated Membership Fee Schedule!

If you have any specific questions regarding your own personal membership file, or any general questions regarding the FITT Membership Year or common-renewal date schedule, please contact FITT Membership directly at jbowman@fitt.ca or 800.561.3488 ext. 108.

Conference Draw Winners!

With the Holiday Season looming, FITT has gotten in the giving mood a little early.

We would like to congratulate the following community members for winning our draws at the Canada Trade Sumit in Saskatoon, SK, and I.E.Canada Conference in Toronto, ON:

Sid Friesen, of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, and
H. Ruth Snowden, from the Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association Inc.

Both participants will be receiving two books, Get Smarter, by Seymour Schulich and Who’s Your City, by Richard Florida.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booths and we hope to see you at the next event!

FITT Members' Forum - Call for Topics

Over the next few weeks, we will be mapping out topics for our monthly Members' Forum.

Are there issues or topics that you would like to see highlighted? Or, do you have a great resource or article that you'd like to share with your community?

Let us know your thoughts!

You can log-on to our Facebook Page or Discussion Forum to voice your opinion, or send us an email at: marketing@fitt.ca

FITT Flickr Account - Come and See Who We Are!

With our CITPs, students, and members working throughout the world, it’s time for a face-to-face!

FITT would like to invite all of our friends and members to participate in our new Flickr group. A collaborative tool for photo sharing, the FITT Flickr album is a central location for images related to FITT, our regional events, classrooms, conferences, and more.

If you have participated in FITT events in the past, or if you’d like to get more involved in our programs, we encourage you to visit the site. There, you’ll find a collective photo album, commentary, and an interactive discussion board.

Whether you have a Flickr account or not, simply click the following link to browse through our album: http://www.flickr.com/groups/fitt

If you are a member, log-in and join our group to contribute your own photos or participate in discussions.

We hope to see you there!

FITT Joins the Facebook Community!

We are thrilled to announce that FITT is now part of the Facebook community! This launch is focused on our friends and members, and hopes to make staying-in-touch even easier. The page will welcome contribution, discussion, and questions on anything related to international business and FITT. With a community of members, partners and students that span the globe, our hope is to provide a place for interaction, learning, and development.

We will be updating regularly with news and information on FITT – including events, announcements, and general points of interest. If you have something to share or would like to learn more about FITT and our friends, please drop by.

For those with a Facebook account, “Become a Fan” of FITT to have updates appear in your news-feed. Even if you’re not a Facebook member, you can still watch our page for interesting updates and discussion:

FITT – The Professional Path to Global Markets

FITT: Acclaimed Author Andrea Mandel-Campbell Joins Canada's International Trade Elite

OTTAWA, ONTARIO - Andrea Mandel-Campbell has been awarded an Honorary Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) designation by FITT - the world's leading international trade training and professional certification authority. Mandel-Campbell is a veteran journalist and author of the book Why Mexicans Don't Drink Molson: Rescuing Canadian Companies from the Suds of Global Obscurity. This professional designation recognizes her experience, education and ongoing commitment to enhancing the competitiveness of Canadian companies in the global marketplace."It is an exciting time to be involved in international trade as almost all companies are affected by global events and increased competitiveness. FITT has more than proven its commitment to providing businesses and individuals with the tools they need to compete successfully in world markets", says Ms. Mandel-Campbell. "I am eager and proud to put my CITP designation and my real world experience to use as an ambassador for FITT and the CITP designation. This designation reflects my commitment to upholding professional international trade practices."Ms. Mandel-Campbell was Bureau Chief for London's Financial Times in Mexico and correspondent for Business Week magazine in Argentina. She has written extensively on the impacts of the North American Free Trade Agreement, global corporate consolidation, industrial policy and institutional reform. She is also a Contributing Editor at BNN - the Business News Network - where her focus is on competitiveness analysis. Ms. Mandel-Campbell has, through her travels to the cool valleys of Chinese Manchuria and Argentina's pink presidential palace, been afforded a unique glimpse into the inner workings of globalization. Her extensive experience in international trade clearly demonstrates her knowledge and capacity of the CITP competencies.The CITP is the highest market of professionalism in international trade and the only professional designation of its kind in Canada. FITT confers this designation on individuals who have met educational and experiential requirements. CITPs are recognized as having the highest knowledge and skills across a broad range of international business competencies. These competencies are established by Canadian businesses working in international trade and are then certified by FITT."FITT remains focused on its commitment to develop valued and relevant international trade programs and services, as well as implementing comprehensive national standards for global trade practitioners," says FITT President, Caroline Tompkins. "We are extremely proud to welcome Andrea to the growing group of CITPs across Canada who are excelling in the international trade arena thanks to the skills, knowledge, competencies and support they have earned along with their CITP designation."