Executing UK Trade and Investment’s Strategy

I am back again at the office after spending a few days in Ecuador participating at the Latin America Trade and Investment Conference.  UK Trade and Investment launched its strategy last year, but as it is known a good strategy without a proper execution is just good intentions.  So, after the meeting in Buenos Aires where we discussed the focus and the measurements to drive the performance of UKTI’s new strategy, we followed up with this conference. The purpose of this meeting was to work on the synchronisation and generation of both horizontal alignments between headquarters and posts, and vertical alignment within the Embassy and between the commercial sections in the Latin American region.  UKTI is no different from any organisation that wants to have sustainable growth by creating value for its clients and at the same time engage its employees. This is the challenge for all of us.

Ecuador is a fascinating country. People’s positive attitude and service are remarkable. In this competitive and challenging world, customers want to feel unique and appreciated and in Ecuador they have implemented this philosophy across different sectors.

During my visit, I had the chance to spend some time with my family and also with dear friends. The photographs posted in this blog are courtesy of my good friend Pablo Corral Vega, who is an Ecuadorian world class photojournalist. (www.pablocorralvega.com)

Posted at 12:35 08 November 2007 by Maria Pia Gazzella  | 

In Buenos Aires

I have spent the last 2 days in Buenos Aires participating in a workshop on implementing UK Trade and Investment strategy. Delegates from Peru, Argentina and Chile participated, making the learning process more valuable since we were able to share our best practice to deliver better services to our clients.

I arrived in Buenos Aires on Sunday, the same day as the Government Elections for President. The quietness and order in the city positively surprised me, but some Argentines I spoke with suggested that it was due to an apathy for the election since it was well known who the winner was going to be. Cristina Kirchner, wife of the current President, became the first woman to be elected president in Argentina's history.

I asked Simon Brier, Head of UKTI 's Commercial Section in Buenos Aires, about the impact of this election on Argentina’s economy. He explained how rapid economic growth (8-9% p.a.) has been one of Argentina's strengths during the (Nestor) Kirchner Presidency. He said that many analysts believe growth will continue, but they also see some economic challenges (e.g. on inflation and energy). He added that Cristina's electoral campaign messages suggest that she will be active in promoting foreign investment in Argentina. 

So, without getting into politics, the better the economic prospects in neighbouring countries are, the better we are positioned to identify useful opportunities for British companies that could operate/sell their products in South America.

I got back to Santiago late at night and unfortunately now my husband is in US for 3 weeks and our paths only crossed at the airport.

Posted at 15:35 02 November 2007 by Maria Pia Gazzella  |