Giles joined the Department for International Trade as an International Trade Adviser in April 2018, supporting North West companies to access new global markets. Giles has a specific focus on the infrastructure and renewable energy sectors.

Prior to joining DIT, Giles was employed as an International Trade Adviser at one of the country’s largest Chambers of Commerce, supporting companies to enter new overseas markets and grow export sales. 

Christos Kottis joined the Department of International Trade (DIT) North West team as Export Manager for Greater Manchester in 2020.

With 25 years of experience working in business and marketing, Christos’s international trade expertise has been gained across various industry sectors, including manufacturing, renewable energy, logistics and professional services.

His role, part of the Northern Powerhouse DIT regional team, involves engaging with SMEs across Greater Manchester to promote the opportunities on offer, to both existing and new exporters, to maximise their international trade volume, in line with the government’s vision for Global Britain.

Christos chairs the Gr.Manchester Trade Group, a team of strategic partners such as the GM Combined Authority, GM Chamber of Commerce, the University of Manchester, Export Champions and others who meet regularly and develop/monitor the Export Strategy for the region with the latest version published in January. Christos also sits on the GM-Pakistan Steering Group and on the GM-Bangladesh Trade Board.

 

 

 

Lisa has 20 years' experience working in international trade and investment, corporate sales strategy and innovation within a number of organisations including the UK Department for International Trade, academia and multinational creative, media and technology companies in the UK and Canada. During this time she has advised business leaders on skills development, international trade, sales strategy and innovation.

She is a British citizen and Canadian resident, and has been living and working in Canada for the past five years and her company and partners support UK companies with their expansion into the Canadian market.

After 50 years in the international logistics industry Gary established his own company, Export Access, with a view to helping UK companies understand how to export, how to gain access to foreign markets and how to deliver goods to overseas customers.

Working closely with the Department for International Trade, Chambers of Commerce, Industry & Trade Associations, Banks, Universities and International Trade Support Organizations Gary is on a personal mission to educate and inform exporters, so that they are properly prepared to exploit opportunities in overseas markets.

Gary runs the representative office for UK & Ireland for Registrar Corp USA – the leading global provider of assistance services for foreign suppliers whose products are subject to regulation by the US FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA).

Kevin is an Export Finance Manager for UK Export Finance in the North-West.   He assists companies in understanding export finance requirements and helps identify an appropriate solution. This maybe via the private market or by using UK Export Finance assistance.

He has more than 30 years’ experience dealing with importing and exporting companies working in the International, Trade and Treasury departments of Barclays, National Australia Bank and Lloyds. Kevin has a degree in Finance from UMIST, is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and graduate of the Institute of Export

Brenda VanHorn is career member of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Foreign Service. She serves in London as Commercial Counselor assisting American businesses expand their global markets, and UK businesses interested in investing in the United States.

Previously she has served in India where she worked extensively on supply chain issues during the COVID pandemic. Other postings were in Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Poland where she has assisted businesses with winning foreign tenders, expanding markets, resolving trade disputes. She started her Commercial Service career in the Buffalo NY Export Assistance Center - where she previously had been a client while working as an International Trade Account Manager in the private sector.

Brenda is a graduate of Houghton College, Houghton NY, is a NASBITE Certified Global Business Provider, a certified project planner and has studied with Co-Active Leadership Institute, and completed the Global Executive Leadership program with the Thunderbird School at the University of Arizona.

Chris joined ChargePoint in 2006 and was responsible for establishing ChargePoint as a distinct trading entity, becoming Managing Director as part of an initial management buyout in 2009. Chris managed the global business expansion across all functions including offices based in the UK, Europe, America and the Far East. 95% of ChargePoint’s products are exported globally. Since the original buyout, Chris has led the company through three further funding rounds, the most recent being the investment by Arcline Investment Management in 2021, a USA based fund. More recently ChargePoint has aquired Terracon, a liquids handling business based in Boston, USA. Chris has developed a strong positive culture within ChargePoint, focused on honesty, integrity, quality and doing the right thing. The results of this are ultimately reflected in business performance, customer satisfaction and employee retention.

Robert has over 40 years of experience in Software Product Development and was previously CTO of magic4 (a company acquired by Openwave Inc in 2004 for $82m). Robert founded Wadaro following a disagreement with his mobile service provider about the lack of radio coverage at his house. Robert's poor experience of Customer Care from his mobile provider led to the development of an innovative solution to the problem of measuring mobile service and Wadaro, a company that sells world-wide to include the Americas, was started