Britain is leaving the EU. Whatever the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, business with our traditional partners in Europe will never be quite the same. It provides companies with a strong incentive to explore new high-growth markets.
From the already well established BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) to the less familiar MINTs (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey), these markets present British companies with the tempting prospect of rapidly growing populations, a growing though under-supplied middle class, a new generation of urban consumers wanting to improve their life style and quality of life, and large national investment projects. As Europe remains stagnant, there is the chance for British companies to pin their longer-term success to some of the fastest growing and most exciting markets that the world has ever known.
At the same time, these same high-growth markets have a high level of risk, and exporters need to build a risk management programme into their go-to-market strategies. Aside from political risk (for example regime change, social and political unrest or unseating of the head-of-state), there are less obvious risks such as economic volatility due to excessive dependence on extractives, raw materials or commodities. Many of these countries are ruled by authoritarian regimes, which can make sudden decisions on tariffs, quotas or foreign exchange which can dramatically affect terms of trade. Finally there is the important issue of different cultures of business based on age-old traditions, and ethical norms which are very different from our own. In particular, one of the highest risks for British companies is dealing with the corruption that is endemic at every level of society, business and government.
Our new one day training course, taking place in London on 25th May, will explore these issues - and more - through case studies from some of the main emerging markets, role-playing, negotiation simulation, and a lively exchange of best practice, which will equip exporters to approach the new markets with renewed confidence.
Presented by Brook Horowitz, who has extensive experience in working with a number of high-growth markets.
Brook worked during the early part of his career with TI Group (later merged into Smiths Group) in the UK, and GE. A fluent Russian speaker, he was responsible for developing GE’s business in the Soviet Union from 1989 to 1991. Much of his subsequent career with GE in the nineties was spent in Russia, Hungary and the newly emerged “transition” economies of Central and Eastern Europe. He was also responsible for sales and marketing for Europe for one of GE’s business units.
In more recent times, he has operated in China, Turkey, Vietnam, and has experience working with a number of other high-growth markets. He runs his own consultancy, “Culture of Business”, and is CEO of an NGO, IBLF Global, which promotes responsible business practices in emerging and developing markets. From 2013 to 2015, he was co-chair of the Business 20 (B-20), a group of leading multinationals advising the G-20 government on policies and laws. Brook is a graduate of Cambridge and Harvard Universities.
Book your place today - http://www.export.org.uk/page/EmergingMarkets
