Understanding consumer trends can make or break any business, and in the fast moving consumable goods sector, having your finger on the pulse is requisite. Recent shifts in buying behaviour…
"Do your homework; utilize the Government wherever you can; go and visit the market; understand the market, understand their distribution. Invest." In another successful Food & Beverage Exporters Forum, Export…
Export Connect delivered another successful Food & Beverage Exporters Forum in collaboration with Fine Food Australia, Export Council of Australia and Food Bank Victoria, on 10 September 2018 in Melbourne.…
When it comes to home-cooked food, nobody does it better than Mum. So many family businesses find their inspiration this way, and Melbourne’s The Vegan Weasel is no exception. Hiba,…
Export Connect delivered another successful Food & Beverage Exporters Forum in collaboration with Fine Food Australia, Export Council of Australia and Food Bank Victoria, on 10 September 2018 in Melbourne.…
At Fine Food this September, we spoke with Restaurateur and Spiral Foods Ambassador Kylie Kwong and Spiral Foods' Business Development Manager Kim Norton about their advice for food and beverage companies…
In another successful Food & Beverage Exporters Forum last Monday, Export Connect offered access to a panel of experienced Australian food & beverage exporters and an international buyer. Discussion covered…
Business, and export in particular, is traditionally a masculine discipline. But a tide of change is being brought about by governments, industry associations and at the grass roots level. We’re…
When you get the chance to sit in conversation with a consumer goods specialist of 30 years, you take it. This piece draws on some of the insights gained from…
Mr Lalith Withana, CFO of SriLankan Airlines and GM of SriLankan Catering, will be joining the Food & Beverage Exporters Forum at Fine Food in Melbourne this year, to share…
Rajeshwari joined the Export Connect team as a Project Intern during her final semester of a Bachelor of Business Administration, Finance. After graduating with honours, she is now our full-time Market Analyst and Business Manager.
She juggles multiple roles in the business, taking care of our accounting and social media as well as running Export Connect’s market visit programme, during which she has led two market visits covering four countries.
Rajeshwari has a truly international outlook, having studied in Singapore, Dubai, France and Australia during her degree. She’s passionate about sustainable development and community, representing her university at 23 Session of The Youth Assembly held at United Nations and New York University in New York. Her previous roles include supporting the Senior Director of Sales for a Global Technology Consulting firm and account management for an EAP startup.
Oujan is our Business Development and Project Manager, and another successful graduate of the Export Connect Internship Programme. Since joining Export Connect in November 2017, he has liaised with over 50 domestic and international clients and stakeholders to develop market appraisals for the GCC and Asia in addition to capability-building workshops and industry export strategy plans.
Oujan graduated from Macquarie University with a high distinction average in Commerce, majoring in Marketing and International Business. While completing his degree, he also worked as a Marketing Assistant for a prominent preventative healthcare company operating out of NSW and Tasmania, helping to develop creative and informative digital content by collaborating with Exercise Physiologists, Occupational Therapists, and other allied health professionals.
Oujan plays an active role in Export Connect’s internship program; collaborating with 5 universities across the state to recruit, manage and mentor the students as part of their business undergraduate degrees and MBA programs.
Our Director, Najib founded Export Connect in June 2017 in order to use the skills, connections and expertise he acquired over 25 years in the industry to help companies connect with the right buyers and grow. Najib is highly experienced in the export business, having spent a quarter of a century leading Australian food-export businesses and agri-food industry development teams. He is well known for his capabilities in opening up new export markets and has worked extensively in the Middle East, North and South-East Asia.
Since 2010, Najib has worked with NSW Trade and Investment and Food Innovation Australia Ltd (FIAL), collaborating with businesses, governments and industry groups to grow new export market opportunities.
Since June 2017, Najib and the Export Connect team have shown the pressing need for our tailored, evidence-based export services in Australia. We’ve drawn on our extensive export experience and networks and delivered over 180 market reports and assessments for more than 80 clients. However, Export Connect isn’t just about delivering projects – Najib is keen to share his skills and experience to Australian businesses via our workshops and forums, and to the next generation of business leaders via our popular internship programme.