Participating in the market visit to Malaysia and Singapore with Export Connect provided me with invaluable knowledge on up-to-the-minute market opportunities in the retail and distribution landscape. It allowed me to assess competitor positioning and tailor my pitch for each market. The preparation for and access to relevant major players afforded me the opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise had access to. A busy and insightful market visit.
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.