Originally from Bogota, Colombia, Esmeralda Rodriguez moved to Winnipeg in 2019 and then joined the WTC Winnipeg as a Trade Advisor. Her role is to help Manitoba businesses reach their corporate goals through obtaining strategic data, locating business opportunities, and connecting businesses with potential Canadian and international partners; as well as provide advisory services on issues such as export planning, market entry strategies and financing options.

She finished her International Business post-graduate program at the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology (MITT) and received her International Certification as a Trade Professional (CITP®, FIBP®). Before joining the WTC Winnipeg, Esmeralda worked for the United States Embassy in Colombia for ten years and was responsible for the transition of Immigrant Visa cases from Cuba and Venezuela to Guyana.

Esmeralda speaks Spanish, English and French.

Brad Havixbeck has spent the last 20 years assisting companies in Manitoba with their exporting needs. For the past 5 years, Brad has been working with Global Affairs Canada as both the Manitoba based Trade Commissioner responsible for various sectors and the Deputy Director for Manitoba. Prior to joining Global Affairs Canada, Brad worked 16 years with Manitoba Trade and Investment, the Manitoba Government’s trade branch where he was responsible for leading two teams – the agri-food sector team, as well as the team covering all sectors for export to the US and Europe. He has traveled to over 20 countries for missions and trade events, and has led several Premier and Ministerial missions abroad.