International trade is at the forefront of plans for many Canadian businesses as they look to expand.
And now more than ever, the expertise of international trade professionals is in demand.
Virginie De Visscher understands this need firsthand, since she pursued her Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) designation more than 10 years ago. To achieve this designation, she earned a Forum for International Trade Training (FITT) diploma by completing six FITTskills courses. These courses focus on the feasibility of international trade, international market entry strategies, global value chain, products and services for a global market, international trade finance, and international sales and marketing.
Other requirements for the designation include completing three years of full-time work in international trade, agreeing to abide by the CITP standards of ethical conduct and passing a professional exam.
For De Visscher, international trade seems like a natural fit. Born in Belgium, she gained an expansive worldview as a child since her father worked in the diplomatic service so she moved with her family throughout Africa and Asia.
At age 18, she returned to Belgium to go to university and attained a degree as a biosystems engineer. After that, she moved back to Africa and spent years working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, followed by a short stint in Zimbabwe. After that, she spent nearly five years in Uganda working in international trade with a coffee company.
For her next global move, she decided to immigrate to Canada with her young family. As a francophone, she was fast-tracked through Manitoba’s provincial nominee program.
Less than 10 days after arriving in Canada, she volunteered with World Trade Centre Winnipeg and ended up landing a job with the organization. At the time, she was working with Manitoba companies that were interested in expanding internationally.
“Even though I had quite a lot of experience in supply chains, procurement, global markets and other aspects of international trade, I realized there were some aspects where I could be better,” she said.
“I looked into the FITT program, and it allowed me to leverage the knowledge that I brought and supplement it with what I was lacking at the time. I was fortunate enough that World Trade Centre Winnipeg saw the benefit and allowed me to bring my skills back into the organization.”
She began pursuing courses towards her CITP designation in 2014 and finished all the modules a year later. She continued working throughout her studies, all while raising her two young children.
Looking back, she recalls long days of dropping her kids off at daycare early in the morning and then studying for two hours at a coffee shop before starting her workday at WTC Winnipeg.
“I did that for months,” she said, “but it was probably the best way for me to study at the time while managing life and career.”
It was worth the effort since De Visscher immediately began to notice the positive impacts of her new knowledge.
“It made me more rounded to work with Manitoba companies and equivalent counterparts. Right away, I had a better appreciation of all the facets of international trade and what it meant. It gave me more experience and knowledge to work with the companies, along with the credibility and credentials that came with the certification,” she said.
“At that time, the CITP recognition was being rolled out through Global Affairs Canada. Because I was working with a lot of trade commissioners, it ensured we spoke the same language. It really did impact my career, right from the time that I started studying to the time that I got the designation.”
Overall, De Visscher feels the most valuable asset she gained was the confidence that stemmed from her newfound knowledge.
She also earned the satisfaction of toiling through concepts that were challenging for her, particularly those related to finance and law.
“It’s not simple, and I had to study multiple times. I put an additional challenge on my head by giving myself boundaries with the time to complete the modules so it wouldn’t impact my family and employer too much,” she said.
“It was time bound, which gave a little bit of self-inflicted pressure to get it done. If I didn’t put that timeframe, it would have been harder to accomplish.”
Today, De Visscher serves as the executive director of business events at Destination Canada, which promotes Canada as an international destination for leisure and business events. In this role, she continues to see the benefits of the skills she gained through FITT.
“I have to write a lot of strategy. Taking the good practices that I learned into this role has been super helpful,” she said. “The connections that I created during my time with World Trade Centre Winnipeg also came in handy in this role since I’m working with federal trade commissioners.”
And in today’s world, she says the CITP designation is more relevant than ever.
“With the knowledge that I have, I can understand what’s being talked about and what’s happening,” she said. “I understand the impacts and can be knowledgeable in those discussions.”
For others who are considering pursuing the CITP designation, De Visscher shares some words of wisdom.
“Do it sooner rather than later, have a curious mind and continue to be an avid learner. I’m super proud to have done it. I would recommend it to anyone who is considering doing business outside of Canada,” she said.
“It’s a very recognized certification, so it labels you with expertise and knowledge. It’s a worthwhile program, and if more people had the basis on how international trade really functions, it might work better in the world.”
World Trade Centre Winnipeg has partnered with the Forum for International Trade Training to provide FITTskills courses and offer the opportunity to begin the process toward CITP certification. Learn more here: Certified International Trade Professional (CITP®) | World Trade Centre Winnipeg
