New Face Joins North East’s International Trade Team

A new face has joined UK Trade & Investment’s dedicated team of International Trade Advisers in their ongoing bid to help North East firms “take it to the world”.

Figure 1: Image of Lissa Balmer

A new face has joined UK Trade & Investment’s dedicated team of International Trade Advisers in their ongoing bid to help North East firms “take it to the world”.

Lissa Balmer returned to the North East in 1999 after graduating with a degree in Marketing from the University of Lincolnshire & Humberside.

The 33-year-old has worked in a number of marketing roles for various companies including Universal Building Society, Welwyn Systems (part of the TT Electronics Group), Sparkle Computer Company and Perfect Image.

While working with Sparkle, Lissa’s role as European Marketing Manager saw her given the task of helping them import their product more effectively into the UK and doing a full communications review which included looking at Europe, particularly Holland, France and Germany, and the cultural and business issues in order to help increase product sales.

More recently she has worked for Business Enterprise North East as a Relationship Manager and then Business Support Adviser with Business Link.

Lissa, who lives in North Shields, will be working with companies in the west of Newcastle and south Northumberland, including Corbridge and Prudhoe.

She said:

“I’m really looking forward to working closely with companies to help them achieve their international trade aims. I’m a passionate North Easterner and I am keen to help the region’s companies sell overseas.”

David Coppock, UK Trade & Investment’s International Trade Director, said:

“We’re delighted to welcome Lissa to the team, her knowledge of the region and overseas markets will prove invaluable in our ongoing efforts to help the region’s firms in their bid to win business overseas.

“International trade will play a key role in the region’s economic recovery and we aim to do all we can to help ensure companies have the knowledge, skills and support they need to make the most of opportunities offered by markets around the globe.

“We offer a wide range of support services for companies and Lissa joins a dedicated team of International Trade Advisers who work closely with individual companies to identify opportunities, develop and implement an export plan and help them access any support they may need.”

International trade support services in the North East are financed in part by the European Union’s ERDF Competitiveness programme 2007-13, securing £5,999,216 of ERDF investment through regional development agency One North East.  The ERDF Competitiveness programme 2007-13 is investing over £250m in North East England to support innovation, enterprise and business support across the region.

For more information about the wide range of support services available through UK Trade & Investment to help your company succeed overseas call the North East International Trade Hotline on 0845 05 05 054 or email:enquiries@ukti.rito.co.uk