Karim is the former Director of Global Expansions for OrbViz, a Christchurch-based technology startup. Prio to that he was looking after Canon New Zealand’s Large Enterprise and Government focused business development for the Canterbury region, based in Christchurch. Previously he was the national sales manager for New Zealand’s leading health and safety workplace training provider, Safety ‘n Action, part of the Aspire2 Group, based in Auckland. 

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Prior to moving to New Zealand in 2018, he spent over 15 years involved in the African markets while based in Kuala Lumpur and Dubai. He has also worked in Egypt, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he was actively involved in marketing Fonterra milk powder products into West and Central African markets. 

Jonas is an Executive Program Manager and former U.S. Naval Special Operations Officer offering over 20+ years of experience in strategic planning, project management, team leadership and development, budgetary management, and operational oversight. 

I most recently served as a Senior Consultant for the OSACO Group and as a Lead Project Manager for R3. In both positions, I managed the development and execution of program and project-based business solutions for high-profile clients and key accounts representing the private and public sectors.

Jonas holds an Executive MBA and an M.A. degree in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School. 

With a Bachelor of Engineering Science (Auckland) and MBA in International Business Management (Waikato) Nigel is the Vice President Cryogenics for FABRUM., a Christchurch based specialist engineering business with an expanding global footprint, including Africa.

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Nigel brings a passion for moving the world beyond sustainability to a place where we can achieve more and tread lighter in doing so. A vast experience at international business development and international trade relationships with experience across Africa, India and Latin America.

Paul is an Auckland based businessman with varied business interests including in Education and Aviation and Engineering and is keen to ensure NZ businesses access the opportunities available in Africa by building positive relationships across the continent. 

Gill has an extensive business background working from start-ups to scale ups, including three of her own, across industry and platforms in NZ. She understands what it takes to commercialize and grow sustainable profitable business. For the last 9 years she has worked in economic development for ChristchurchNZ leading the business attraction team for relocating businesses and business growth programmes for globally focused CEO’s. 

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Gill has championed the Christchurch Aerospace industry ecosystem and is an advocate for aerospace to be a significant economic driver for Christchurch and New Zealand. She is particularly passionate about New Zealand and attracting business to Christchurch as well as assisting globally minded entrepreneurs to discover new International market opportunities such as in Africa.

Abdul Mohamud has been in Export/Import and transport industry for over 2 decades. Growing up in the port city of Mombasa Kenya, he has been involved in transport sector early on. He has worked in market research and has trained researchers in Djibouti. He has travelled in Uganda, Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Tanzania.

Abdul has also been involved in import/export in merchandise from China, India, UAE and Thailand. He brings to our team extensive cultural and business knowledge in East and Central Africa. Abdul is fluent in Swahili the lingua franca of the African continent. 

Ngozi Penson is an entrepreneur, a qualified adult learning facilitator, coach, and board member with many years’ experience in SME, Education and Not-For-Profit sectors. She was born and raised in Nigeria, West Africa, where she started her entrepreneurial journey. She lived and worked in the UAE before moving to
New Zealand.

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Upon arrival, she co-founded, a business consultancy servicing the oil and gas sector in South East Asia, Middle East and Africa. She also launched another business importing and distributing products from Nigeria, China, Indonesia, USA and France. 

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Originally from Zimbabwe and having completed a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Canterbury majoring in Accounting and Finance. Abel has sat on the International Student Advisory Board at the University of Canterbury for two years, helping review and come up with how International students could experience New Zealand better.

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Abel is also an ambitious entrepreneur on a mission to revolutionise the plastics industry, having started a start-up that’s utilising seaweed and other biomaterials to change recreational and commercial uses of plastic.

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Khaled is a Senior Manager - Technology Transformation, and  Lead Solution Architect at EY in Wellington.  Originally from Egypt, he brings over 22 years of consulting experience selling, designing and delivering enterprise solutions and digital transformation projects across various industries specially governments and banks.

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Boubacar S. Coulibaly is a Chartered Professional Civil, Water and Environmental Engineer with Engineering New Zealand. He is the Director of CBA Consultants Ltd and the Chairman of African Film Festival New Zealand Trust.

Boubacar is passionate about environmental protection, sustainability and poverty reduction around the world. Under his leadership, the African Film Festival New Zealand Trust was created in 2014 to share African cultures through films to connect and create better understanding and harmony between people of African descent  and the wider NZ Communities. He is a keen gardener dreaming to be an organic farmer. He is fluent in Bambara, French, English and Chinese.

For most small open economies, exports are integral to sustainable economic growth. I research, consult and teach on national level export promotion, and business level export development. My passion is helping export businesses and international entrepreneurs realise their potential in the competitive global marketplace. With industry experience in imports and exports management, I blend theory-informed insights with practice-validated approaches.