Today Georgia Stokes starts work as International Trade Manager with the Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce, an organisation she joined in 2016 when she was just 18.
Now she has been promoted to International Trade Manager, taking her new position from today, and will soon be joined by an Export Documentation and Customs Declaration Officer who will support the team with the growing demand for export and import documentation.
Georgia said: “I never expected to go into International Trade when I started as a finance apprentice, I had very little experience or confidence, but with the external training and support from the Chamber team, I have been able to develop in these areas and I am extremely proud of my achievements so far.
“I love working in this sector, there is so much variety in the role; no two days are the same, but like all jobs, there are challenges and for me the most challenging part was the impact of Brexit and supporting our members to navigate the new rules.
“Despite Brexit, trading internationally provides a world of opportunities and my advice to businesses looking to start trading would be to ensure you have a good understanding right at the beginning before committing to anything – lack of knowledge can cause unwanted costs and complications if processes are not followed correctly.
“I am feeling very lucky to be in the role I am in, with the consistent changes coming into force within the world of trade and the introduction of our exploring new markets consultancy service, I am excited to see how the sector develops and grows in Lincolnshire!”
“I love working in this sector, there is so much variety in the role!. I am excited to see how the sector develops and grows in Lincolnshire!”
Simon Beardsley, Chief Exec of Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are very proud of Georgia and her fantastic achievements! It just goes to show how much potential young people have and what great progress they can make when given the chance to develop within an organisation. We would encourage all businesses to take a look into hiring an apprentice, and where possible to upskill them throughout their career, which in turn will help your business grow.”
