Member Article

National honour for former Chamber International export adviser

ONE of Yorkshire’s best-known export professionals is being honoured with a special accolade.

Former lead trainer and senior export adviser at Chamber International, Bradford, Mike Strawson (pictured), who retired earlier this year after 15 years with Chamber International, and more than 50 involved with UK exporting, is having a students’ export award offered in his name by the Institute of Export & International Trade.

The Mike Strawson Award – an engraved trophy - will be presented for the first time at the Institute’s Graduation and Prize Giving at Mansion House, London, on May 24.

The award, which is being sponsored by Chamber International, will be presented to the student with the highest mark in the Global Trading Module of the Level Five Diploma In International Trade, which is among IoE export qualifications.

Institute of Export director general, Lesley Batchelor OBE, says: “The Mike Strawson Award seemed an appropriate way to recognise one of the stalwarts of the Institute who has been working behind the scenes to encourage young, blossoming talent to the established businesses trade effectively overseas. Without Fellows of Mike’s stature on our membership we would not be considered the authority and professional body that we are.”

Mike Strawson, 76, who was involved in exporting from the age of 17, received the IoE &IT Lifetime Achievement award in 2013 for his outstanding contribution to export sales and also in teaching international trade skills to others. At the time he was one of only three people to receive the award. He also received a prestigious Fellowship from the Institute, which he joined as a student in 1962.

As well as being active in other parts of the UK, Mike Strawson ran Chamber International’s training courses, offered individual advice to businesses and spoke regularly at Chamber International seminars as well as running Leeds Enterprise Partnership’s We are International initiative for Chamber International. During his career, he also created export departments for international companies, and ran a small manufacturing company that exported more than 90 per cent of its output.

Chamber International director, Tim Bailey, says: “It was a privilege to have Mike Strawson as part of our team for so long. He was undoubtedly the best export trainer in the country and used his passion and commitment to exporting to help many other businesses to become successful. It is fitting that an export award is being offered in his name and we are delighted to be sponsoring it.”

Chamber International helps hundreds of new and experienced exporters with a wide range of specialist services to make exporting easier and more cost effective each year and is exclusively partnered with London headquartered global testing organisation, Intertek, to assist with a wide range of issues including product conformity.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mike Clarke Communications .