Institute of Directors Young Directors Forum
Exporting was the theme of an entertaining talk by former Mivan Director Mervyn McCall to a large
gathering of the IoD Young Directors Forum supported by the Department for Employment & Learning at BT Riverside Tower in Belfast.
Mervyn who has more than 30 years of exporting experience with the specialist construction firm Mivan, regaled the members with enthralling and informative tales.
Helpful Tips
Having worked in some 40 countries Mervyn offered some helpful tips to the Young Directors, many of whom are already exporting goods and services around the globe. This included:
- Get your home market right first before expanding overseas
- Understand the customs and practices of one country at a time before moving on to another
- Follow a partner company or supplier if possible
- Be prepared to be on the ground in your chosen country of export for a long period
- Talk to as many people as possible about doing business in your chosen country
Networking
Thanking Mervyn for his time Neal Lucas, Chairman of the IoD Young Directors Forum, said:
“While Mervyn’s stories of working for Saddam Hussein will live long in the memory his advice to exporters and non-exporters alike on business growth was extremely valuable.
“The IoD Young Directors Forum continues to grow and benefit greatly from high quality speakers from a range of sectors. It is also a great networking event.”
Next IoD Young Directors Forum
The next IoD Young Directors Forum event will feature Kevin Neary from Game Stop and will take place on 12th April at the premises of Invest Northern Ireland. Business leaders under the age of 43 who are interested in participating in the Forum, should email iod.northernireland@iod.com 
