Market Trend Webinar: U.K. Overview 2021

Are you interested in learning about the United Kingdom as an export destination? SUSTA's consultant in the region, Phaff Export Marketing along with members of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), will provide an overview of U.S. agricultural exports to the market. The following topics will be discussed: 

• USDA London Overview
• Market Overview
• Demographics
• UK Ag Situation – Brexit, COVID-19 and Free Trade Agreement
• Challenges
• Key Influences on Consumer Demands
• Market Drivers and Consumption Trends
• Distribution Channels
• Rules and Regulations
• Exporter Business Tips

Featured Speakers:

Cynthia Iglesias Guven, a career Foreign Service Officer (FSO), is the Agricultural Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in London with regional responsibilities for the United Kingdom and Ireland. Prior to arriving in London, she was the Acting Deputy Administrator (Director General) in the Office of Foreign Service Operations (OFSO) of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the United States Department of Agriculture. Prior to her appointment in Brussels, she served as the Deputy in the Agricultural Sections of the U.S. Embassies in Cairo, Egypt and Ankara, Turkey, while covering various countries regionally. Before being posted abroad, Ms. Guven held positions in USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service’s International Trade Policy Division and its Grain and Feed Division in Washington D.C. Before joining FAS, Ms. Guven worked as a Researcher in the Economics Section of the Brookings Institution, a think tank in Washington DC. Ms. Guven earned a Master’s degree in Political Science from The Ohio State University. Mrs. Guven grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana where she was raised bilingual and multicultural. She is married with two children and speaks Spanish, French, Turkish and some Arabic.

Kathy Yao joined the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in January 2017. She started her first overseas assignment as the Agricultural Attaché at the U.S. Embassy London in June 2019. Prior to being posted to the UK, Kathy worked at the USDA headquarters in Washington, where she served as the International Trade Specialist in the Trade Mission/Show Services Division and the Bilateral and Multilateral Affairs Division. She started her FAS career as a Foreign Service Officer Trainee in the South Asia Division as a Desk Officer covering seven countries. Prior to joining the civil service, she spent four years working for large international companies both in the United States and abroad, including NIKE and Aramark. Kathy earned her bachelor's degree in Business from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master's degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.

Julie Vasquez-Nicholson has worked for the U.S. Government for 29 years; four years for the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration and 25 years for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Having studied in tourism, she learned on the job all there is to know about U.S. agriculture and is now the Agricultural Marketing Specialist. Julie's overall role is to increase exports of U.S. agricultural products to the UK. In doing so, she works with many U.S. trade associations who promote their products overseas. In addition, Julie works closely with U.S. exporters, UK importers, retailers, manufacturers, media, trade associations and chefs to support their needs in relation to U.S. agriculture, food and drink.

Victor Phaff, Rosanne Phaff, Anouk Dijkgraaf: Phaff Export Marketing is SUSTA's in-country consultant that is based in the Netherlands. With nearly 30 years of experience in export marketing for food and agriculture, Phaff has been assisting SUSTA in the European market for over 10 years.