Join us to celebrate and honour our distinguished Certified International Trade Professionals (CITP®|FIBP®) who are celebrating 5, 10, 15, and 20+ years as CITPs during  FITT's first CITP Anniversary Gala. The gala will also officially kickstart our yearlong activities to celebrate FITT's 30th anniversary.

During the virtual soirée, you will have a chance to network with CITPs from around the world, as well as FITT employees, FITT Board members, representatives from partner organizations and other special guests. Reserve your spot now as space may be limited. Event start time is in EST.

Speakers for the event will include

• Caroline Tompkins, CITP, President & CEO, FITT
• Mairead Lavery, President & CEO, Export Development Canada
• Alberto Quiroz, CITP, Chair, FITT Board of Directors
• Sara Wilshaw, Chief Trade Commissioner of Canada and Assistant Deputy Minister, International Business Development

Speaker Bios:

Caroline Tompkins, CITP, President & CEO, FITT:
Caroline Tompkins is the President & CEO of the Forum for International Trade Training (FITT), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to building the proficiency of businesses, professionals, and students, to access global markets, reduce and manage risks of international trade, and enable profitable competition. Caroline has over 25 years of experience in both the public and private sectors.  

Caroline combines a solid understanding of training with an acute business sense, and was recognized as a notable Canadian woman in the 1999/00 edition of Chatelaine’s Who’s Who of Canadian Women and is listed in the Canadian Who’s Who publications. In 1999, Caroline was the recipient of the Peter Bentley Scholarship for the University of British Columbia’s Residential Programme for Executive Development and has since fulfilled the rigorous requirements for the Certified Association Executives (CAE), and the Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) designations. Caroline has been a member of TEC Canada since 2013. Caroline serves as a Director for the National Association of International Trade Educators (NASBITE) in the United States; and as a Director of Trade Facilitation Office of Canada. In 2012, Caroline was presented the Queen Elizabeth 11 Diamond Jubilee Medal by Jayson Myers, CEO of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters.  

Mairead Lavery, President & CEO, Export Development Canada:
Since joining Export Development Canada in 2014, Mairead Lavery has put values and ethics at the center of her leadership approach. Appointed President and CEO on February 5, 2019, Mairead set out three pillars for her leadership: Champion for Trade; Environmental, Social and Governance Responsibility; and Inclusion, Diversity and Equity. These values are the centerpiece of her – and EDC’s – business agenda. Under her direction, Canada’s export credit agency has pursued ambitious objectives, achieving strong growth, and helping more Canadian companies do business in 200 markets around the world, while generating over $100 billion in trade and investment annually. In 2020, EDC became a major contributor to the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 economic response, helping deliver billions of dollars in liquidity to companies across Canada. EDC also stands as the single largest financier of Canadian cleantech, a proud supporter of women-owned and women-led businesses, and regularly ranks among Canada’s Top 100 Employers. Mairead is the Board Chair for the EDC subsidiary, FinDev Canada, Canada’s international development finance institution, and a Board member of Ontario Global 100, creating opportunities for business leaders of Ontario mid-sized companies to accelerate growth. She also sits on the advisory boards of Toronto Global Forum and Project Arrow, which is creating Canada’s original full-build, zero-emissions concept vehicle. Prior to joining EDC, Mairead held executive roles at Bombardier, where she managed a range of large complex portfolios over a sixteen-year career. She is a native of Northern Ireland, has a degree in Management and Accounting from Queen’s University Belfast, and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. She is also the first woman to occupy EDC’s chief executive role in its 75-plus year history. In 2015, Mairead experienced another very proud milestone: becoming a Canadian citizen.

Alberto Quiroz, CITP, Chair, FITT Board of Directors:

Alberto Quiroz, P.Eng., CITP, was awarded his designation as a Certified International Trade Professional in April 1999. He specializes in the sales and marketing of electrical industrial and power equipment to global markets. Alberto is President of Intellimeter Canada Inc. which services North America in the energy information sector. Intellimeter engineers innovative sub-metering products, software and systems to ensure accurate consumption information of energy and water for better utility management and cost reductions. 

Perfectly fluent in English, Spanish and French, Alberto has working experience in more than 30 countries. His strong technical background, backed by a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, has provided the foundation for his understanding of complex applications and the implementation of new technology in global markets. His international trade experience covers working with agents and representatives, joint venture agreements and setting distribution networks internationally. 

Sara Wilshaw, Chief Trade Commissioner of Canada and Assistant Deputy Minister, International Business Development:
A senior government executive with 28 years of public service, Ms. Wilshaw is currently Chief Trade Commissioner and Assistant Deputy Minister at Global Affairs Canada. She leads a global team that helps Canadian businesses explore international markets, find new customers and partners, problem solve and promote growth through exports. (www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca). Sara also leads work across global trade support services including export finance, foreign investment, recruitment of international students and responsible business conduct. Prior to this, Sara served as Director of Operations, Foreign and Defence Policy Secretariat at the Privy Council Office. In this role she provided strategic analysis on matters concerning Canada-U.S. relations, Latin America, trade, climate change, human rights and the United Nations. Sara’s experience on Canada-U.S. relations also includes as Director General for North America at Global Affairs Canada during the renegotiation of NAFTA, and as Canada’s Consul General in Dallas. She has also served abroad as Minister Commercial at the High Commission of Canada in India, at Canada’s Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organization in Geneva, and at the Embassy of Canada in Japan. Ms. Wilshaw is a graduate of York University’s International Relations and Economics program. She is married and has two children.