Читать книгу Doing business with Latin America - Gabriela Castro-Fontoura - Страница 3

Gabriela Castro-Fontoura was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. From a very young age, Gabriela was fascinated by other cultures. After achieving the top score in the International Baccalaureate Diploma, she was offered a rare scholarship to study Economics at the University of Durham in the UK. That was the start of a long love affair with Britain – living in England, Scotland and Wales for over 13 years. After ten years of working as a consultant, Gabriela set up her own business – Sunny Sky Solutions – with the aim of acting as a bridge between businesses in the UK and her native Latin America.

Gabriela is a strong supporter of British manufacturing and a great believer in the potential of British SMEs to export their goods and services. Through Sunny Sky Solutions, Gabriela has supported businesses at all stages of their expansion into Latin America. From those that hadn’t even considered it, to those that had done some research, to those that were already present in the region. As a market entry expert, she has supported businesses in various sectors such as energy, food and drink, and nursery products. Her services have been used not only by UK businesses but also by those from other countries such as Spain and Australia.

A prolific communicator, Gabriela has presented on doing business in Latin America at various events such as those organised by local Chambers of Commerce across the UK, UKTI (UK Trade & Investment), the Institute of Export, and StartUp Britain. She is often requested to write for trade press, such as Global Trader magazine and Lloyds Loading List, and contributes regularly to popular business blogs. Her Twitter feed has a loyal following who are able to keep up to date with news and developments, and also benefit from a forum to exchange views and experience, and connect with other experts and businesses.

As a native Latin American, Gabriela always emphasises the importance of win-win in international trade. She has great belief in the potential of Latin America to grow sustainably, and insists on working only with those businesses that offer something to improve the quality of life of her fellow Latin Americans.

These are exciting times for Gabriela, since in January 2013 she relocated back to Montevideo, after 13 years in the UK, with the aim of supporting British businesses from within the region. As her expertise and contacts develop from her strategic South American base, Gabriela will continue to share news, advice, tips and anecdotes from this fascinating and diverse region.