International Trade Awards 2025

Matthew Wilson is the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations,  World Trade Organisation and Other International Organisations in Geneva and Chair of the WTO Working Group on MSMEs. He has held various senior roles including Chief of Staff at the International Trade Centre; and Senior Adviser to the WTO Director General. He is an International Gender Champion and a supporter of diversity and inclusion. He has degrees in psychology/sociology, international relations, development studies and an MBA-essentials.  

Bolaji Sofoluwe MBE is an international business growth strategist with a focus on African market expansion and internationalisation.

With over twenty years of experience in Africa and the UK, Bolaji has strategically positioned businesses, including start-ups and international corporations, to successfully enter and thrive within complex African markets. Her focus has been helping these companies overcome the challenges of trading and doing business in Africa.

She has worked across various sectors, advising a range of clients from startups to global corporations, with a particular focus on leveraging geographical expansion to drive sustainable growth. Bolaji has personally overseen projects in more than 34 African countries.

In addition to her leadership at ETK Group, Bolaji currently serves on the Greater Essex Business Board as Inward Investment Coordinator. She is also an entrepreneurship expert at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

She also collaborates with the Access to Finance team at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) to advance equitable financial access and opportunities.

Most recently, Bolaji was awarded Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by His Majesty King Charles III in recognition of her outstanding contributions to sustainable business growth, female entrepreneurship, and international trade.

Bolaji’s impact has been widely recognised. She was named in The Powerlist 2024 and 2025, celebrating the 100 most influential people of African, African-Caribbean, and African American heritage in the UK across business, technology, science, and the arts.

An official Export Champion, Bolaji was also a featured face in the UK Department for Business and Trade’s “Made in the UK, Sold to the World” campaign. 

Dr. Di Li, BSc, MSc, PhD, SFHEA, is an Associate Professor and Deputy Head (SEE) of Business Innovation, Supply Chain and Trade Group at WMG, the University of Warwick. She is also the Programme Director of MSc International Trade, Strategy and Operations (ITSO), which is ranked 4th in the World in the QS International Trade Rankings 2025. Di conducts research, teaching, and projects in the field of supply chain and operations management within the international trade context. Her primary research focus lies in digitalization-enabled sustainable operations and trade, supply chain resilience in Industry 4.0, global supply network design, reversed FDI, and business strategy analytics. Di is a Chair of the Academic Conduct Panel and is a member of the Academic Quality and Assurance Committee at WMG, ensuring high-quality teaching and learning activities. Meanwhile, Di serves as a review editor for world-leading journals, such as International Journal of Operations & Production Management (IJOPM), and the Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice (JUTLP). She is also a member of the EurOMA conference review committee. In addition, she plays the role of academic consultant for multiple companies and the governmental Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, while leading and/or participating in projects with accumulated funding generation up to £4.7 million. 

Enxhi Tresa is a trade economist in the Trade Policy Division at the Trade and Agriculture Directorate (TAD) of the OECD working on issues of trade and climate change, including trade in environmental goods and services, circular economy of plastics, etc. She is co-author of several research papers and reports, on interlinks between trade and topics such as climate change, global value chains and trade policy.  

Prior to that, Enxhi worked as a research economist with the modelling team at the Research Division of the World Trade Organization (WTO), undertaking work on trade and climate change using computable general equilibrium modelling. She also had a short-term role at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), focusing on trade resilience during the COVID-19 downturn.  

She earned a PhD in Economics focused on global value chains, labor mobility, and services trade from Cergy Paris University, where she continues to be an associate member of THEMA (Théorie économique, modélisation et applications) laboratory. She holds a Master of Science from the Paris School of Economics and a Bachelor of Science from Toulouse School of Economics. 

Gabriela has founded several interrelated ventures connecting people, chocolate, nature, and inclusive prosperity. Colcocoa partners with over 2200 smallholder cocoa producers to supply cacao to chocolate manufacturers. Other ventures include Hacienda La Tentación, a cocoa farm, and Terra Impulsum, which supports rural economic development and transition to regenerative agriculture. Most recent initiatives include PlanT Ecopoints, a program to compensate smallholder farmers for contributions to nature such as carbon and biodiversity conservation. Gabriela frequently advises on topics related to trade and development, collaborating on development projects with organizations such as the International Trade Centre, IDH, USAID, and SECO. She is also a member of ITC’s Advisory Group of Trade for Sustainable Development.

She holds a Doctorate in Management from the University of Cranfield (England), an MBA from The Wharton School, an MA in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania (USA), and an Economics degree from the University of Buenos Aires.  

Julianne Ponan MBE is a leading voice in the free-from world, determined to ensure allergies never hold people back. Diagnosed with severe anaphylaxis at age two after a life-threatening reaction to a cookie, she has spent her life navigating multiple allergies, including peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, and chickpeas. Refusing to be defined by them, she has travelled the world safely and inspires others—especially children—to speak up, advocate for themselves, and feel confident in their choices.

As founder of Creative Nature, a top 14 allergen-free brand, Julianne has transformed the free-from food industry with safe, delicious, and nutritious products. Her ranges are sold in Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Ocado, Asda, and exported to 16 countries. She has also partnered with airlines, including Virgin Atlantic, Iberia, and KLM, to improve in-flight options for allergy sufferers.

Beyond business, she co-founded Allergy Awareness Assemblies, educating over 250,000 children, and serves as Non-Executive Director for GS1 UK and Export Policy Champion for the FSB. She is the first Medic Alert ambassador in 65 years.

Recognised with an MBE for her contributions to business, exports, and allergy awareness, Julianne continues to champion change so that people with allergies can eat, travel, and live without fear. 

Lucinda O’Reilly is an international trade consultant with over 15 years’ experience of global imports and exports. As the Exports Director of a UK industrial flooring manufacturer, she grew exports to over 40 countries worldwide. Having successfully managed the transition through Brexit, Lucinda set up The International Trade Consultancy to provide practical, customized support to companies struggling to navigate the new regulatory landscape and supply chain challenges caused by the pandemic.

Areas of expertise include tariff classification, duty relief schemes, reclaiming incorrect duty payments, restoration of seized goods, audits of import/export processes, complying with rules of origin, global customs compliance, achieving AEO status, global export strategy and supply chains.

She is regularly invited to communicate the views of SME manufacturers in the media and to Members of Parliament. 

Martin McTague was appointed as National Chair of FSB in March 2022. Prior to this, he was FSB National Vice Chair, Policy and Advocacy (from 2021) and FSB Policy and Advocacy Chair, a role he was elected to in March 2016.

He was awarded an OBE for services to small businesses in the King’s New Year Honours List for 2024.

Martin has served as a volunteer with FSB for more than 20 years, in a variety of roles including Chair of the Local Government Policy Unit.

Martin started his own business 35 years ago and now currently owns and manage three businesses - offering public policy, engineering and IT consultancy services.

Martin’s business experience is invaluable to him in his role as FSB National Chair. He believes that integrity and a cross-party approach are both vital preconditions for success. He is determined to protect and advance FSB’s current standing as the UK’s most influential business lobby – one that truly represents its grassroots members. Martin served on the Government’s Low Pay Commission from 2018 to 2024, and was appointed to the ACAS Council in August 2023 by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade. 

Sabina Ciofu is Associate Director – International, running the International Policy and Trade Programme at techUK.

Based in Brussels, she leads our EU policy and engagement. She is also our lead on international trade policy, with a focus on digital trade chapter in FTAs, regulatory cooperation as well as broader engagement with the G7, G20, WTO and OECD.

As a transatlanticist at heart, Sabina is a GMF Marshall Memorial fellow and issue-lead on the EU-US Trade and Technology Council, within DigitalEurope.

Previously, she worked as Policy Advisor to a Member of the European Parliament for almost a decade, where she specialised in tech regulation, international trade and EU-US relations.

Sabina loves building communities and bringing people together. She is the founder of the Gentlewomen’s Club and co-organiser of the Young Professionals in Digital Policy. Previously, as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, she led several youth civic engagement and gender equality projects.

She sits on the Advisory Board of the University College London European Institute, Café Transatlantique, a network of women in transatlantic technology policy and The Nine, Brussels’ first members-only club designed for women. 

Shemina Amarsy is a Senior Advisor on sustainability standards and value chains at ITC, the International Trade Centre.  

She previously worked as a sustainability coordinator in the retailing sector, then for Fairtrade International as a liaison officer in the Caribbean and Latin America. She also worked for GoodWeave International and for IDH as Recognition Leader on Living Wage. She studied at Neoma Business School in France, Fundacao Getulio Vargas in Brazil and holds a Masters in Philosophy. 

Following an earlier career in science and education, Tom moved into international trade almost a decade ago and has never looked back.

Since joining Brand Organic as Operations Director in 2019 he has spearheaded the operational side of the company's rapid growth as an import agency; specialising primarily in the importation of organic FMCG products.

This growth has been fuelled by innovation within the supply chain as well as considerable adaptability as the company pivoted to great success as a result of the post-Brexit trade landscape. This success was recognised at the inaugural International Trade Awards, where Brand Organic was shortlisted for Micro Business of the Year - an award for which they would no longer qualify due to their considerable scaling since. 

Victoria is a multi-award-winning Chartered Marketer and has worked internationally for all of her career within start up, SME and large corporation environments marketing and selling food, drinks, supplements and medical devices around the world.   

Multilingual with an MA Hons from the University of Oxford (French, Spanish and Portuguese) ,an executive MBA from Leeds Business School and more recently with a Diploma in International Trade from the Institute of Export, Victoria now runs Bolst Global: an international trade consultancy and provider supporting businesses operating in global health and wellness food, drink and supplement sectors.  

Her vision and passion with Bolst Global is to help as many ambitious and internationally oriented brands and manufacturers in this space to grow overseas. Both for existing exporters and those new to export, Victoria strives to provide clients with the practical tools, knowledge and connections to make global growth a reality.  

Likewise for retailers and distributors around the world, Bolst Global also provides support on up-to- date health and wellness market trends, sourcing of innovative and sought-after brands/products and importation assistance. 

Victoria is also a regular speaker, contributor and trainer at export related events, communities and workshops both in the UK and overseas for private and public governmental organisations.  

In her free time and when not travelling around the world for business or leisure Victoria spends most of it either strength training, swinging heavy kettle bells in the gym or socialising with her friends and family.