Our director general, Lesley Batchelor OBE, has taken part in a lively and informative ‘tweetup’, which focused on export, growth and diversification.

Playing a key role in the online event, Lesley joined industry experts, professional services and the media to debate the future role of UK businesses in the world economy.

The engaging virtual discussion was one of a series spearheaded by the Royal Bank of Scotland, under the hashtag #RBSIFTALK.  

Fellow contributors, including business journalist Andrew Geekie (@AGeekie), UKTI (@UKTI), the CBI (@CBItweets) and Grant Thorton (@GrantThorntonUK), explored why more medium sized companies should be exporting, suggested how firms could access valuable advice and support – and examined the need for companies to have staff with the appropriate skills to export successfully.

They also looked at Germany’s ‘Mittelstand’ approach, considered the role of e-commerce and suggested possible avenues for firms to access finance.

Summarising the event, Lesley said that she was “delighted with the level of engagement that the debate had created and was pleased with how well it had been received.

“As a professional body representing and supporting the interests of those involved in importing, exporting and international trade, we welcome every opportunity to discuss the core issues.  Participating in online events such as #RBSIFTALK presents us with yet another such arena.”

The #RBSIFTALK debates, which take place every Wednesday between 12 – 1pm, provide a platform for discussion and debate on a variety of business related matters.

You can follow the IOE on Twitter on @IOExport and Lesley Batchelor on @LesleyIOExport.