We are delighted to announce that Liz Sumner, Global Trade Compliance Manager at Scott Safety, has been awarded Fellowship of the Institute.

Liz has been working in International Trade for 25 years. Starting as an export coordinator with no experience in 1992, she quickly realised that she needed to gain some knowledge. After becoming aware of the IOE&IT, Liz decided to enrol on the graduate course.

Liz says: "Working full time, travelling to Manchester two nights per week, completing assignments, revising and sitting a number of closed book examinations was no mean feat. In addition I decided to make it particularly difficult for myself by becoming pregnant with my first child during my final year of exams, brain mush made it difficult to revise for what was from memory a number of 3 hour examinations so I decided to concentrate on what I knew best, did no revision for my law exam and as a consequence  failed that element which I expected. But, I had a plan, I would utilise my maternity leave to study for my law resit as a result I got the highest mark in law at that time and graduated to become MIEx (Grad)."

Over the years Liz has built her career to become Global Trade Compliance Manager:

"I have been given the opportunity to build the trade compliance department from having no structured trade compliance team to the highly knowledgeable team that  it is today, continuing to work for the same manufacturing company that gave me the chance to study in the first instance. The IOE&IT education gave me a fantastic grounding and a holistic view of what international trade was (slightly more than moving boxes from A to B). I have also been lucky to have excellent mentors during my career and to work for  business that listened, understood the importance of International Trade, education and continuous development."

Liz is a firm believer that it is important to keep one’s self educated and up to date with the changes that occur and encourage the development of others: "I get so much pleasure seeing my team do well, encouraging their interest in international trade, they have also benefited from the IOE&IT education program one completing the Level 4 Diploma in International Trade (ACIT) and one of my other team members going through the Diploma in International Trade winning 2 prizes for the highest marks already before she completes next year."

Andrea Bailey received her Level 4 Diploma at the Institute's graduation ceremony last month. At the same time Maeva Evans, studying the Level 5 Diploma in International Trade, was awarded the WMG University of Warwick prize for Highest Mark in International Logistics and Purchasing; she was also given the award for Highest Mark in International Marketing Strategy.

Nominated by her fellow professionals in international trade, Liz was awarded the Fellowship in recognition of her outstanding achievement and commitment to the profession.

On receiving her Fellowship Liz said: "I am thrilled to have received my Fellowship and honoured to be part of this wonderful organisation and proud to be able to use the suffix FIEx(grad)."