We are proud to announce that our VP and Co-Founder, Maria Sarkar has been appointed Northern Powerhouse Export Champion for 2020.
The Department for International Trade’s (DIT) Exporting is GREAT campaign aims to spark a movement around the UK of companies selling their products and services overseas.
The Department for International Trade is an international economic department designed to secure UK and global prosperity by promoting and financing international trade and investment, and championing free trade.
The programme focuses on raising awareness of the benefits of exporting, communicating where to go for support, and inspiring more companies to start trading internationally (or to expand their current reach).
At the heart of this movement is the Export Champion Community, consisting of more than 1,000 ‘Export Advocates’ and ‘Export Champions’ from every day businesses of all shapes and sizes, run by extraordinary people, from around the UK proudly selling overseas.
The Export Champion programme was first launched in the North West in 2013 with Export Champions representing a wide range of sectors throughout the region.
Since then many companies across the North West have benefitted from the knowledge, experience and enthusiasm that the Export Champions share.
In the summer of 2018, the success of the programme was recognised in the UK’s new Export Strategy, which committed to promoting peer-to-peer learning by rolling out the Export Champions programme nationally in 2019.
Export Champions are from companies that have successfully sold overseas and are prepared to encourage others to consider growing their international business through exporting.
Together, businesses form the new Export Champion Community – a nationwide network of UK companies work together acting as ambassadors for exporting, sharing success stories, offering practical advice and leading by example.
In 2019, Northern Powerhouse had the biggest group of export champions they’ve ever had. Deputy Director UK Regions, Natalie Bain commented that ‘this not only shows the great export strengths of the North but also demonstrates the commitment of these fantastic companies to supporting the economic growth of our region‘.
To become an Export Champion, individuals must have a successful international trade track record, worked with DIT on their export journey, have a good story to tell and be willing to share some of their knowledge and experience with others.
DriveWorks VP and Co-Founder Maria Sarkar has become an Export Champion following a nomination by Veronica Dawson, International Trade Adviser.
Veronica originally met with Maria back in November 2018 at our offices in Thelwall, where Maria shared our story of successfully exporting around the world.
Since DriveWorks was founded in 2001, our software has been used by businesses of all shapes and sizes from across the world, in a wide range of industries and market sectors, with almost 80% of our revenue now coming from overseas.
We have built a strong channel, with an international network of over 100 Value-Added Resellers across 53 countries, who work with us to sell and support our software.
Companies using DriveWorks range from SMEs to multi-nationals and globally recognised brands. On a daily basis we are supporting this channel with regular visits, training and marketing materials to ensure consistent quality.
Maria is more than just a champion for export locally.
DriveWorks software is enabling companies around the world to have an online presence, opening up new opportunities and new markets for businesses large and small.
Digital technologies, Industry 4.0 and e-commerce are driving today’s business strategies. The benefits that DriveWorks brings are at the heart of this digital transformation.
Companies using DriveWorks embed their own knowledge, rules and business logic into the software to set up their own solutions that can be used anywhere and on any device.
Once an order is placed, accurate quotes, sales documents and all the manufacturing drawings and data are also automatically generated by DriveWorks software.
This means an order can be placed from anywhere around the world at any time, with customers receiving fast, professional and accurate responses.
Manufacturing and sales data is sent straight to the relevant teams, saving time, reducing errors and improving quality.
Maria not only has her own experience as to draw upon as an Export Champion, she also has the expertise of working with companies embracing export everyday.
In 2019, DriveWorks’ exporting acheievements and contribution to the business economy was recognised with prestigious awards.
In April, we received two of Cheshires most prestigious awards – the High Sheriff Awards for Enterprise.
We were extremley proud to be recognised for our success in Innovation and Export.
We were joint winners of the Cheshire Business Exporter of the Year Award, alongside the Tall Group. This award recognises growth in international business through a clear commitment to the development of new export market opportunities.
We were honoured to have won this award and be praised for our achievements in building a strong global channel and providing support for our software worldwide.
Later in the year we were recognised again with two Queens Awards for Enterprise, one for Innovation and the second for International Trade.
The Award for Innovation is tangible recognition of the vision and passion for technology that inspires our entire team.
The International Trade Award celebrates our year on year growth in overseas sales.
We were one of only 6 companies in the UK to receive a Double Queen’s Award in 2019.
“We hope our success will inspire other companies in this region to market their goods and services overseas too and be part of the UK’s thriving export community.”
– Maria Sarkar
In her role as Export Champion, Maria is looking forward to sharing more about our achievements in export and inspiring other companies in the region to consider exporting as a realistic and successful opportunity for growth.
With a growing demand for British products and access to international markets, there is an increasing opportunity for UK businesses to succeed through export and international trade.