This week is the final episode of the special COVID-19 series. Sarah and Shane welcome special guests, Paul Bloxham, Chief Economist, HSBC and Tamara Oyarce National Manager, Policy and Research, ECA. They explore the road to recovery with the macroeconomic challenges the global economy will face as well as some changes in trade policy. We will also look at some practical steps to best prepare for the opportunities ahead whilst cautiously guarding against further COVID-19 bumps in the road.

This week we are talking manufacturing with special guests, Garry Beard, Chairman, AH Beard and David Mumford, Sales and Marketing Director, RBK Nutraceuticals. We look at the disruption COVID-19 has had on these businesses and how they’ve adjusted. We discuss their journey over the past few months what strategies they are implementing for the recovery.

Join Sarah and Shane for their conversation with Michael Coote, National Manager - Export Development, AUSVEG and ECA members: Dalene Wray, MD, OBE Organic and Heidi Walker, MD, Walker Seafood Australia. Dalene and Heidi share their stories on how they are managing their businesses through COVID. From adjusting their business models to the strategies they are implementing for the recovery. Michael talks on how this disruption has been felt across the potato and vegetable industry, especially around supply chain. While there continues to be daily challenges, they remain positive for the future diversification of the Australia’s Agricultural export market.

Sarah and Shane talk with guests from Export Finance Australia: Greg Caisley, Chief Customer Officer – SME’s and Nessa McCarthy, Head of Transaction Management – SME’s. They discuss they ways in which business’s finances have been impacted during COVID-19, especially around cash flow and how to mitigate risk. Greg and Nessa share information and insights on the support packages available to businesses at this time. 

Join Sarah and Shane from the ECA, with special guest, Leila Naja Hibri, CEO, Australian Fashion Council for some insights on your businesses current market position. They discuss the changes in marketing strategies during the COVID-19 crisis and the importance of reviewing your sales channels. Leila shares some findings from the AFC COVID-19 survey and the shift to e-commerce and the challenges around manufacturing. They also delve into the new opportunities both now and post COVID-19.

Join Sarah and Shane from the ECA, with special guest, Stephen Stroner, Managing Director, UPS for a review on how the supply chain has been impacted by COVID-19. They look at some of the challenge’s businesses have been facing around supply chain issues, including freight and how they are overcoming them. Stephen gives us some insights on how UPS has responded to the ever-changing nature of COVID and how the business is managing the demands both now and in the coming months.

Join Sarah and Shane from the ECA with guest speaker Paul Cooper, Owner of Rinstrum and Chairman of the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre as they give some insight into reassessing your export position and repositioning your business plan. They focus on drilling down into strategy; how your business is placed right now, reviewing the impact of COVD19 on the business and stakeholders, identifying new opportunities and coming out the other side.

Join Sarah and Shane from the ECA with special guests Chris Warry, PwC and Trena Blair, FD Global Connections as they give you an overview of the current impact of COVID-19 across Australia’s major trading regions, North America and Asia. The rest of the series we will take businesses on a journey that will help them to reassess their export strategy and then reposition their plan now and post COVID-19. 

To help your business achieve this, we will consider market position, supply chain, finance and compliance, and marketing strategies. We cover a range of successful case studies and businesses and then assess the opportunities post COVID-19.