The GTR-BExA Young Exporter Award for 2019 was awarded to Clare Hunter for her work driving the export strategy and global presence of Coltraco Ultrasonics, a designer and manufacturer of ultrasonic safety and monitoring instrumentation.

Hunter, who has worked for the company for eight years and leads Coltraco’s marketing and communications team, and coordinates its global network, says that winning the award has been “tremendous”. Coltraco exports to 120 different markets, with overseas trade making up nearly 90% of the manufacturer’s output.

In this video, Hunter tells GTR reporter Maddy White how Brazil has been a key trade focus for her, that “confidence” is key for young people looking to become involved in trade and how important it is for women to take up speaking opportunities because “you can’t be what you can’t see”.

“With her vast knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment to developing Coltraco’s export business, it’s evident that her role goes far beyond her marketing and communications title. She is a terrific all-rounder with a true passion for export,” says BExA co-chair Geoffrey de Mowbray, commenting on Hunter’s win.

Alongside the Young Exporter Award, the winner of the GTR-BExA Young Export Financier Award – new in 2019 – is Sapna Sapra from Deutsche Bank. Sapra joined Deutsche’s Structured Trade & Export Finance (STEF) team in 2013, was promoted to vice-president in early 2018, and is responsible for the origination, structuring and execution of export finance transactions backed by UK Export Finance and other ECAs.

The winner of the inaugural BExA Lifetime Achievement Award is Carl Hunter, CEO of Coltraco Ultrasonics. Under his leadership, and as Clare Hunter (Carl Hunter’s daughter) mentions, the manufacturer also won the Queen’s Award for International Trade in April 2019.

The young exporter awards are open to candidates aged 35 or under, and employed in the export or export finance department of a manufacturing, trading or financial services company in the UK.