German ambassador turns business guru
This week Vivien featured in the Lancaster Guardian as part of the Chamber Chat article series.
As a member of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Vivien is a key player in growing the Chamber's International Trade services - you can read the full article below:
German ambassador turns business guru
Having grown up in the towering German and European financial capital of Frankfurt you would be surprised to learn that Vivien has felt much more at home living and working in Lancaster and Morecambe for the past 16 years. She appreciates the English way of life and especially the customs, traditions and people of the North of England. Vivien had been sent over by the German state in 1998 to teach German language and culture at Lancaster University.
Vivien loved the role of an ambassador for a new re-united Germany and her 5 years teaching at Lancaster University were deeply rewarding. Then came the moment of decision for her. “Do I stay in the sheltered world of academia or do I venture forth into the riskier, outward-looking arena of international trade and exporting?” So in 2003 she founded Eureko Associates and this month her company celebrates 11 years of giving hands-on help to small and medium sized businesses in the North West of England.
A completely bilingual speaker of English and German Vivien assists companies in the region who have built up a successful base domestically for their product or service, and want to crack the massive market of Europe’s biggest economy: Germany. Her most prestigious client is the Carnforth based Checkpoint, the manufacturers of the innovative wheel nut indicators for trucks and buses. She doesn’t just help HGV wheels on autobahns go round more safely though, she also helps oil the wheels of UK exports more generally by leading workshops for UKTI, the government export driving machine. As a facilitator at these regional workshops, ‘Passport to Export’, she encourages SMEs from all over the North West to adopt the right strategy when taking the bold but risky step of breaking into new markets.
Vivien will therefore be bringing her considerable knowledge of international business networks, cultures and mentalities to help our local Chamber of Commerce build trading and cultural bridges to Europe and beyond.
Posted: 1st November 2014
