In the wake of ongoing war and economic uncertainty, Ukrainian companies have faced severe disruptions in supply chains, market contractions, and operational challenges. Despite a strong entrepreneurial spirit, many Ukrainian businesses struggled to break into international markets. Recognizing these hurdles, Visionest Institute — a prominent Estonian training and development company — designed a transformative initiative, the Export Consultants Mastery Program, to fill a critical gap in export advisory services. By equipping consultants with cutting-edge skills and knowledge, the program seeks to amplify the export potential of Ukrainian firms and drive economic growth.
On May 22, 2024, Visionest hosted a graduation ceremony of 57 participants of the Export Consultants Mastery Program in Kyiv, who are now EU-certified export consultants. This program, which represents a synthesis of Visionestʼs 33 years of expertise and a response to the pressing needs of Ukrainian businesses, is a novel approach to address the complexities of international trade, create a professional consulting community, and help Ukrainian business grow in foreign markets.
Visionest Institute designed a transformative initiative, the Export Consultants Mastery Program
Building on a Legacy of Excellence
The Export Consultants Mastery Program builds on the success of Visionest’s previous Train the Trainers Program, which was recognized as a top ten finalist in the European ETF Innovative Training & Learning Award 2022. This earlier program, which trained over 120 export consultants, laid a strong foundation for the new program. Supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Coordinator of U.S. Assistance Programs in Europe and Eurasia and the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), and implemented in cooperation with Ukraineʼs Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office within the framework of the Diia.Business Ukrainian national project, the Export Consultants Mastery Program aims to extend this legacy by enhancing the export capabilities of Ukrainian businesses through the development of local expertise. 75% of alumni of past programme versions earn additional income from 10% to more than 80% by providing paid export consulting services, helping dozens of Ukrainian small and medium-sized businesses to export here and now.
The Export Consultants Mastery core objective is to equip public and private sector export consultants with the tools necessary to bolster the export capacity of Ukrainian companies. The aim was not only train consultants but also to enhance the quality and availability of export advisory services across Ukraine.
Anu-Mall Naarits, the CEO of Visionest Institute, initiator and creator of this program, and one of the trainers of the program, recalls: «The story began in 2019, after our Export Tour in Ukraine, where we met many exporting companies wanting to learn more. We realized that we can travel around Ukraine and teach SMEs during our whole life, but this is not enough. We needed to train export consultants who could multiply the export knowledge and reach to many more companies. Thus, the idea emerged organically — we should create a community of export consultants and educate them so that they could provide assistance to a much larger number of companies. And now, seeing the results, we understand that it was the right decision».
Anu-Mall Naarits, the CEO of Visionest Institute
Who are the program participants?
The selection process for the program was highly competitive. Nearly 300 applications from across Ukraine were reviewed to fill the 60 available spots. The stringent criteria, including a minimum of two years of export experience, ensured that the cohort comprised highly qualified individuals. Notably, the program attracted a substantial number of seasoned professionals, with 47% of participants boasting over five years of experience in export activities. This high level of expertise among participants underscores the programʼs commitment to developing top-tier consultants.
The final cohort was well-balanced in terms of gender, with an equal representation of men and women. This diversity is reflective of the programʼs inclusive approach and its appeal to a broad spectrum of professionals.
The programʼs participants came from a range of sectors, contributing to a rich diversity of perspectives and expertise. Approximately 30% of the participants were affiliated with the public sector, including Regional State Administrations, Regional Development Agencies, Chambers of Commerce, Business Development Organizations, and NGOs. The remaining 70% represented private companies and individual consultants. This mix of public and private sector experience provided a well-rounded view of the challenges and opportunities in export consulting.
Upon selection, participants were divided into ten regional teams, fostering an environment of friendly competition and collaborative learning. This structure not only enhanced the educational experience but also facilitated the sharing of insights across different regions of Ukraine.
Participants of the «Export Consultants Mastery» program
Participants of the «Export Consultants Mastery» program
Participants of the «Export Consultants Mastery» program
Participants of the «Export Consultants Mastery» program
Innovations in the Learning Process
The program’s innovative approach included a «two-pillar» model that simultaneously developed both exporting and consulting skills. The curriculum consisted of seven one-month training modules led by international experts from the UK, Germany, Finland, and Estonia. Each module was designed to address various aspects of export consulting, including market research, entry strategies, branding, AI, and digital tools etc.
Iryna Zelenina, CEO Export Promotion Center and President of NGO «Ukrainian export alliance», who was the participants of Ternopil team reflect about the learning process: «In 9 months, you have time to work on yourself, work with teams and gain not only knowledge but also experience from others. Trully to say, the program is not easy at all. It was real challenge to all of us, but it was definitely valuable one and worse all efforts and time».
The learning approach of Export Consultants Mastery has garnered attention in prestigious research conducted by the European Training Foundation’s (ETF) «Creating New Learning Research» (CNL).
Real-World Impact and Client Feedback
The practical orientation of the program is evidenced by the real-world challenges participants tackled. Each team was required to work with actual client companies, providing valuable consulting services and insights.
This real-world application yielded impressive results — 70 Ukrainian SMEs received free consultations from participants, significantly enhancing their export capabilities.
Anton Doctorov, Senior Specialist in Market Research and Commercial Development at Crowe Mikhailenko, participant of team from Kyiv, comments: «What I liked most about the training was the teamwork format and the opportunity to learn from real-life cases. We were tasked with finding actual proposals and solutions for the companyʼs real issues and problems, and each module it was new companies and new challenges. These companies are our clients, so it was not a simulation - during this period all 10 teams were real export consulting companies».
After each consulting, the organizers teams collect the feedback from the companies who have entrusted their export route to the participants of this course. The feedback from these clients has been overwhelmingly positive, with a 95% satisfaction rate of these companies after the cooperation with the teams, 100% of the client-companies found the reports received from participants useful: 55% said that they decided to act based on the report and 45% plan to use it later.
Svitlana Martyniak, sales manager REZON, the client of the Ternopil team, comments: «I liked that the team used different approaches to search information and data, this way there were a lot of things found that are worth thinking about. Also, advice was not «out of thin air» and just about theory, they were practical and based on actual statistical data. Communication from the team was great, material presentation is well written, and data is comprehensive and well presented».
The program applied an innovative approach, combining the simultaneous development of both export and consulting competencies
The curriculum consisted of seven training modules
The training was led by international international experts from the UK, Germany, Finland, and Estonia
Covered various aspects from market research to the use of AI in export activities.
Measurable Improvements and Future Prospects
The impact of the Export Consultants Mastery Program is quantifiable. Participants reported significant improvements in their export and consulting skills, with average ratings for export skills rising from 5.8 to 8.9 and consulting skills from 6.6 to 9.1. These gains reflect the program’s success in enhancing participantsʼ abilities to support Ukrainian SMEs in expanding their global reach.
Moreover, the program has inspired entrepreneurial ambitions, with many participants planning to start their own consulting businesses or collaborate with peers — 19 participants planning to start their own consulting businesses and 17 considering collaborations with peers.
The Export Consultants Mastery program has inspired entrepreneurial ambitions
19 participants planning to start their own consulting businesses and 17 considering collaborations with peers
The Export Consultants Mastery program not only increased the professional competencies of the participants, but also revealed their entrepreneurial potential
19 participants planning to start their own consulting businesses and 17 considering collaborations with peers
The Export Consultants Mastery program not only increased the professional competencies of the participants, but also revealed their entrepreneurial potential
19 participants planning to start their own consulting businesses and 17 considering collaborations with peers
Marianna Kravchenko, Head of Export at CLIXAR, member of Odesa team, emotionally shares her impressions after the programme: «That is real magic, I fell in love with the work of an export consultant, although before I don`t think about this so seriously. But now, I want to do this, I live by it, because I want to develop Ukrainian exports and make all efforts to help Ukrainian businesses. I can definitely tell that this programme has completely changed my life».
This entrepreneurial spirit is a testament to the programʼs effectiveness in not only training consultants but also fostering a new wave of business leaders.
In the final of the program, the participants had to prepare a plan for their own consulting agency, which they would then be able to implement.
Anu-Mall Naarits, CEO of Visionest Institute, summarized the program’s achievements, stating, «One of the challenge that we had before the program is to help to build successful export consultancy companies or freelancing practices on the one side, and on the other side, make Ukrainian SMEs trust such consultations. So, for us was important to motivate consultants think about their future now. During the trainings the participants were creating business plan for their consultancy, servise menues, value propositions, pricing etc. Today 4 teams out of 10 are planning to continue as export consultancy teams and the others are implementing the learned tools in the current jobs. Our international trainers were all having the mindset that every participating team had to learn the module as well as they, so all the consultancy teams are on a very high level. I am very proud of our participants and can personally confirm, that everyone who has earned a certificate from our program, is able to consult any Ukrainain SME in top level».
Conclusion: A Strategic Investment in Ukraine’s Future
The Export Consultants Mastery Program exemplifies a strategic investment in Ukraineʼs economic future. By nurturing a skilled cohort of export consultants, Visionest Institute is playing a pivotal role in Ukraine’s recovery and long-term prosperity. As the nation continues its path towards European integration, initiatives like this are crucial in bridging the gap between domestic enterprises and international markets.
Visionest Institute’s commitment to empowering Ukrainian businesses through international cooperation and knowledge-sharing serves as an inspiring model for how cross-border partnerships can drive meaningful economic development.
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