COLOMBIA

Elvira Martinez is NZTE’s Country Manager based in Bogotá. She is responsible for developing New Zealand’s commercial presence in Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela.  

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Elvira began her career as an Economist for the Colombian National Tax and Customs Direction, followed by a position as financial analyst at Colombian telecommunications company Telefónica Telecom. She later joined ING Bank as Economist within the Credit and Risk Department, undertaking macroeconomic and sector studies.

 

Elvira moved into international trade and business development with a role in the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Trade’s Department of Competitiveness, where she worked on projects aimed at making Colombia a more competitive global player. She then became Deputy Director of Planning at Pro-Colombia where she was responsible for the design and implementation of strategies to enter new markets. 

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Elvira served as Senior Trade and Investment Officer and Deputy Director at UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) for thirteen years beginning in 2003.  She was responsible for developing the UK commercial presence in Colombia with a particular focus on agriculture, consumer goods, environment, retail, services, and transport. 

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Elvira holds a Bachelors Degree in Economics and Political Science from Carleton University-Canada, a Masters in Economics from Javeriana University-Colombia, and a Postgraduate Degree in Management from The Open University in the United Kingdom.