Lee Iwan
International Business Development
Bilingual, bi-cultural executive with a worldview and extensive international experience in business discovery and development; sales, marketing, promotion, communications, operations, negotiations, relationship building, planning, strategic thinking and pragmatic problem solving.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
MURTRALEON SA de CV – Leon, Gto., Mexico
President – CEO, Sept. 2008 – Present
Manufacturer of multifilament polypropylene yarns and webbing. Strategically located in central Mexico and serving NAFTA, Central and South American markets. Promoting and expanding into the USA and Canada in response to the shifting supply chain strategies in the Americas.
THE IWAN CONSULTING GROUP – Leon, Gto., Mexico
President – Owner, July 2008 – Present
International business development and promotion consultancy. Communications, liaison, match-making, project management and coordination, relationship building, cultural “know how” and “know who”. Training and mentoring of foreign executives working in and with Mexico. Agent, broker, representative or consultant for products or projects in Mexico or internationally.
Computer Experience: Enterprise Resource Planning ERP (Solomon), Microsoft Office Suite; Microsoft Office Suite 2000, 2003 y 2007 (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook); Mind Mapping (Mind Manager, MindJet); Organization (Evernote, Copernic); Comunicationes/Social Media (Microsoft SharePoint, Firefox, Adobe Document, Skype, Explorer, Windows Live, WordPress, Blogger, Twitter); Social Networking (LinkedIn, Plaxo).
QUIMICA CENTRAL DE MEXICO S.A. de C.V. – Gto., México
Business Manager Strategic Business Discovery & Development, May 2005 – July 2008 Fully responsible for the visualization, research, creation, communications, follow-through, analysis, planning and implementation of new business development and corporate strategic diversification projects.
- Project leader, Swiss/Mexico Joint Venture, pharmaceutical industry
- Supervised Joint-Venture/Representation/Market Development, USA/Mexico, coatings and paint industry
- Market research, leather chemical production projects, South Asia and Mexico
- Managed agency for Mexico, South African company, chemical company
- Managed distribution and representation for Mexico, USA and Germany chemical companies
QUIMICA CENTRAL DE MEXICO S.A. de C.V. – Gto., México
Business Manager International Business, March 2000 – May 2005
Global sales and marketing, supply chain and logistics, all international negotiations with clients and suppliers for specialty chemical company.
Directed all export sales, market development and international supplier strategic alliances; export sales distribution and agency network; cross-functional team participation; business intelligence; strategy and market development for Asia Pacific and Latin America; global logistics and supply chain management; cross cultural communications, “globalization” of company culture, public relations and special projects.
- Agency representation agreements with USA, South Africa and Germany. USD $ 2 million.
- Entered China market. First year sales USD $ 0 – current sales USD $ 1.5 million.
- Designed and implemented internal changes in order to better serve export markets. Reduced logistics costs 15%, shortened time from order to customer delivery by up to 15 days.
- Strategic alliance agreements with suppliers in the United Kingdom, USA, and Germany. Savings of USD $ 1 million per year.
- Sales, agency, distribution, strategic agreements and negotiations with: USA, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Turkey, England, Italy, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Russia, China, India, Taiwan, Philippines, and South Korea.
QUIMICA CENTRAL DE MEXICO S.A. de C.V. – Gto., México
Export Manager, July 1998 – March 2000
Sales, distribution, marketing and management of 20 countries, agents and representatives, including Latin America, USA, Europe, Korea and Taiwan. Sales of USD $ 3 million.
NUVIDA S.A. de C.V., León, Gto., México
Owner – President – Entrepreneur, January 1993 – July 1998
Founder-President for start-up specialty service business, 70 employees, private industry and government clients.
FLOWERS FLOWERS INC., Evanston, IL, USA
Owner – President – Entrepreneur, March 1986 – August 1992
Founder-President for start-up innovative luxury consumer goods and service business. Received national industry attention and worked with industry innovators.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics, University of Illinois – Urbana, IL
Course: Finance for Non-Financial Managers, 2005
Course: Mexican International Commerce Legislation, 2001 – 2004
Diploma: Modifications in the Mexican Customs Legislation, 2003
ISO 9001:2000, Certification Process, 2003 – 2006
Diploma: International Commerce – Logistics, 2001
Diploma: International Commerce, 2000
Course: The Strategic Salesperson, 1999
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Board Member, Chemical Industry Export Committee, COFOCE, Feb. 2007 – Present
Board Member, Leather Industry Export Committee, COFOCE, Jan. 2000 – Present
Weblog: Business South of the Border, Feb 2007 – Present
Weblog: Lee Iwan Accumulated Experience, April 2006 – Present
Course: Sharepoint, 2008
Course: MindMapping, 2007
Course: Strategic Planning for Business, 2007
Seminar: Transportation and Logistics, COFOCE, 2005 – 2007
Seminar: Innovation Encounters, Tecnologico de Monterrey 2006 – 2008
Course: Finance for Non-financial Managers, 2005
Participation en ISO 9001:2000 certification, 2004 – 2007
Course: Resolucion Miscelanea de Comercio Exterior, 2001 – 2004
Diploma: Modifications of Customs Legislation (Mexico) 2002 – 2003
Diploma: Logistics of International Commerce, 2001
Diploma: International Commerce, 2000
Course: The Strategic Salesperson, 1999
Periodico AM, Newspaper Columnist. 1994 – 1996
Society of American Florists, Editorial Board, 1990 – 1992
Chicago-Dempster Merchants Association, Vice President, 1988 – 1990
LANGUAGES
English – Fluent, native language
Spanish – Fluent
GLOBAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EVENTS
Guanajuato State Commercial Mission, Quebec-Montreal, Canada, June 2009
NASCO Conference (North America’s Super Corridor Coalition), Quebec, Canada, June 2009
Indian International Leather Fair 2007, (IILF), Chennai, India, Feb. 2007
Chromium Industry Conference, Cape Town, South Africa, Feb. 2006
Commercial Mission, Mexico – India, Mumbai and New Delhi, Nov. 2005
Business Development: Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2004
Business Development Mission: IILF Chennai, India Feb. 2007
ANPIC, Mexican Leather Industry Fair, Leon, Gto., Mexico, 1999 – Present
Business Development Mission: Geneva, Switzerland & Moscow, Russia, 2004
Business Development Mission: Istanbul, Turkey, 2003
All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE), Shanghai, China 2002 – 2005
Guangzhou Leather Fair, Guangzhou, China, 2002 – 2005
Business Development Geneva, Switzerland, 2002
Commercial Mission: Mexico – Central America, 2000 – 2002
Asia Pacific Leather Fair, Hong Kong, 1999 – 2005
Linneapelle, Bologna, Italy, 1999 – 2005
Commercial Mission: Mexico – China, 2000 – 2001
Business Development: Amsterdam, Holland, 2000
Business Development: Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, 2000
Miami Leather Fair, Miami, FL, USA 1999 -2001
Business Development: Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina, 1999
FENAC, Leather Fair, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil, 1999
January 3, 2007 at 2:23 am
I’ve being searching for a contacct similar to this—Thanks—-Which is the best time to visit Guanajuato–in order to contact someone that can help me with establishing my own shoe brand,?
January 3, 2007 at 2:33 am
I would like a phone number to contact someone in Guanajuato?
March 27, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Lee– Whenever Susan and I think of Guanajuato, we think of you and Olga. How are you both?
Whenever I hear Ray Charles, I think of your excellent taste in music which you always had playing at Flowers Flowers. We often go to Mazatlán, where we’ve had a family house for many years. But our hearts are in Guanajuato. Our first and only visit was in the 70s, and we fell in love with the place and the people. Saw some exciting Andean music at the Theatro Juarez. Is it still wonderful and unspoiled? We are thinking of taking a trip to Guanajuato in April or May for a week or two. I imagine the weather will be superb, as I remember that the elevation and the dry climate left the mummies well-preserved. We’re wondering–has it become expensive?–restuarants, hotels. Can you recommend a couple good, not too pricey hotels? I am pleased to hear of your work in intenational business and consulting–can’t wait to read about what you’re doing. Our design consulting has been international, as well. Warm regards, Frank Biancalana + Susan Cox
May 18, 2007 at 11:21 am
Dear Lee:
Looking for some sole leather tanneries that offer to me
their exhaust tan yard tail liquors, drum or spray d ried for export.
Or a source of an low cost vegetable tannin, available in Mexico
or Central America.s We already import Quebracho,Wattle,and
Chestnut.
We currently export large quantitie s of enzymes for soaking,liming,
bating, pickling, and chrome tanning, Especially usefull on blue hides and sides
when imported from the states or the Orient;.
So if you have a list of sole leather tanners, I would like to contact them
Hope things are going well for you
Sincerely
Sanford
Sanford ChemicalCo
fax 847437 0905
phone 847 437 3530
e mail sandy92427@aol.com
December 26, 2007 at 3:12 am
Lee,
I want to visit Guanajuato early next year to see what type of business I could start or invest in Guanajuato. I am running 2 business ventures (real estate, home staging) and part time travel agency.
I happen to browse your site and was very impressed of your accomplishments and your extensive experience in various business ventures.
I hope to hear from you and any brief summary of business ideas you could send or forward is highly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Elisa Gruszynski, elisahomeexpert@gmail.com, 408.464.3220
March 18, 2008 at 11:10 am
Hi, I was hoping you can advise me. I found great cowhide mules (womens shoes) in Pueto Vallarta. I bought a pair and have contacted the store to send me a few more pair. Every where I go people ask me about the shoes. I am a manufacuture rep that calls on all Houston, Texas gift shops to sell my 25 + lines of high end gift items. I want to sell these type of shoes to my gift stores as well as put them on a web site. Back to Puerto Vallarta, the gentleman that owns the store that I bought the shoes from said his cousin makes these shoes in Leon. I can get his number. Do you have any advise for me? When are the dates of these shoe fares? Do you suggest I go in lu of what I would like to accomplish? Thanks for any feedback, sincerely Ann
March 18, 2008 at 11:11 am
forgot my email, annmize@swbell.net
June 25, 2008 at 3:38 am
your website has been most helpfull. What a delightful person you must be :)
September 6, 2009 at 9:28 am
I have been searching for Frank Bianclana and Susan Cox for 12 or more years.
If you know their email address, phone no. home address, etc. please
advise. I am an old (78) old (since 1970) introduced to them by Elwood
Smith. I adore them, and would love to get in touch with them again.
Thank you. Leah Ferrara
September 6, 2009 at 9:30 am
My home email address is : leahferrara@gmail.com