Now Head of Trade Finance at Crown Agents’ Bank, Duarte Pedreira launched what was then the Young Professionals’ Initiative at the International Trade & Forfaiting Association (ITFA) three years ago in 2016.
This has grown into ITFA’s Emerging Leaders Initiative, chaired by Pedreira, who had come into the trade finance profession “by accident” having had a capital markets background. “What I want to create is a more structured way in which people can choose trade finance as a career choice….it’s all about creating the conditions so people know what trade finance is all about and powerfully choose a career, says Pedreira.
There are other young professional programmes such as the ICC Next Generation Leaders , and the BAFT’s Future Leaders Program. Another recent addition is the TXF Future of Export Finance platform. However, he explains the closest relationship is with the new Berne Union’s Young Professionals Initiative,
Pedreira (originally from Lisbon) explains how much he has learned from the diverse group of young professionals on the ITFA initiative who advise on how it should be run. “I just execute”, he reflects.
