FSC Development Services Ltd

International Trade Partnership Solutions

OUR PEOPLE

MALCOLM CUTLER – Managing Director

Malcolm is a qualified agricultural and mechanical engineer (Cranfield) and for many years worked in marketing and senior management positions with multinationals (Goodyear Tyre Co, Lister Diesels) and SMEs in the UK/Europe, Asia and Africa. In the mid 1980’s he joined colleagues to form Rural Investment Overseas Ltd (RIO), which was a pioneer in promoting private sector and entrepreneur development in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean/Central America. As Managing Director of RIO’s associate company, FSC, he worked extensively with SMEs in these regions, providing technical and management assistance and identifying relevant investment finance and development funds.

Since 1999, through FSC, Malcolm has been active in advising and working with private companies and with organisations such as UKTI, UNIDO, DFID and the EU, on the development of international partnerships and investments between companies in the UK/Europe and in Asia (including China and India), Africa (including South Africa) and Central America (Mexico).

Malcolm is International Chairman of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers and a member of the Eastern Africa Association (EAA), the Institution of Civil Engineers Appropriate Development Panel and the Tropical Agricultural Association (TAA).

STUART THOMAS – Director

Stuart has an honours degree in Hispanic studies and is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese and French. However, his career over the past 25 years has largely been spent in international marketing and sales in the automotive industry and 20yrs with Massey Ferguson where he covered Latin and North America, Middle East, Africa and Europe. He lived for 2yrs in the USA running the MF parts business in Mexico and South America.

From 1996 to 2004 Stuart was the International Trade Team Manager at Business Link Gloucestershire. He led a team of 6 advisers, supporting 1200 companies exporting from the county as part of the UK Trade & Investment’s South West Regional operation. In this role he worked closely with both new and experienced exporters across the whole range of business sizes, sectors, and products utilising UKTI and EU development programmes and liaising closely with UK commercial staff in overseas embassies and consulates.

Stuart is a member of the Institute of Export.

JILL CUTLER – Company secretary

Jill is a trained teacher but has worked extensively in administrative roles in both the public and private sector. With FSC she has travelled widely in Asia, Africa and worked closely with international donors and institutions undertaking the financial administration and monitoring of overseas projects.

SUZANNE JONES – IT Advisor

Suzanne, as part of the computer software development and training company, The Graphics Network (www.tgn.co.uk), has worked with FSC over the past few years on various projects and provides website design and database management expertise. Projects include the Near East and North Africa Fund website for Trade Investment UK (www.nenafund.co.uk) which she designed and developed and our Access Egypt Project where she not only developed and administered the database involved, but also contacted UK companies about their trade with Egypt.

Suzanne has designed and implemented websites for a number of private organisations as well as the official Fairford Town Council website.

WHITEHOUSE & ASSOCIATES – Africa

Whitehouse & Associates is a research and consulting company dedicated to the international trading environment. Founded in early 1998, the company has quickly established itself as a leader in the field, serving a wide range of African and international clients. The company's special area of expertise is researching African markets and business opportunities. The company’s research team has over 40 years of combined research experience, with more than 25 years of these focused on international trade research. The research team has thus developed a good knowledge of African markets and international trade and has established an extensive network of contacts both in South Africa and in African markets.

Since its inception in 1998, Whitehouse & Associates has assisted over 300 companies and organisations with the development of their business in Africa.

CUAN OPPERMAN – South African Associate

Cuan lives in Johannesburg and has worked with FSC for over 10 years. He is a specialist in African trade and export development and has worked with a wide range of investment, multilateral and bilateral institutions, as well as the NGO, charitable, humanitarian and relief sectors. He has extensive experience covering most countries in Africa as well as working in Europe and the Ukraine, and in a wide range of business sectors. This wide exposure, including direct assistance to many corporate and development clients, has given him a deep and on-the-ground understanding of trade, development, relief and investment issues impacting the continent. It has further allowed him to develop a broad range of contacts in many African countries. and has facilitated his access to considerable current information on trade, relief and development trends.

KBA CONSULTANCY & TRAINING LTD – China

KBA was formed in 1989 as an international management and training consultancy located in the UK for the automotive industry. Subsequently they have expanded their portfolio into consultancy, training, networking and logistics and has offices in Eastern Europe, China and the Caribbean as well as they UK.

Karl Bahm, MD of KBA has worked in China for over 5 years, delivering training and management consultancy, especially within the automotive and engineering industries.

FABIENNE ROND – China

Fabienne is a fluent Chinese speaker and has lived in China for the past 5 years working with the EU and UNIDO. She has an extensive contact base both with government (national and local) departments and the private sector. She has worked extensively on partnership and investment programmes assisting UK companies identify partners and opportunities in China.