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GDP Global and The European Academy aim to provide professional, dedicated and cost effective training to agency clients. Our training and development contributions range from strategy and policy, through global and local investment matters, to practical and operational instruction for teams and individuals. For our next programme please kindly note that the training faculty of will comprise some of those listed below, and others yet to be confirmed.

John Hanna, Managing Director, GDP Global Development Ltd.

GDP Global is a specialized London-based business and investment promotion consulting firm founded by John Hanna in 1999. John brings 20 years of experience in economic development and economic promotion. He is currently advising on several client assignments, including a major review of 40 free zones in Europe, Asia and the Middle East; strategy and operational development in Turkey, Oman and in Syria; also in New Zealand, Australia and Canada. He is also director of the European Academy of Business Development. He has run and participated in training courses in the US, the EU, South Africa, and Australia, and with the United Nations in Africa and FIAS in South Asia. John also created the IPA Benchmarking Programme, which has undertaken more than 900 strategy and operations assessments of more than 290 government agencies worldwide.

After graduation John accumulated 12 years of international business experience in pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, business electronics, business publishing and marketing services with Merck, Sharp & Dohme, Sunbeam International, Wilkinson Sword, Oxford Medicine Group, Tatung and Fiskars. He then moved into the public sector and spent eight years as a director of the Welsh Development Agency, managing investment promotion teams in Asia Pacific, North America, then sector strategies, and finally European marketing programmes.

John is a specialist in all aspects of economic development and investment promotion, especially in investment targeting programmes, future IPA strategies and IPA benchmarking. John is an honours graduate in Biology & Physiology from the University of London, and holds an MBA from Cardiff Business School. He speaks some French, Spanish and German.

Christina Knutsson, Director, GDP Global Development Ltd.

With 18 years' of direct experience in economic promotion, Christina works with and on behalf of European, African and South American investment promotion agencies.  She provides expert strategy consultancy in several economies in Europe, Africa and Latin America. Christina has 15 years of international private sector business experience, in activities ranging from manufacturing to services, i.e. outsourcing, logistics, exports and trade, sales and marketing, advertising and journalism coupled with public sector work.

In 1995 Christina co-founded the Invest in Sweden Agency (ISA), where she worked as a senior manager and director of the management group, Christina also established and was the executive director of the London Office of ISA for five years. She was a steering committee member of WAIPA during this period. She has also undertaken assignments with the UN, FIAS, a division of the World Bank Group and Inter American Development Bank (IDB).

In 1999 Christina created the independent management consultancy - Christina Knutsson Consulting in London. Amongst assignments she provided i.a. strategic advisory input for the FDI strategy and start-up of Invest in Spain and Invest in Castilla La Mancha, reviewing a leading investment organisation in Africa and devising the Investment promotion strategy for the Ministry of Industry and Private Sector Development of Madagascar for the start up of the Madagascar Economic Development Board, and providing long term technical advice to a leading City Region Agency in South Africa. Christina is a graduate in Market Economics from RMI Berghs, she is trilingual in English, Spanish and Swedish - her mother tongue, and fluent in French.

Andrew Fraser, Senior Advisor, Mitsubishi Corp.

Andrew Fraser has been Senior Adviser to Mitsubishi Corporation (Europe, Middle East and Africa) since October 2000. He also sits on the Advisory Board of Financial Dynamics International, and has advised the UNDP and a number of Governments with regard to Economic Development and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
Andrew's pro bono commitments include the Council of Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs), the Trust Board of Shakespeare’s Globe, the Board of Think London, and the Council of the Japan Society UK, where he chairs the Business Group.

For the previous six years (July 1994 – September 2000) Andrew served as Chief Executive of Invest UK – the sole Government body marketing the whole of the UK to international investors – during which time the stock of UK inward investment more than doubled. Prior to joining Invest UK, Andrew enjoyed an extensive career in international advertising as Executive Vice President and Director of Business Development for Saatchi and Saatchi Worldwide, and latterly as CEO for Europe for Dentsu Company.

Courtney Fingar, Editor, fDi Magazine

As editor of fDi Magazine Courtney oversees all elements of editorial content for the specialist bimonthly publication and its online portal, www.fdiintelligence.com. fDi Magazine is the flagship publication for the Financial Times Ltd’s fDi Intelligence unit and is read by senior‐level executives at multinational corporations responsible for global expansion decisions.

A trained journalist, she frequently interviews political and business leaders about economic and investment issues, and contributes features and in‐depth special reports to the magazine, such as a series of widely acclaimed investment guides based on her on‐the‐ground reporting from Iraq in 2009‐10. She has covered FDI stories in all major regions of the world. Courtney is a regular panellist at key international events, and has appeared on television and radio in dozens of countries as a commentator on international investment.

Before joining fDi in 2004, she served as the editor of Trade & Forfaiting Review, a London‐based magazine focusing on trade finance. Prior to relocating to the United Kingdom in 2001, she worked in Washington, DC, first as a writer for an environmental news service and later as an editor for Global Business magazine, which reported on international trade and investment for a US executive audience.

Jon Aarons, Senior Managing Director, FTI Consulting

Jon is Senior Managing Director in the Strategic Communications practice of FTI Consulting, based in London. He is responsible for coordinating cross-border business through the EMEA region and developing the Strategic Communications international network, providing solutions for clients across a wide range of global markets. He has 25 years of experience in consulting and has been with the Group since 2000.

Jon began his career on the staff of former British Foreign Secretary Lord Owen and worked in successful entrepreneurial consultancies as a consultant in strategic communications since the mid-1980s. He has advised many clients over the years in all sectors and international markets on every aspect of their corporate positioning, marketing communications and reputation management. He helped to build the Group's corporate communications, issues and crisis advisory capabilities in London, before assuming his current role in 2006, coordinating business in the world's fastest growing and most challenging markets. He has focused particularly on establishing the firm's significant presence in Russia, emerging Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Jon graduated in Politics at Exeter University, holds a postgraduate Diploma in Communications, is a Past President and current Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and Member of the International Public Relations Association.

Alex Burley, Business Director, Tullo Marshall Warren Limited

Alex is Business Director at Tullo-Marshall-Warren, part of Creston plc. TMW is a leading UK creative influence agency, working across all channels.

In digital marketing TMW supports government and multinational clients with everything from email and eCRM, through to mobile, social media, websites and search. TMW also works in print - everything from direct mail to magazines. The company also has brand response experience in above-the-line channels including TV, press, outdoor and radio.

Prior to working with TMW since 2006, Alex worked for five years with direct marketing firm Brann (now EHS Brann Cirencester) as an account director.

Alex has a good appreciation of the marketing of countries and industrial locations, with current experience of place marketing inthe Middle East.

Full bio to follow.

George Bennett is a member of the Management & Leadership Team of IDA Ireland, one of the world’s most successful Inward Investment Agencies, and has held a range of senior management positions in IDA, primarily in new investment business development. He has managed teams in ICT, Engineering, Consumer Products, Pharmaceuticals, International Services & Innovation. He has also held the post of Head of Communications at IDA.

George’s current role is that of Global Head of IDA’s Clean Technology Division where George leads a dedicated group of Executives in Ireland and overseas in pursuit of new FDI in the broad Clean Technology sectors for Ireland.

He is a member of the high level, Government advisory body, “The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs” and Chairs the Expert Group on Skills Needs for the Green Economy plus represents IDA on a number of Innovation and entrepreneurial fora.

David Parker, Invest Hong Kong

David is Head of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong’s London Office, responsible for managing foreign direct investment into Asia’s world city. An MBA graduate, David has over 20 years' experience in regional economic development and 10 years specifically working in foreign direct investment. David represented Wales internationally before joining Invest Hong Kong in 2011, including working extensively in Europe, Asia and a three year posting to New York as Senior Vice President North America.