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Alumna Ahern Steps Into New Role With International Business

Published: April 13, 2021

Elizabeth de la Garza Ahern 93 recently accepted a position as director of the Peoria U.S. Export Assistance Center with the U.S. Department of Commerce. She manages all International Trade Administration programs within the state of Illinois south of Interstate 80.

Aherns role places her in the position to assist companies that seek to initiate or grow their involvement in international export. She focuses mostly on small to medium-sized companies in the Illinois region.

Opening International Doors

Ahern describes several services she provides to businesses looking to get started in exporting:

  • Trade Counseling: "Counseling involves various facets, but a good place to start is assessing the export readiness of the company and may lead to formulating or tweaking a strategic plan. It could also involve recommending resources and/or next steps."
  • Business Matchmaking: "One of the most common modes to enter a new market is through a distributor or an agent in the targeted market. At the international level, it is difficult to do business with people you do not know. Through our network around the world of advisers we can provide services that conduct research to find potential partners and offer a recommendation based on that research."
  • Commercial Diplomacy: "Companies of all sizes can benefit from advocacy when bidding on government procurement projects. These are usually large projects worth millions of dollars and advocacy helps to level the playing field in a very competitive environment."

Ahern gains satisfaction from opening new doors for her clients. She stresses that growing international connections and exports helps to create U.S. jobs and grow our economy. Her work brings her into partnership with various business practitioners, government and trade organizations, economic development associations, economists and more.

A Lifetime of Multicultural Learning

Ahern and her four siblings grew up in the Rio Grande Valley on the border between Texas and Mexico, spending long Sunday afternoons at their grandmother's ranch enjoying family and home cooking.

As part of a bilingual and multicultural community, Ahern says, "I did not have to wait until college to learn about foreign exchange, transnational operations, foreign language and cultures. In essence, I grew up with a huge advantage."

During her senior year at GC, Ahern completed an internship in Washington, DC, learning international trade policy. From there she took a job in the trade finance department of U.S. Bank in St. Louis, and later worked for medical and chemical businesses with an international presence. An MBA in international business from St. Louis University provided the opportunity for Ahern to travel to Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and France to learn more about the ins and outs of international commerce.

In 2008 Ahern returned to GC as the director of international and cross-cultural programs, as well as professor of business management. Beginning in 2011 she also worked as a consultant for international trade through the Illinois SBDC. In 2015, she made the jump to the U.S. Export Assistance Center in Peoria.

Advice to Aspiring Students

Ahern offers words of wisdom to students considering careers in business and/or international pursuits.

  • First, network. She took to heart a mentors advice to "never burn any bridges," and her network includes "current and former colleagues, my graduate school cohort and events, professional organizations and current and former clients."
  • Second, find a good internship. Commercial Service Offices around the U.S. offer these opportunities, but these offices are part of just one branch in the national U.S. Department of Commerce. Hopeful students should examine all divisions to find their best fit. "For example, the U.S. Census Bureau may be looking for students with a different major than the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is."
  • Third, be flexible. Build off of any opportunity, even the unexpected ones. "If you look at my resume, my professional trajectory has not been a straight path to where I am now, nor as I had planned right after graduating from college."

The real secret ingredient to her success, Ahern says, is "to do everything with care and excellence." This winning formula will work on any career trajectory, whether it's a straight line or an unexpected curveball.

Learn more:

This Little Idea Went to Market

The Unpredictable Road to Success

GC Celebrates Launch of The Briner School of Business

Music Business Internships Open Doors of Opportunity for Students

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