Karen McConkey
Business Development Manager - Trade at Office of the Agent General of South Australia- Claim this Profile
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English Native or bilingual proficiency
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Danish Native or bilingual proficiency
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German Limited working proficiency
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French Limited working proficiency
Topline Score
Bio
Will Little
I like Karen. She's a good buyer; knows what she wants, is straight talking, and most importantly, isn't a dick.
Leo Laforgia
Karen has been my buyer at Savers and she has always been great to deal with. Don't get me wrong, we've had our share of difficult conversations, but Karen has always been able to take the edge off and negotiate a win-win situation for both parties, turning problems into money making opportunities. Karen loves to smoothly plan well in advance and thanks to a solid Business Plan we've delivered market beating growth for both organisations. Karen is organised and has a high level of attention to detail. She's the best buyer I've worked with.
Will Little
I like Karen. She's a good buyer; knows what she wants, is straight talking, and most importantly, isn't a dick.
Leo Laforgia
Karen has been my buyer at Savers and she has always been great to deal with. Don't get me wrong, we've had our share of difficult conversations, but Karen has always been able to take the edge off and negotiate a win-win situation for both parties, turning problems into money making opportunities. Karen loves to smoothly plan well in advance and thanks to a solid Business Plan we've delivered market beating growth for both organisations. Karen is organised and has a high level of attention to detail. She's the best buyer I've worked with.
Will Little
I like Karen. She's a good buyer; knows what she wants, is straight talking, and most importantly, isn't a dick.
Leo Laforgia
Karen has been my buyer at Savers and she has always been great to deal with. Don't get me wrong, we've had our share of difficult conversations, but Karen has always been able to take the edge off and negotiate a win-win situation for both parties, turning problems into money making opportunities. Karen loves to smoothly plan well in advance and thanks to a solid Business Plan we've delivered market beating growth for both organisations. Karen is organised and has a high level of attention to detail. She's the best buyer I've worked with.
Will Little
I like Karen. She's a good buyer; knows what she wants, is straight talking, and most importantly, isn't a dick.
Leo Laforgia
Karen has been my buyer at Savers and she has always been great to deal with. Don't get me wrong, we've had our share of difficult conversations, but Karen has always been able to take the edge off and negotiate a win-win situation for both parties, turning problems into money making opportunities. Karen loves to smoothly plan well in advance and thanks to a solid Business Plan we've delivered market beating growth for both organisations. Karen is organised and has a high level of attention to detail. She's the best buyer I've worked with.
Experience
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Office of the Agent General of South Australia
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United Kingdom
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Government Relations Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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Business Development Manager - Trade
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Sep 2022 - Present
• Building and facilitating trade/ export opportunities from South Australia to the UK and Europe. This is across a broad range of sectors: wine, food, energy, defence, space, hi-tech and creative industries. • Leveraging and managing a broad network of stakeholders to align and develop trade opportunities. This is to encourage trading relationships between South Australia, the UK and the EU. This includes, but is not limited to Government agencies, trade associations, wholesale, retail and on-trade organisations. There is a particular focus on the UK with the enforcement of the Australia/UK Free Trade Agreement in 2023. • Undertaking market research, through a broad range of sources to identify trade opportunities across all the key sectors for South Australia. This then leads to the development and implementation of trade plans to actively bring the State’s offer to the fore, whilst ensuring that the offer is relevant to the appropriate market. • Advising South Australian companies on “how to trade” in the UK and the EU, sourcing appropriate support when necessary. • Devising, designing, and implementing trade networking events, tailored accordingly to the target audience/ keynote speaker. • Attending trade shows and networking events to support South Australian companies in their trade objectives in qualifying relationships and opening up new opportunities.
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Ocado Retail Ltd
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United Kingdom
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Retail
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700 & Above Employee
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International Buyer
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Jan 2022 - Aug 2022
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Buying Manager - Hot Beverages
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Mar 2018 - Jan 2022
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Buying Manager - Soft Drinks & Chilled Juice
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Sep 2016 - Mar 2018
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Buying Manager - Frozen & Chilled Desserts
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Mar 2016 - Sep 2016
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Brodie & Stone International Plc
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United Kingdom
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Cosmetics
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1 - 100 Employee
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Head of Sales
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Oct 2015 - Mar 2016
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Savers Health Home & Beauty
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United Kingdom
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Retail
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700 & Above Employee
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Senior Buyer
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Dec 2007 - Oct 2015
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Strategy Analytics is now TechInsights
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United States
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Market Research
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1 - 100 Employee
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Business Development Executive
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Aug 2005 - Dec 2007
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Education
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London School Of Coffee
Sensory Skills Foundation -
1995 - 1997
Luton Sixth Form College
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1990 - 1995
Putteridge High School
Community
