Colleague in the spotlight: Ryan Johnson
What are the learning experiences of staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? In the following audio clip, Ryan Johnson shares his experience with the group course Trade and Investment Promotion.
Geluidsfragment (Engels): Ryan Johnson
‘As a Senior Economic Policy Advisor at the Dutch embassy in Cape Town, I promote Dutch policy on sustainable mobility and I help Dutch companies find business opportunities in South Africa in the sustainable mobility sector. In March 2024 I attended the Trade and Investment Promotion Course (TIP) in The Hague with economic policy officers from across the world, to learn more about the Dutch business contexts and immerse myself in working and thinking with Dutch businesses and policy makers.
I felt very empowered due to my TIP learning experience. I was expected to share my experiences, insights and strategies with colleagues and together we solved real problems in Dutch trade and investment promotion. As part of the TIP course I was also required to take an internship with a Dutch company for one week. With the help of my colleagues at the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA), I found an one week internship in Utrecht with an electric cargo bike manufacturer. During my internship I found out how Dutch companies prepare before they plan to expand their business to a new country. I also met with their suppliers and customers to support the company in their preparations for a trade mission to Paris.
Due to my internship I learned about Dutch corporate culture and what the expectations of Dutch companies are when they think about exporting. Overall, I had a fantastic experience at TIP and would highly recommend it to all policy officers abroad to understand Dutch trade policy.‘
‘As a Senior Economic Policy Advisor at the Dutch embassy in Cape Town, I promote Dutch policy on sustainable mobility and I help Dutch companies find business opportunities in South Africa in the sustainable mobility sector. In March 2024 I attended the Trade and Investment Promotion Course (TIP) in The Hague with economic policy officers from across the world, to learn more about the Dutch business contexts and immerse myself in working and thinking with Dutch businesses and policy makers.
I felt very empowered due to my TIP learning experience. I was expected to share my experiences, insights and strategies with colleagues and together we solved real problems in Dutch trade and investment promotion. As part of the TIP course I was also required to take an internship with a Dutch company for one week and I did an one week internship in Utrecht at an electric cargo bike manufacturer. During my internship I found out how Dutch companies prepare before they plan to expand their business to a new country. I also met with their suppliers and customers to support the company in their preparations for a trade mission to Paris.
Due to my internship I learned about Dutch corporate culture and what the expectations of Dutch companies are when they think about exporting. Overall, I had a fantastic experience at TIP and would highly recommend it to all policy officers abroad to understand Dutch trade policy.‘