| JEFFREY E. ENGELS International Development Specialist |
 |
 |
| Armenian Minister of Agriculture Davit Lokyan awarded Jeffrey Engels with the Ministry's Gold Medal for assistance to Armenian agriculture, November, 2005. From 2003 to 2005, Jeffrey served as the final Director of the United States Department of Agriculture's Marketing Assistance Project in Armenia. |
 |
| Resume Jeffrey E. Engels 800 Swanston, #280 Phone: +61 (3) 8888.7506 Carlton, VIC, 3053 www.jeffreyengels.com Melbourne, Australia email: jeffrey_engels@yahoo.com SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS •An international development executive with extensive experience in small and medium enterprise (SME) capacity building, global trade, and business management. •Extensive work experience in developing countries; twenty years of international project management experience. •Specialized in all aspects of international poverty reduction project management, agribusiness development, strategic analysis and planning, domestic and international marketing/sales, trade sourcing, export promotion, and operations/logistics. •Directed a USD$6.4 million Armenian NGO originating from and assuming the activities of the United States Department of Agriculture-funded award-winning Marketing Assistance Project (USD$7.5 annually), an international agribusiness development initiative. •Designed and implemented domestic food security and international agro-marketing programs and export promotion strategies. •Private sector: concurrently directed and managed two U.S. offices and foreign operations in Asia and Latin America focused on infrastructure development projects.. •Successful track record in negotiating/managing simultaneous overseas projects and product distribution. Skilled in product marketing/differentiation /positioning •Analytical strategic thinker adept at quick problem identification and solutions, efficiently handling multiple projects under strict time constraints while consistently reducing expenditures. •Country experience: Armenia, Chile, Russia, Ukraine, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Israel, Oman, England, and Guam. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Enterprise Development Senior Advisor, ACDI/VOCA, Yerevan, Armenia (July, 2008) •Assessed current operations of boutique winery in Ararat Valley and the tourism market in Armenia. •Developed an agro-tourism development plan to allow an Armenian winery to capitalize on opportunities for greater financial security and growth by delivery of higher returns through improved products and services and heightened awareness: provided strategies to develop on-site facility, create linkages with tourist agencies, operators, and guides, and produce high quality promotional materials to position the winery to be a leader in agro-tourism for local visitors and international tourists. Country Director, Center for Agribusiness & Rural Development (CARD), Yerevan, Armenia (April, 2005-December, 2006) •Directed USD$6.4 million local Armenian NGO dedicated to reducing rural poverty and increasing the standard of living of its clients by offering a comprehensive, integrated package of market- and farmer-driven services. •Responsible for fulfilling CARD’s Mission (to assist farmers and agribusinesses in the production and marketing of food and related products to increase incomes and create jobs) as well as all administrative and financial functions of the organization. •Provided day-to-day leadership and guidance to CARD’s Management Team-comprised of Armenian and international experts--to ensure proper strategies, financial resource planning, and internal controls in compliance with Armenian law. •Organized, planned, established, and implemented new and innovative development projects, including procedures, regulations, policies and program operations. Managed and adjusted project budgets as required to accomplish overall goals within established timeframes. •Prime liaison with primary funder (the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service), pertinent U.S. and local government agencies, and Armenian and international development organizations to develop and strengthen collaborative arrangements for innovative development programs. •Ensured comprehensive monitoring and evaluation for timely reporting to the CARD Board of Trustees, donors, partners, and collaborators on changing political, budgetary, programmatic, and administrative circumstances influencing implemented projects. Presented new funding and project proposals to donors and negotiated new partnership arrangements. Director and Project Coordinator, USDA MARKETING ASSISTANCE PROJECT, Yerevan, Armenia (October 2003 - March 2005) •Managed/coordinated annual USD$7.5 million Freedom Support Act (FSA)-funded international agribusiness development project, providing project leadership, administrative oversight, and program guidance. •Coordinated staff of 100 personnel, including U.S. consultants from land grant universities and local Armenian staff. Supervised USDA/International Programs’ American technical advisors. •Represented USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) in-country to both senior-level U.S. and Armenian agricultural, diplomatic, and political entities. •Served as U.S. Mission expert on agriculture in Armenia, collaborating projects with UNDP, UMCOR, ACDI/VOCA, DAI, etc. Provided on-time and on-budget delivery of project deliverables. •Led program initiative to transition USDA-funded project to a private sector, locally owned/managed legacy NGO. Marketing Manager, USDA MARKETING ASSISTANCE PROJECT, Yerevan, Armenia (February 2002-September 2003) •Managed and mentored local marketing team, the core component of MAP; strategically coordinated the work of U.S. consultants, worked closely with NGOs and international organizations to effectively implement marketing assistance to farmers and SMEs/agribusinesses. Focused on high value horticultural products and value-added processing. •Implemented marketing strategies for Armenian agribusinesses to assist them to compete in/penetrate regional and international markets such as Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltics, the European Union, and the United States. Conducted R&D on products and quality improvement, provided market intelligence, developed domestic and export promotion, and overcame transportation/logistics obstacles. •Responsible for all reporting to donor (USDA) and U.S. Ambassador to Armenia. •Developed marketing materials for the project and its clients, as well as an 'Economics Primer' for Quality Schools International (QSI) high school economics curriculum. International trade and marketing specialist, Fairfax, CA. (2001 - 2002) •Completed assignments in Armenia, Chile, Russia, and the Ukraine on international trade, business development, and marketing for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to enhance competitiveness. •Developed global marketing/business plans for agroprocessors and an Agricultural Marketing Center. •Provided in-depth country and market research, analyzed existing business operations (marketing, sales, logistics, and distribution) and developed value-added programs for maximum operational efficiency and increased revenue. •Consulting services extended to export strategies and promotion, Supply Chain Management (SCM) improvement, and a range of global trade issues. LOCKWOOD INTERNATIONAL, Mill Valley, CA. (1987-2000) President & Partner (1994-2000) •Managed fast-paced USD$7.0 million leading West Coast export management company specializing in the procurement and supply of infrastructure products to international architects, contractors, engineers, and planners for projects in developing countries. Offices in Denver/Dayton and overseas offices in Hong Kong and Mexico. •Developed long and short-term global trade/marketing plans to tactically respond to large volume procurement demands for construction materials for hospitals, schools, banks, low-cost housing, government buildings, and rail systems. •Drove sales/trade team planning and marketing analysis, including research, competitive product evaluation, and sales techniques for a variety of levels of distribution/channel sales. •Analyzed and provided solutions for complex trade finance and operations issues. •Led business development programs to build brand awareness and create product competitive images abroad. •Expanded product lines by broadening partners and customer portfolio, and geographic sales regions with extensive travel throughout Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Europe. Vice-President, Global Marketing & Sales, (1991-1993) •Global trade team management, cross-training and co-ordination of California, Colorado, and Hong Kong offices. •Supervised USD$5.0 million budget; cash flow; payroll; and financial expenditures. •Expanded product presence that led to awarded contracts on high profile infrastructure projects via continual travel to Asian markets. •Developed new secondary markets in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Middle East. •Introduced and applied IT solutions to increase organizational and global Supply Chain Management (SCM). Global Project Manager, (1989-1990) •Supervised and trained California office staff in all aspects of international trade and Supply Chain Management (SCM). •Reduced back-office procurement costs 20% through competitive multi-vendor bidding. •Built relationships with key prime manufacturing and contracting organizations that were experts in their focus areas and drafted and implemented exclusivity agreements for overseas presentation. •Augmented accounts service with overseas on-site product consultation. Operations/Logistics Manager, (1987-1988 ) •Sourced wide range of multi-industry infrastructure products from specified bill of materials lists. •Negotiated ocean freight rates for 2000 40’containers on behalf of clients. •Devised economical and custom loading plans for outbound shipping container consolidations. •Procured USD$3.0 million materials annually for high profile Hong Kong/Asian projects and arranged air/ocean shipments of export cargo to meet tight deadlines. •Provided all necessary trade finance documentation for open account; sight draft and letter of credit payment. Appellate Level Clerk for the Attorney General, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, ATTORNEY GENERAL, San Francisco, California, (1986) Wrote respondent briefs for filing in California Court of Appeals. EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, Victoria, Australia, Ph.D. Candidate (Development Studies), February 2007-Present. Dissertation: 'Aid Project Exit Strategies: Building strong sustainable institutions'. UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX, INSTITUTE OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (IDS), Brighton, UK IMA International’s 'Development Planning & Management' short course, April, 2006. INSTITUTION ON INTERNATIONAL & COMPARATIVE LAW, Moscow, Russia and Warsaw, Poland, University of San Diego Summer Program, 1985. UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL OF LAW, San Francisco, California, 1984-86, Self-financed. DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY, San Rafael, California, B.A. Cum Laude, 'Interntional Studies,' 1982. HONORS AND AWARDS Research Grant, Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy, Rutgers University, June 2008. Research Grant, Travel for Research in Postgraduate Study (TRIPS), University of Melbourne, June 2008. Ph.D. Fieldwork Grant, School of Social & Environmental Enquiry, University of Melbourne, December 2007. Certificate, United Nations Global Compact, Communication onf Project Review (COP) Project, July 2007 Certificate of Appreciation, Ministry of Agriculture of Republic of Armenia Agricultural Support Center, Yervan, Armenia, 24 December 2004 Honorary Doctorate, Armenian Agricultural Academy, Yerevan, Armenia, conferred 30 October, 2004. Republic of Armenia Gold Medal 'For Achievements in Agriculture', given by the Ministry of Agriculture to the USDA Marketing Assistance Project, Jeffrey E. Engels, Project Director, 28 October, 2004. Moot Court Case Winner, 1986, University of San Francisco School of Law, San Francisco, California. PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES Member, Country Team (Ambassador’s Cabinet), US Embassy in Armenia, 2003-2006. Member, Assistance Coordination Group (ACG), US Embassy in Armenia, 2003-2006. Member, Save-The-Children Community Self-Help Fund Working Group, US Embassy in Armenia, 2003-2006. Founder and Member, Armenian Organic Agriculture Foundation (AOAF), 2004-Present. Member, US-Armenian Task Force (USATF), US Embassy in Armenia, 2003-2005. Advisor, Organic Agriculture: Vegetable Growing, Book I. By Sarukhanyan, Nune. Aut-Graph Press, Yerevan, Armenia, 2005. Member, Steering Committee, New Embassy Compound (NEC), Armenia, 2004-2005. Member, International Cooperative Administrative Support Services (ICASS) Council, US Embassy in Armenia, 2003-2005. Member, Coordinating Council of “ArmAgroForum” First International Conference, Armenia, 2004. Chair, First Plenary Session. Armenian Agricultural Academy International Scientific Conference. Yerevan, Armenia. October 28-30, 2004. Co-Chair, National Organic Action Plan (NOAP) Committee of Armenia, 2002-2003. SELECTED PUBLICATIONS Engels, J (2008) 'Book Review: Banerjee, A.V. (2008) Making Aid Work, Cambridge, Mass and London, England: The MIT Press' in Progress in Development Studies, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 293-294. Engels, J. & Hager, R. (2004) Republic of Armenia Product Brief: Wine Market 2004, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service GAIN Report (#AM4002) (26 July), Washington, D.C: USDA-FAS. Engels, J. & Sardaryn, G., & Heboyan, V. (2004) Consumers’ Attitudes and Preferences for Armenian Wines,14th Annual IAMA World Food & Agribusiness Symposium Paper (July), Montreux, Switzerland. Engels, J. (2003) 'USDA-MAP and Implementing Food Biosafety Measures in the Caucasus' in Nichterlein, K. & Ayrpetyan, S. (eds) Proceedings FAO/UNESCO Subregional Workshop: Agricultural Biotechnology and Biosafety for Food Security and Rural Development in the Caucasus Region and Moldova, 3-6 November, Yerevan, Armenia: FAO/UNESCO. Engels, J. (2003) 'Armenia’s Gateway to the World: The Geopolitical Significance of the Port of Poti' in Long, D. (ed) International Logistics and Global Supply Chain Management, 3rd ed., Norwell, Massachusetts: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Engels, J. (2003) Armenia-Georgia Cross-Border Trade: A Market Development Brief (2003), Yerevan, Armenia: USDA-MAP. Engels, J. (2003) Armenia Product Brief: Condiment Marketing, Capers (Capparis spinosa) (June), Yerevan, Armenia: USDA-MAP. Engels, J. (2002) 'Pepper Trials and Tasting' in Marketing Horizons, USDA Newsletter #9 (60) (December), Yerevan, Armenia: USDA-MAP. . Engels, J. (2002) Latvia Market Rapid Assessment Report (2002), Yerevan, Armenia: USDA-MAP. Engels, J. & Scalise, D. (1986) 'Alternative Dispute Resolution: A Commercial Guide to Dispute Management' in The Advocates Quarterly, vol. 9, pp.53-77. SELECTED PUBLIC SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS University of Melbourne, School of Philosophy, Anthropology, and Social Inquiry (PASI), Melbourne, Australia. 'Aid Project Exit Strategies: Building strong sustainable institutionals;, 9 November 2009. University of Melbourne, Department of Development Studies, Melbourne, Australia. 'Principles & Practices of Project Management: Project Monitoring', 21 April 2009. Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), School of Global Studies, Social Science & Planning, Melbourne, Australia. Lecture Series: 'Microfinance & Poverty', 'Microfinance Management & Financial Statement Analysis' and 'Microfinance & Hyper-Inflation Case Studies', March-June 2009. Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), School of Global Studies, Social Science & Planning, Melbourne, Australia. Lecture Series: 'Microfinance: Poverty & Sustainability Debate', 'Microfinance: Targeting & Outreach', 'Management of Microfinance Programs', 'Micro-enterprises', 'Microfinance and Gender', March-June 2008. Oxfam-World Vision Measuring Effectiveness Conference, Melbourne, Australia. 'The Value Chain Development Model: Helping Armenian Communities Redevelop Agriculture in a Post-Soviet Context', 10-11 September, 2007. University of Melbourne, School of Social & Environmental Inquiry, Melbourne, Australia. 'Methods and Tools for Aid Project Monitoring', 17 April 2007. European Association of Agricultural Economists 98th Seminar, Marketing Dynamics within the Global Trading System: New Perspectives, Crete, Greece, 'Developing the Food Supply Chain in Armenia.', 29 June-2 July 2006. USAID Regional Consultation on Linking Farmers to Markets: Lessons Learned & Successful Practices, Cairo, Egypt. 'Unlocking the Export Potential of Armenia’s Landlocked Dairy Sector', 29 January-2 February 2006. Voice of America Television Interview, Yerevan, Armenia. 'The History of Agricultural Technical Assistance to Armenia and The USDA Marketing Assistance Project', 30 September 2004. Partners For The Future: US Assistance In Armenia (DVD),Yerevan, Armenia. 'US Embassy in Armenia: Agricultural Marketing Assistance', 22 September 2004. Sub-Regional FAO/UNESCO Workshop On Agricultural Biotechnology & Biosafety For Food Security and Rural Development In The Caucuses Region and Moldova, Yerevan, Armenia. 'New Biosafety and Bio-Terrorism Regulations Implemented by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration', 3 November 2003. Post Harvest Handling Conference, American University of Armenia Business Center, Yerevan, Armenia. 'Fruit Quality in the Market: Increasing Buyer Sovereignty Through Standards', November 2003. USDA-MAP Wine Conference: Growing Quality Grapes To Produce Quality Wines In Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia. 'The USDA-MAP’s Efforts to Develop the Armenian Wine Industry', 16 October 2003. International Black Sea University, Tbilisi, Georgia. 'Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Capacity Building in the Caucasus: Improving Market Share In Existing and Penetrating New Markets', August 2003. Armenian Agricultural Academy, Yerevan, Armenia. 'Food Marketing in Ukraine: Opportunities & Obstacles', November, 2002. 'Armenian Agroproduct Trade Management to and Opportunities in the Ukrainian Market', 2001 . Armenpack Packaging Union, Packaging Roundtable, Yerevan, Armenia. 'Food Packaging In Armenia: Methods and Materials', November, 2002. National Organic Action Plan Committee Workshop, Yerevan, Armenia. 'Organic Farming in Armenia and Export Market Opportunities', July, 2002 . 'The IFOAM Organic World Conference 2002 and Its Implications For Armenia.', September, 2002 University of California, Davis, California. 'International Agromarketing & Export Strategies in the CIS', 2001. MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Association for International Agriculture & Rural Development (AIARD) European Association of Agricultural Economists (EAAE) IAMA (International Food & Agribusiness Management Association), 2004-Present Slow Food International World Affairs Council of Northern California |
 |