Export Development Association is thrilled to announce the appointment of Ms. Ani Kvaratskhelia as a Head of The Board and four new supervisory and advisory board members Mr. Nika Kurdiani, Mr. Datuna Rakviashvili, Mr. Mamuka Beriashvili. Other board members include Ms. Gvantsa Meladze, Mr. Giorgi Abashishvili, Mr. Zurab Gambashidze. The new Board members bring a wealth of experience in the following areas: private sector development, policy development, strategy and innovation, market analysis, business development, start-ups/scale-ups, government relations, communications and marketing etc.

Ani Kvaratskhelia’s career counts a decade of experience in private, public, non-governmental and international organizations. She was actively working with Georgian and international companies, with IFIs and local banks as well as with donor organizations/embassies. As a Deputy CEO of Anaklia City (the largest infrastructure project in Georgia), she managed multiple domains including: business development, client relations, stakeholder relations, spatial development, urban planning, strategic planning and operations. She is a subject matter expert in planning and executing economic development projects in collaboration with the public, private and international organizations, to stimulate private sector development in the country. Throughout her professional journey, she has been actively involved in supporting entrepreneurship, agriculture aid, FDI attraction and export promotion. I have a proven track record of identifying private sector development constraints (both on the demand and supply sides, with thorough knowledge of regulatory and trade regime constraints and institutional development aspects) and creating ecosystems with managed risks and expectations. During the last few years, she co-authored strategic papers in each field of expertise that she specialized in. As a result of development of several researches, intensive roadshows and study programs, she was co-author of the strategy which led to establishment of LEPL Entrepreneurship Development Agency (Enterprise Georgia) – the first Georgian government institution with a direct mandate to support business sector development. Comprehensive set of programs has been developed to stimulate investments, increase of export, and expansion of service industry. Her career is complemented by dual MBA degree in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the University of Missouri Kansas City (USA).

 

Mr. Nika Kurdiani -Deputy CEO, TBC Bank, has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking industry which includes five years at UniCredit Group in Austria, Turkey and Kazakhstan. Immediately before joining TBC Bank in 2014, Nika was managing director at Kaspi Bank, a leading retail bank in Kazakhstan. Prior to obtaining his MBA degree in 2007, he served as head of the retail banking division of Bank Republic Georgia, Société Générale Group, and also held several positions at Bank of Georgia between 2003 and 2006. He has expertise in post-acquisition integration and restructuring, as well as retail and SME banking. Currently at TBC Nika is overlooking MSME Banking, Payments Business, Marketing and PR, CSR, TBC Bank’s subsidiary in Azerbaijan, TBC Pay, UFC, TBC Leasing, and the NeoBank Space. Nika obtained his MBA degree from IE Business School in 2007. He also holds an MSc degree in International Economics from the Georgian Technical University, Stanford GSB LEAD Certificate in Corporate Innovation and completed BBA studies at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany and the Caucasus School of Business.

 Mr. Datuna Rakviashvili was a Chairman of the Board of the National Resilience Center, Initiated by President Margvelashvili, NRC aims to help national governments and the international community counter hybrid threats through strengthening resilience and improving resistance capabilities. Rakviashvili was a Deputy State Minister at the State Ministry for Reintegration of Georgia from 2008 to 2011. He served as a Deputy Chief of Mission at Embassy of Georgia in US (2011-2013). He served as a Secretary of National Security Council of Georgia and President Margvelashvili’s National Security Advisor in 2016-2018. Since early 90th, before joining public service in 2008, Rakviashvili was actively engaged in developing business, social and educational platforms. He co-created and managed several successful startup business enterprises in hospitality industry & communications management, as well as several professional association and educational institutions.

Mamuka Beriashvili is founder of company Nutex/Nutsge and is in Business for more than 20 years. The company is one of the largest exporter of nuts from Georgia to EU.

Gvantsa Meladze’s career counts 20 years of experience in state, private and international organization in economic development projects with emphasis on privatization, agriculture, Foreign Direct Investment and export promotion. In latest years Gvantsa managed Export Support Service of National Investment Agency and worked on entrepreneurship support policy reform in Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development. After 2013 Gvantsa joined Export Development Association as a chair of the board (until 2019) and as its member. She acquired MBA degree from Grenoble Business School and is now pursuing her science degree in Public Policy in University of Edinburgh.

 

Mr. Giorgi Abashishvili is a Georgian National Consultant at the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs from January 2019. Last five years he was Economic Advisor and Head of Administration of the President of Georgia. He was a Member of the Dual Education Coordinating Board – Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Member of the Financial Education Strategy Management Committee – National Bank of Georgia; Member of NATO – Georgia Professional Development Program Management Board (PDP) and Member of the Representative Board of Ilia State University. He has master’s degree of Economic Policy and the Bachelor’s Academic Degree in International Business.

Zurab Ghambashidze – has 20 years of experience in trade and sales direction in leading companies in Georgia. His subject matter knowledge in export direction is vast. He is involved in education of different groups in export and marketing direction.

The scope of ambition for the EDA includes working with the private sector, explore innovations and the future of the industries on multiple platforms; facilitate local content production and value addition, seek out markets and distribution avenues for that content and attract a range of projects that Georgia can afford. The Board of Directors provides EDA with governance to steer the organization’s operations and ensure stakeholder responsibility.

About EDA:

Export Development Association (EDA) was established in 2012, with the mission to support Georgian enterprises in growing and diversifying their exports through advocacy, trainings and business development services. We are a member-driven association uniting up to 100 export-oriented producers and service providers.

Within the field of services, our focus lies on the rural Tourism Industry, wherein we leverage a vast network of experts and years of experience in both donor and government-funded initiatives to deliver a comprehensive and high-quality advisory package and implementation support services to guest house operators:

•         Assessment of business challenges and capacity development needs

•         Advisory on product development and sales: from conceptualization of offerings to positioning and market entry, sales aftercare

•         Facilitating cross-actor collaboration in the tourism sector: DMOs, Catering providers, tour operators

•         Trainings in business planning, finance and accounting, marketing and sales, management, tailored to the specifics of the industry and rural guest house business

•         Customized market research and surveys

•         Business model sustainability, aftercare

 

--