State appoints head of Vermont Global Trade Partnership

A Montpelier resident with experience in international finance has been hired to lead the state’s efforts in promoting trade between Vermont firms and other countries.
Ali Sarafzade was named Director of the Vermont Global Trade Partnership (VGTP), the public-private partnership that serves as the state’s center for international business assistance, on Monday.
“We are very pleased to welcome Ali to our team,” said Commerce and Community Development Secretary Kevin Dorn, whose agency includes the Department of Economic, Housing and Community Development, where the Global Trade Partnership is located. “His experience in international trade, and fluency in French and Spanish, will make him a valuable resource for Vermont companies.”
The VGTP provides international trade technical assistance and counseling; import and export leads; educational programs; trade missions and trade shows; research on trade regulations, tariffs and logistics; and many other services to help Vermont companies looking to succeed in international markets.
The Partnership is comprised of Vermont's public and private international trade resources, including Champlain College; the Export Legal Assistance Network; the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce; the U.S. Small Business Administration; the United States Commercial Service, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce; Vermont’s Congressional delegation; and Marlboro College.
The VGTP website, www.thinkvermont.com/globaltrade, hosts the World Trade Reference On-Line, an on-line resource with 42 databases that are vital to doing business internationally. This resource is made available at no cost to Vermont businesses.
The Partnership also maintains an internship program for college/university students hosted at Champlain College, helping to train future business leaders.
A graduate of both Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and the University of Virginia Law School, Sarafzade previously worked at Shortland Street Trust & Management in Auckland, New Zealand; as an Assistant General Counsel for the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs in Washington DC; as a fellow with the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance; and as Counsel for a Dubai-based international investment group with experiences in Asia, Europe and Canada.
“I’m looking forward to expanding on Vermont companies’ success in selling their products abroad,” Sarafzade said. “Exports are a critical part of Vermont’s economy, and provide good jobs.”
Sarafzade will begin work with the Agency of Commerce and Community Development immediately.