With a dominant industry background in tourism development, consumer products, the food industry and international trade, Ann Worth has served in various leadership positions in the private and not-for-profit- sector. Working closely with dynamic boards, sta and public-sector partners, leadership positions include service as the Executive Director of Meetings & Conventions Prince Edward Island, The PEI Aquaculture Alliance, the Atlantic Canada Food Export Partnership and the PEI Food and Beverage Processors Association.
Worth Consulting Group (WCG) established in 2005 specializes in export / international business development with sector expertise in the seafood/ aquaculture, agri-food, tourism, advanced manufacturing and craft/giftware sectors. Fourteen years of professional project management has delivered over 135 consulting engagements many with an international development focus. Clients have dominantly been Canadian and US companies with some success in the Caribbean and Europe. WCG provides business development focused expertise directed to buyer identification, market entry strategy development, strategic business planning, training, professional facilitation, event and logistics management, marketing/sales management support, international market research, trade mission management, course curriculum development and teaching and buyer/seller matchmaking. Expansion of services has included mentorship services, multi-subject training, product and experience development, strategic planning, facilitation and market readiness focused service activities.
Background
For more than 25 years, Ann Worth, Owner and President of Worth Consulting Group has worked providing a variety of business, community development and research services to businesses, municipalities, governments and not-for-profit associations. Ann’s business development roots run deep with a post-secondary education diploma in Hotel / Motel Restaurant Management. Areas of study and work experience include hotel marketing and sales, export market development, communications, food and beverage management, business accounting, strategic planning, economics, and human resource development. Ann has been described as an initiator who can bring people and process together to “make things happen”. She has a keen understanding of the marketplace, supply chain and organizational development processes. She can build rapport and networks to accomplish primary and secondary goals. Management skill, marketing prowess, a strong, personal drive and creative insight round out her strengths. She has built productive working relationships, partnerships and organizations from the ground up while working across borders with public, private, and not-for-profit sectors in a variety of markets including Canada and around the world.
Experience and Expertise
Worth Consulting Group, based in Bonshaw, Prince Edward Island incorporated in 2005 as a company providing professional business and consulting services. With a dominant industry background in the tourism, consumer products and food industry, Ann spent more than twenty years in leadership positions including Executive Director of Meetings and Conventions PEI, the Atlantic Canada Food Export Partnership, Assistant Catering Manager of the Halifax Board of Trade, General Manager of the PEI Food and Beverage Processors Association, Regional Sales Manager for Rodd Hotels and Resorts, Director of Marketing and Sales with Howard Johnson Charlottetown, Principle for A Little Gift, a Prince Edward Island maple syrup company, Director of Operations Cows Retail and Anne of Green Gables Chocolates Retail and Owner, In Good Taste Retail Stores. Ann has assisted multiple consumer product companies to enter and establish markets around the world through delivery of professional consulting services with a dominant experience in market research and assessment and customer identification and development.
Other responsibilities included managing client relationships, project and database development, developing marketing strategy, marketing plan development for specific markets and specific products, collateral material development, organization of business development activities and account development through trade show participation and direct selling.
Work experiences with not for profit organizations such as the Atlantic Canada Food Export Partnership have provided a strong knowledge base and background in multiple areas including export readiness, project management, conference/event management, export / domestic marketing and sales development, communications, advocacy, research, strategic planning and training. Ann provides professional facilitation services to enable organizations to successfully plan and realize growth and success. A certified trainer of the Foreign International Trade Training Program, Ann retains her designation as a Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) with specific teaching experience in modules including trade research, global entrepreneurship and market development.
Worth Consulting Group Service Expertise at a Glance:
- Professional Facilitation
- Foreign International Trade Training Certified Instructor
- Domestic and International Market Research and Analysis
- Export and Business Plans for Organizations
- Effective Governance Training/ Guidance for Organizations
- Match Making, Buyer Identification
- Trade Mission and Trade Show Project Management
- Market Readiness, Strategic Planning
- Marketing, Branding, Sales, Media Relations, Communications Services
Extensive experience in the Atlantic Canada Private and Public Sector Space highlighted by a multitude of experiences spanning 25 years. Some examples would include;
- Export Help / Grow Export – Private sector work with independent food companies throughout Atlantic Canada with a specialization in business development and export market readiness projects. Market Readiness and Entry, Assessment, Research, Buyer Identification, Matchmaking. Export Plans
- Led 30 plus International Educational/ Business Development Missions from Atlantic Canada to priority markets around the world including assorted regional markets within the United States, Europe, Mexico, South America and the Caribbean.
- Trade Show Exhibiting Coordination for various governments and private sector companies at Global Shows in various countries around the world. Examples: USA Fancy Food Shows, Canadian Agri-food Shows, SIAL, ANUGA, Alimentaria Mexico, etc.
- China Cultural Sensitivities and Awareness Training for Atlantic Canada Food SME’s – CME Newfoundland and ACOA
- Multiple public / industry presentations on planning, business development, governance effectiveness, consumer trends, export readiness, market intelligence regulatory and logistics challenges, market opportunities, etc.
- Provided Mentoring Services to a variety of organizations and businesses with an emphasis on establishing best practices and future planning.
- Multiple Research Reports and Studies for the private and public sector covering topics such as effective governance, business development and market identification as examples. Atlantic Branding Study: partnered with provincial government stakeholders, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
- Conducted Export Help Projects for a diversity of Atlantic Canadian companies to assess, enter and develop foreign market growth. Multiple industry experience including consumer products inclusive of jewelry, agriculture, seafood, value added wood products, advanced manufacturing, tourism, retail and professional services. Over 60 Independent projects to date. Grow Export Consultant.
Activities
Tourism and Retail
Throughout her career, Ann has been very active in tourism industry development serving in various capacities including Chairperson of the provincial motor coach committee, Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island, Board member, Festivals and Events Prince Edward Island, Co-Chair of the Member Mixer, ( Greater Charlottetown Tourism and Convention Partnership, formally the Prince Edward Island Convention Bureau, and Chairperson for Atlantic Canada Showcase, a regional marketplace for North American tour operators held annually in Atlantic Canada. Private sector work experiences have included time spent with hotel chains such as Delta Hotels and Rodd Hotels and Resorts. A thirst for working within the tourism space produced a year of great experiences as the Director of Operations for COWS Inc. with broad responsibilities including store management and performance of COWS and Anne of Green Gables chocolate stores across Canada and management and supervisory hiring for the stores.
Business Ownership
A drive for diversity and new learning created opportunities to gain meaningful management experiences by starting her own businesses, namely A Little Gift (giftware business) and Worth Consulting Group started in 1990 and 2005 respectively.
Not for Profit Organizations
Work experiences with not for profit organizations including the PEI Food and Beverage Processors Association and the Atlantic Canada Food Export Partnership have provided a strong knowledge base and background in multiple areas including export readiness, project management, conference/event management, export / domestic marketing and sales development, communications, advocacy, research, strategic planning and training. Working with various federal and provincial government partners to develop and administer project funding on an Atlantic level was a key activity and strong area of ability. Learning to work with “diverse groups and stakeholders with differing mandates to accomplish collective objectives was an important skill honed through this work experience.