10 questions with... J. Denis Bélisle
Trade Forum caught up with former ITC Executive Director, Jean Denis Bélisle, to reflect on his time at ITC, as well as gain his perspective on the current trade landscape. Now retired, Mr. Bélisle was the longest-serving head in ITC history, from 1994-2006.
1. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
At 5, I wanted toys; at 15, girlfriends; at 20, I wanted to see the world. Then, I wanted to join Canada’s efforts to export worldwide, a sine qua none condition for the country’s prosperity.
2. What surprised you the most about your career path and why?
Joining the UN came as a surprise. After university, I wished to work around the world as a Canadian trade diplomat or exporter. The UN appeared on my radar when I discovered the International Trade Centre and the role of its Executive Director.
Having cumulated 25 years of experience as a trade diplomat in Washington D.C. and West Africa, and as vice-president of the Canadian international development agency and executive vice-president of a large consulting firm exporting professional services to all continents, it occurred to me that my experience could be of help to countries in development while giving me a superb personal challenge.
3. What are the best and worst pieces of advice you ever received?
The best: “Dream your life and let your instinct drive your ambitions.”
The worst: “Beware of ambition, it could destroy you.”
4. What was your first day like at ITC as the then ED?
Not the first day but shortly thereafter, I faced an unexpected situation. I identified a few tired managers who above all, were interested in keeping ITC’s status quo until their retirement. Fortunately, I also met many younger professionals, conscious of ITC’s enormous potential and eager to contribute to its full development.
ITC had just gone through an extended period of internal turmoil which had led several traditional donors to abandon the institution. The moral was low. The institution was ready for a drastic reform which WTO and the UN were requesting adamantly. A challenge for all and an opportunity for dedicated staff to contribute wholeheartedly and to grow with the institution.
5. What are you most proud of from your time leading ITC?
- Revitalizing the institution, with solid support from Switzerland, generating hope and enthusiasm among staff and bringing back donors.
- Creating business tools and programmes for small exporters to better perform on world markets.
- Innovating programmes and activities to bring together public and private-sector representatives in national teams to achieve better results on export markets while increasing the revenues of their workers.
6. What are 3 things you appreciate most about ITC’s current work?
Its capacity to: 1. create partnerships with the private sector of industrialized countries. 2. generate effective synergies between the private and public sectors of developing and industrialized countries. 3. reach out positively to other UN agencies, business, youth, academia, and the political levels of donors and recipient countries.
7. How do you see ITC’s future role in shaping the trade-led development agenda?
In leading the efforts to:
- interpret the business aspirations and language to the UN and other institutions less familiar with the business milieu.
- to create effective supply chains involving the developing world.
- divide practical and theoretical aspects, leaving trade policy work to other UN agencies, universities and research groups often better staffed to handle these tasks and providing them with specific knowledge of exporters’ practical needs.
8. What excites you most about working in trade today?
Since my retirement from ITC, in 2006, and the private sector, in 2012, I have limited myself to reading about international trade and following ITC’s progress through ITC’s new and dynamic website.
I can see that ITC continues to strive for “excellence” and I wish to warmly congratulate the present Executive Director and her staff for the solid progress of ITC for its 60th anniversary.
9. What would be a few “big wins” for trade and sustainable development in the coming years?
Design, implement, and advertise widely the results of a pilot project aimed at helping a least developed country in rebuilding its exports after a war.
10. If you had one piece of advice to give future trade leaders, what would it be?
Develop and broadcast a firmly supported and persuasive message to the effect that: “International trade goes a long way to achieve peace in the world”.