Keirra Smith from Department for Business and Trade at Echo event

From her Darlington base, Keirra Smith is a Deputy Director for the Department for Business and Trade, managing programmes and insight and operations teams.

Her role involves the delivery and strategic development of programmes like the UK Export Academy which is DBT’s core training and upskilling platform.

Keirra will be the VIP guest at the next live event as part of the Northern Echo’s Level Up campaign – on September 28th at the stunning AV Dawson headquarters in Middlesbrough.

Alongside Keirra, our Level Up partners – believe housing, bp, Cummins, Durham County Council, North East England Chamber of Commerce, Tees Valley Combined Authority, Teesside Freeport, razorblue and Womble Bond Dickinson – will form a panel of experts across a wide range of sectors looking at international relationships and how success in the North East is building a global gateway for trade and investment.

With Freeport status and devolved powers, this region is better placed than ever to export its goods, services and reputation. We are creating a gateway to trade and vital relationships, so we’ll identity and analyse the markets available to different sectors – what do we send and where does it go – as well as highlighting the key advantages of exporting from the North East and the challenges we still face.

Echoing its campaigning past standing up for the people and businesses of the North East, the Level Up campaign run by the Northern Echo’s business brand, BUSINESSiQ, is growing all the time.

Working with a team comprising some of the region’s most influential business organisations, Level Up drives home a message of collaboration – making sure global investors see the work that is being done here and the success we are having.