Junior-James Cuigniez - Participant 2017-2018
I am honored and grateful for the support of the Prince Albert Fund, as it has given me a priceless opportunity in international business
Role
As part of the “new markets team”, Junior-James Cuigniez provided support to the La Lorraine Bakery Group (LLBG) for its expansion to Columbia. He has set the entire basis for starting a commercial activity in this region of the world.
Responsibilities
The La Lorraine Bakery Group’s aim was to expand its business to Colombia and draft a logistics master plan for the import and distribution of frozen bakery products. As the first employee in the region, Junior-James’s objectives were to establish the new entity locally, to define and price an adequate product mix, to obtain all the permits required to do business in the country and find logistics solutions before initiating sales. “In just one year, everything was in place to scale up the Colombian activities. We succeeded in implementing a reliable logistics solution to import and distribute frozen bread products throughout Colombia.”
How he benefited
Junior-James gained a lot of confidence, by overcoming all the challenges associated with his mission. He became a more resilient and flexible person, and was able to better put things in perspective. He developed his problem solving capabilities and gained a sound intercultural awareness. He gained a deep understanding of international logistics and expanded his management skills.
The company – La Lorraine Bakery Group
La Lorraine Bakery Group is a 100% Belgian-owned family company active in the European milling and baking sectors. It is structured in 4 innovative Business Units, such as ‘Bakery Fresh’. The company has been the Belgian market leader for bread and pastries that are prepared fresh daily for over 50 years. Its products are distributed in 2,300 supermarkets. The group has major ambitions and continues to invest in its international expansion.
“Junior-James was able to achieve all the objectives that were set. ln addition to this, he established interesting industry contacts and identified potential joint venture partners defined such as major Colombian retailers as well as coffee chains and the hospitality industry.”