New Trade Commissioner To Hamburg Appointed

Auckland, January 31, 2003 -- Marta Mager has been appointed as Trade New Zealand's Trade Commissioner and Consul General to Hamburg, Germany.

Ms Mager is fluent in German and Italian, and also speaks French. She joins Trade New Zealand from Industry New Zealand where she led the early biotechnology sector work. In New Zealand, she has also worked with Industrial Research Ltd, Arthur Andersen and Telecom New Zealand.

In Germany, she worked with Arthur Andersen in Stuttgart and the German Airways Corporation in Frankfurt.

Ms Mager studied business administration and industrial engineering at the University of Karlsruhe in Germany, gaining the equivalent of a combined MBA and MSc degree.

Ms Mager will head a team of six working to support and grow trade and investment opportunities between New Zealand firms and Germany, Holland, Switzerland and Austria.

“These four countries combined are New Zealand’s second largest trading partners in Europe after the UK. Germany for example is the largest market in Europe and the third largest economy in the world. In the year ending June 2002 New Zealand exported $827 millions worth of goods and services to Germany. This is an excellent basis for New Zealand exporters to work from. Germany’s central location in Europe also allows it to act as an entry point into many other European countries.

"Our aim is to increase business with the countries we are responsible for. In particular, we would like New Zealand businesses to look beyond the UK when looking at Europe,“ she says.

"New Zealand has a 25-year-old science and technology agreement with Germany. Our objective is to identify how New Zealand can leverage this agreement, and have New Zealand firms develop commercial and technology joint venture opportunities."

Ms Mager replaces Phillip Klap, who is returning to Wellington. She takes up the position on February 3.

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