Cleveland State University's Monte Ahuja College of Business is pleased to announce the appointment of Nate Ward as the Director of the International Trade Assistance Center (ITAC).

Mr. Ward brings international experience within manufacturing and banking as well as diverse cultural and linguistic knowledge to the ITAC. He most recently worked at the Vitamix Corporation in the internationalconsumer products department. There, he worked through importer/distributors in over 30 countries to sell high-end consumer kitchenwares. Mr. Ward brings over seven years ofexperience in sales, logistics, marketing, pricing, research, and product development – all with an international focus. Prior to Vitamix, Mr. Ward worked for Charter One Bank in international money transfers. In addition to studying in six countries, he holds an International MBA from Baldwin-Wallace College, an MA from McGill University of Montreal. He speaks multiple languages including French, Spanish and Japanese.

The ITAC will provide export assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in northeast Ohio to promote growth through exports. The ITAC is hosted by Cleveland State University's Monte Ahuja College of Business, Global Business Center and funded by the Ohio Small Business Development Center.

For further information about the services offered by the International Trade Assistance Center at the Monte Ahuja College of Business, please visit Cleveland's ITAC on the web or contact Nate Ward at 216.523.7347 / n.t.ward54@csuohio.edu.