MLA welcomes three new Business Development Managers

South-East Asia and the Middle East have gained prominence in recent years as critical export destinations for Australian red meat.

In response, MLA has recently welcomed three new Business Development Managers (BDMs) – based in Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Thailand – to capture the emerging opportunities there.

Saudi Arabia

MLA has been working towards establishing a presence in the Saudi market for some time, to take advantage of the rapidly evolving social, economic and cultural scene. It has a long history of agricultural trade with Australia as our largest beef market in the Middle East.

However, the demographics are changing, and the young, literate and highly-connected Saudi population is increasingly seeking out high-end food and restaurant options.

Jad Hedwane has recently been appointed as MLA’s new BDM, Saudi Arabia. Jad’s background is in sales and marketing, and he has a passion for meat. Professionally, he spent two to three years on high-end Australian meat brands and, on a personal level, he is a keen cook who enjoys exploring new recipes.

Jad says there is strong loyalty to Australian beef and lamb among Saudi consumers.

“They always ask for Australian meat to cook at home, so they can feel like they’re using something special,” Jad explains. “They see it as a luxury product.”

He says there are great opportunities in some of the innovative projects that are underway, especially in the Red Sea and Western regions, and in Riyadh.

“The Saudi market is expanding; there are many new projects. In Riyadh, where the wealthiest people live, there are new luxury and high-end offerings from Michelin-starred chefs, from MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants, so the focus is very high on the capital.”

Two other countries showing great promise for Australian producers are Vietnam and Thailand. With a growing middle class, red meat consumption is increasing, so MLA, with the support of the Australian government, has embarked on a project to grow our presence in the market.

Vietnam

Huong Tran, BDM Vietnam, comes to MLA with 10 years’ experience in sales and marketing for distribution companies. She sees the potential for Australian red meat to capitalise on the positive perception among Vietnamese people of Australian products.

“Compared to the other countries, we should have a very strong competitive advantage here, because Vietnamese people love Australian products,” Huong says.

“They see them as very natural, so there is potential for Australia to build up the brand as premium and high quality.”

“There is also a trend is now for people to purchase online, so e-commerce is an approach we can use through social media platforms. I think now the demand for the Australian red meat will just increase.” 

Thailand 

Juthamas (Cat) Kaewnoi is MLA’s new BDM based in Thailand. Cat comes from sales and trade marketing functions within multinationals Fonterra and Unilever. While she is new to red meat (her background is in dairy), she is quick to recognise the huge opportunities the Thai market presents, despite some cultural challenges.

“Beef is a staple in Thai cuisine all over Thailand,” Cat says.

“Consumers enjoy eating beef, particularly because of Japanese cuisine trends, and also the taste of the fat content of Wagyu. They are taking sukiyaki, teppanyaki and barbeque, and fashioning them into Thai-style dishes. Beef is trendy and much loved by the entire Thai family, so high-quality beef is in very high demand.”