Testimonials

We’ve had the privilege of working with a wide range of companies from all over the world in different sectors and at different stages of expansion. Here’s what some of them had to say about the experience:

“We firmly believe that exporting is key to the growth of our food business. When exploring new markets, we were privileged to have Gabriela’s support. Her knowledge and understanding of Latin America is second-to-none, from the generic macroeconomic country-wide perspective to the details of how people behave and how consumer preferences (from the way people eat to the way they shop for food) vary across this hugely varied continent. She undertook a detailed market research for three countries for our whole product range and presented it in a way that was relevant to us. We really look forward to continue working with Gabriela in 2013 when she is based in Uruguay, since we trust her approach and are convinced she will deliver the results we look for.”

Archy Cunningham, MD, United Central Bakeries, Finsbury Food Group PLC

“I required a concrete non-nonsense approach with results that I could actually work with. Gabriela provided me with exactly this. Her work was top-quality, knowledgeable, and flexible. She has impressed me with her understanding of the sector and her research capability. She has also been committed to our project, even attending an appointment with a distributor in Cologne (Kind und Jugend) alongside our International Manager, out of her own initiative. I would not hesitate to recommend Gabriela for your first steps in Latin America.”

Alan Halsall, Owner, Silver Cross

“Before working with Gabriela, we had put some thought into selling our products in Latin America but thought our products might not be affordable. Gabriela did all the hard work speaking with potential distributors and meeting with them at Trade Fairs which was essential for us as our language skills were lacking.”

 “Working with Gabriela was a pleasure from day one. I found her to be honest, genuine, prompt and very knowledgeable about trade with Latin America. I would recommend her to anyone who is thinking about branching out – she is organised, hard-working and has an unbeatable network of contacts in the area.”

Ben Halsall, International Director, Silver Cross

“Gabriela undertook market research for Mrs Crimble’s gluten free products into five Latin American countries. The report was very comprehensive and it has provided us with an excellent starting point in which to base our export decisions. Yes, we could have done the market research ourselves, but Gabriela’s insight added real value to it and has helped us focus on certain countries. As a result of the contacts she suggested, we are now exploring exporting to one particular country in Latin America in the near future. We look forward to working again with Gabriela when we are ready to focus on the other countries and explore new ones. We would not hesitate to recommend Sunny Sky Solutions if you want a better understanding of the market for your products across different Latin American countries”.

Gareth Toms, International Commercial Director, Mrs Crimble’s

“We are planning on opening a small family-run business in Uruguay, and came across Gabriela through her social media work, which we regard as a great source of information on everything related to doing business in South America.
We had a clear brief for our 5-day market visit from Japan to Montevideo, which we discussed on Skype and whichy she understood right from the start. Gabriela provided us not only with all the information we needed but also with great contacts, from lawyers to accountants, from importers to HR specialists. She was also very efficient in designing an agenda for our visit and accompanying us in our market research. Gabriela is also very creative and full of ideas, so brainstorming with her added a lot of value to our research.
We would recommend Gabriela’s services to anyone thinking of doing business with Uruguay and the rest of South America – she is highly personable and professional, and really cares about your business.”
Due to commercial sensitivity, our client would prefer to remain anonymous at this stage.

“We chose Gabriela because of her professionalism, her enthusiasm and the passion that she demonstrated for our product. We commissioned her to do market research into three different South American countries and were delighted with both her resourceful approach and the information she supplied us with, which was thorough and relevant and logical to read. Gabriela will give honest advice on the results she uncovers and thus enable us to make appropriate business decisions as to whether to pursue a particular market. Working with Gabriela has made us feel confident in understanding more about the nuances of the potential markets and the retail possibilities for our niche luxury product within these regions.  She has researched well for us and we’re in a strong position with her continued support to sell into these countries.”

Clare Lower, Managing Director, Gourmet Trotter

“Gabriela is dynamic, professional and multi-talented (as well as multi-lingual). She fully embraced the Piccalilly way of doing business and was able to adapt her expertise to export and explore the opportunities for the Piccalilly brand overseas. Thanks, Gabriela, for your hard work so far and we very much hope to build an ongoing relationship with you and Sunny Sky Solutions.”

Hannah Evans, Director, Piccalilly

“Sunny Sky Solutions has stuck to its proposal of opening new markets and offering our brand to several companies in different countries. Their perseverance, effectiveness and professionalism will make your company grow. Thank you so much.”

Daniel Coloma, Director, Inca Hair (Spain)

“Thank you for addressing our members and providing real, practical advice and top tips for those contemplating trading with Latin America.  You really connected with the audience and captured their attention; they now recognise the sheer diversity of all the countries, cultures, sectors and opportunities in Latin America.  We’ve received some great feedback, so a massive thank you for helping the International Trade Club and we very much hope to work with you in future”.

Stef Heywood, International Trade Advisor, East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce International Trade Club

“Gabriela delivered an excellent presentation on the practicalities of doing business to Brazil at our recent UKTI event which was held in Shropshire.  The depth of knowledge and experience that Gabriela was able to impart was very valuable, and received very positive feedback from our delegates.  Thank you for helping to make the event such a success.”

Becky Stark, International Trade Advisor, UKTI Shropshire International Trade Team

“Gabriela Castro-Fontoura was a welcomed speaker at the recent Institute of Export North West branch meeting in September.  Tasked with delivering “Trading with South America” in 15 minutes, she rose to the challenge and delivered an excellent presentation explaining how you needed to go beyond blue sky thinking when it came to establishing a foothold in South America. The attendees were left in no doubt of the potential of this rapidly developing region with its increasing needs for imports and that it cannot be treated as one market.  Her clarity and style of presentation added to the overall success of the event.”

Sandra Strong, Partner, Strong and Herd, and Fellow of the Institute of Export

For more recommendations and CV, click HERE to visit our LinkedIn page.