Anna Grossman became a member of ITC when she joined Bestway International almost 5 years ago. She started attending events almost immediately to meet people and learn more about international trade. In 2021, Ms. Grossman was elected as the new Board Secretary.
Ms. Grossman wanted to join ITC out of curiosity as to the different types of professional fields that supported the international trade market in Kansas City. She was hoping to network with folks who would need freight forwarding services or consultation on international trade processes and therefore would be a great fit professionally.
Ms. Grossman loves traveling internationally. It’s always an adventure, and you never quite know what to expect. She has been to Canada, London, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Mexico. Her absolute favorite place by far was Vietnam, in Da Nang, which is a centralized city within the country. The people there were so kind and helpful and the food was amazing.
Currently, Ms. Grossman works at Bestway International, a local freight forwarder that specializes in international trade within the Kansas City market where she is an account manager. Her journey to Bestway began while she was attending the University of Missouri Kansas City when she needed a flexible job to work around her school commitment. She took a job at a call center and learned how to do phone sales. She spent three years learning inside sales before joining the team at Bestway International, where Jay Devers actually mentored me one-on-one for business-to-business sales. She continues to look for ways to be of service to the community and to grow professionally and personally.
Fun Facts & Advice
Name one person (dead or alive) that you would invite to dinner:
I would invite my grandpa who died when I was 18. I would love for him to meet my son, Adam and just sit with him again.
Who inspires you?
Laura Trimble is a very close friend of mine, who inspires me. She was also a single mom for quite some time and has helped me navigate many areas of my life both personally and professionally. Without her mentorship and direction, I would not be where I am at today.
What are your career goals?
I am currently working on finishing my MBA at the University of Missouri Kansas City. Although an MBA was in no way required for this position, I believe it’s very important to continue challenging myself, to learn new things and help others succeed. I hope to broaden my travel, to learn first hand more about international trade, by participating in the supply chain process overseas.
What advice would you give someone who wants to get into International Business/International Trade?
I would suggest that they ask a lot of questions! This industry has so many moving parts and is constantly changing. I learn things everyday from the operations team at Bestway International, clients that we work with, and people in my professional network. There is wealth of knowledge in the Kansas City area on International Trade and International Business, and it has been so important to surround myself with people who know more than I do!
What else do you want to tell us about yourself that is generally not known?
I really love what I do, professionally. I think it is so important that I get to work for a company that mirrors my personal values of living in service and putting others first. Bestway International really focuses on providing the absolute best service possible for our partners and always doing our best without cutting corners.
