Ms. Ramboldt has been a member of the ITC since 2019 and joined in an effort by previous President Anh Sirridge to increase trade representation on the board. She was also motivated to join because of a love for international business and cultures. As with many in the industry, Ms. Ramboldt has traveled extensively. The countries she has been to include China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, the U.K., Germany, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina; each of them she has loved. Of these countries, her favorite one to travel to was China, her home country. It is its size combined with the landmarks and culture, people, and food that are so different from place to place. It is this combination of differences in China that continues to amaze her.
Presently, Ms. Ramboldt is the Global Project and Solutions Manager at Staples Promotional Products. She helps to manage a global network of supplier partners that covers over 70 countries in North America, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Europe-Middle East region. She has been in her current position since 2015 and has worked on many complex projects that involved sourcing and distribution to countries around the globe. Initially, Ms. Ramboldt worked in marketing but did not find it a satisfying job, because she felt that she did not have enough of an understanding of American culture. However, thanks to blooming US-China trade relations in the early part of this century, she found a job in Kansas City working for a manufacturer who wanted to import machinery parts from China. In this position, she learned about global sourcing and logistics which led to her first position at Staples as the Global Sourcing and Logistics Director. In her first 11 years there, she established a well-structured department that covers sourcing, import operations, compliance, export operations, and domestic freight. After this, she got involved in managing the Global Supplier network that covers markets in North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. From this, she learned how to conduct business in many countries, develop relationships, learn and experience different cultures, and make connections for customers and suppliers where it makes sense. Some of the goals that Ms. Ramboldt has include continuing to learn about international business and culture, help facilitate more global trade and exchange, spark more global interests in herself, and travel more of the world.
Fun Facts and Advice:
Name three people (dead or alive) that you would invite to dinner:
- Michio Kaku, because of his question for understanding the universe and our future
- Agatha Christie, because of her imagination and observation of life
- Her younger self, to share the wisdom she has learned later in life
What was the last book that you read?
Family Trust by Kathy Wang.
Who inspires you?
My father. My father is a man of wisdom, integrity, and endurance. He lived through the brutal cultural revolution in China, but remained hopeful, and taught me a lot of great life lessons that still benefit me today. He is always looking forward and is now learning to drive at the age of 71!
What advice would you give someone who wants to get into International Business/International Trade?
Have the understanding that people in different countries do things very differently. Don’t assume the American way on others. Be respectful and open-minded, stay curious, keep learning, and really use your mind to apply your knowledge at work.
What is something unique about you that is generally not known?
I am an enthusiastic "RVer". My family has been camping since the early 2000s, and we have upgraded from a folding tent to a motor coach over the years. We have been to more than half of the states in the U.S. and hope to cover all the continental states one day!
