Our People

Mr. Tadashi Uchida

Mr.Uchida is the President of the Oita One Village One Product (OVOP) International Exchange Promotion Committee. He is the successor of Mr. Morihiko Hiramatsu, the former Governor of Oita Prefecture and is also the initiator of OVOP in Japan and in the world. Mr.Uchida has been promoting OVOP movement for almost 40 years. He traveled to many countries as well as received hundreds of delegations from different countries to Japan and gave very useful lectures about the basic principles of OVOP that proposed by Governor Hiramatsu, experiences to develop OVOP models in every specific country. He also wrote many articles and training documents to share with the countries on different aspects of OVOP development. He is always very committed and devoted to the development of OVOP in the world. 

Mr. Le Ba Ngoc

Mr. Le Ba Ngoc has been promoting One Village One Product in Vietnam since 1995. He obtained Master of Business Administration from US in 2000. He is one of the founders of the Vietcraft Handicraft Exporters Association and now IOVOP. He has worked as both National and International Consultant for over 80 projects and programs in Vietnam and in the region. He is very familiar with the value chains of local products and experienced with the development of the national export strategies. He has travelled to over 40 countries and established close relationships with many international organizations and businesses. He is also the founder of the famous Vietnam International Home décor and Gift Fair, Vietnam Local specialties fair. He won Prof. Hiramatsu’s award in 2008 for his contribution for the development of OVOP movement globally. 

Ms.Nguyen Bao Thoa

Ms. Nguyen Bao Thoa holds a doctor degree in Business Administration (DBA) at European University – Switzerland. She is currently working as Director at the Vietnam Rural Industries Research and Development Institute (VIRI). She has 20 years of experience in the field of market connection, branding consulting as well as capacity building for businesses and sustainable rural development in Vietnam. She is a Fair Trade expert in Business Support activities and has rich experience in community based tourism, ethnic cultural, environment, gender equality, livelihood and development of agricultural value chains. She has also been involved in developing export strategies for a number of agricultural products and handicrafts in Vietnam. She won Prof. Hiramatsu’s award in 2012 for her contribution for the development of OVOP movement globally.

Mr. Koos van Eyk

Koos, Dutch, is a truly diplomat and an senior expert in management of export promotion. He has been working as Manager for many export promotion programs in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Jordan, Mongolia, Bangladesh…for many sectors, from home décor and home textiles, foods, agricultural products, natural ingredients, tourism…With his background and experiences in business, with his worldwide connection, Koos can provide very strategic and pragmatic direction for not only business sectors but also for companies level in term of market development. Koos is also very familiar with sector branding, developing of the proposals. He is very committed to voluntarily support for the improvement of the sectors and the livelihood of the poor people in the developing countries through the development of One Village One Product initiative.

Dr. Kevin Muray

Dr Kevin Murray, Australian, is an Adjunct Professor at RMIT School of Art. He is Coordinator of Sangam - A Platform for Craft & Design Partnerships in Australia. He was Director of Craft Victoria where he developed the Scarf Festival and the South Project, a four-year program of exchange involving Melbourne, Wellington, Santiago and Johannesburg. He is author with Damian Skinner of Place and Adornment, A History of Australasian Contemporary Jewellery. His recent international exhibitions include Live jewellery across the Pacific and Contemporary interpretations of the Garland. He is currently Senior Vice-President of the World Craft Council Asia Pacific Region and teaches at RMIT University, University of Melbourne and Swinburne University. He edits Garland magazine, a quarterly publication about craft and design in the Indo Pacific.

Mr.Joseph Sega Ndione

Joseph is from Senegal and speaks both English and French. He earned his Master in Business Communication in Senegal (2009) and MBA in Oita / Japan with the thesis on One Village One Product movement (2017). He has been working as a Consultant and Adviser for many international projects on agriculture and rural development, community development, surveys and capacity building training and marketing provided to OVOP Groups... Joseph is passionate about OVOP and Design Thinking. His publications are available on International Journal of Education and Research. Joseph is promoting OVOP network between the African countries as well as between Africa with the rest of the world.

Ms. Luz Mary Correa Hernández

Mary is a Colombian Economist,  she speaks  Spanish and English. She has been working as International Consultant for one of the biggest fair organizers of home décor and gifts in Europe and in the world. Mary travels very often to different craft production areas,  and visits craft companies in Colombia and other countries in Latin America like Peru, Panama, Ecuador among others. With her comprehensive understanding about the sectors, Mary is promoting countries and organizations in Latin America to join the International OVOP partnerships. She’s also working in very close co-operation with different stakeholders there to identify the needs so that IOVOP can provide timely and effectively services. Mary is also mapping OVOP in Latin Armerica as well as developing program on OVOP tourism development in this area.

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