The Journey Behind Baumann Global

How a Future French Teacher Became an International Growth Executive
Woman of Influence
Lt Governor Kleefsich
WI Technology Forum
My company Harley
Harley Japan
Harley Japan
MWTA Governor Tommy Thompson
Gamber Johnson E Star Award
Jim Zaiser & Brian Wagner
My Harley Sportster
Juan Pena Argentina
Artos Italia
GM Brazil
Artos Productronica Munich
Artos Air Japan customers
Koehring Algerian Project
Artos Mexico
Australia HD Racing
Australia HD Race presenting trophy
Hydro Thermal E-Star
Aksel Sidem & Jim Zaiser EStar
Japan with Gov & Mrs. Walker
Japan with Kikkomann
Japan Wi delegation
MOTY with Gautam Malik
Woman of Influence
WOI Tricia Braun & Mark Hogan
WOI Max and Mark Kurkowski
WOI NeilKarolek, Kat Goetz, Mark Kurkowski
WOI friends
WOI Margaret Larson-Baade
WOI Steve and Doris Pertzsch
2012 Gamber Johnson ExporTech Wall
  • People often ask how I became involved in international business.

  • I never planned a career in international business.

  • I planned to be a French teacher.

  • Growing up in Appleton, Wisconsin, I learned business first through my family's small business, where I was exposed to customer service, accounting, operations, and the importance of taking care of customers. Those lessons would become the foundation of my business philosophy decades later.

  • After earning a degree in French/Spanish languages from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, I spent the summer searching for a teaching position while providing translation support for Fox Tractor, a division of Koehring Crane & Excavator. At summer's end, Fox Tractor forwarded my résumé to Koehring International Marketing Company (KIMCO) in Milwaukee.

  • A French-language interview with Bernard Bandeville from Marseille, France, led to a job offer.

  • That opportunity changed the course of my life.

  • My first assignment was supporting an $89 million international water-well drilling development project for Algeria. Reporting directly to international executive Fred C. Chambers, I coordinated with the Algerian Embassy in Washington, D.C., secured visas for French-speaking Canadian water-well drilling specialists, translated French correspondence and telexes, coordinated international travel, and managed export documentation for equipment shipments leaving the Port of Galveston.

  • What began as a language position became an education in international business.

  • Following the Algerian project, Koehring moved me into its International Parts organization, where I took my first international business trip to Belgrade, Yugoslavia, with a stop in Paris along the way. For a young woman in her early twenties from Wisconsin, it opened my eyes to the possibilities of a global career.

  • I soon joined Artos Engineering, a Tier 1 supplier of wire processing equipment serving major automotive manufacturers worldwide. Determined to move into international sales, I immersed myself in the product, conducting customer acceptance run-offs and learning the technical side of the business.

  • In 1983, I boarded a plane alone for São Paulo, Brazil.

  • Within months, I delivered a presentation on the modernization of wire processing to more than 250 automotive professionals and helped secure a $2 million order from General Motors Brazil. That success confirmed what I already suspected: international business was not just my profession—it was my passion.

  • My responsibilities quickly expanded to include Latin America, South America, and Europe, leading distributor development, customer relationships, and market expansion efforts throughout the world.

  • In 1990, Harley-Davidson recruited me to manage International Parts & Accessories and Licensed Products. Throughout the 1990s, virtually everything Harley-Davidson sold internationally—other than the motorcycle itself—fell under my team's responsibility. During a period of extraordinary growth, I worked extensively throughout Europe, Japan, Australia, and other international markets, helping strengthen one of America's most iconic brands worldwide.

  • Along the way, I became the first woman elected President of the Milwaukee World Trade Association, following in the footsteps of my early mentor, Fred Chambers.

  • These experiences ultimately led me to create Wisconsin's award-winning ExporTech™ program in 2009—a C-suite export acceleration process designed to help manufacturers build sustainable international growth strategies.

  • Under my leadership:
  • • More than 450 Wisconsin manufacturers completed ExporTech™
  • • Participating companies averaged approximately $1 million in new export revenue within their first year
  • • Wisconsin's ExporTech program was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as the best program of its kind in the nation
  • • Wisconsin graduates earned approximately 25% of all national Presidential "E" and "E Star" Awards for Export Excellence
  • • One manufacturer grew exports from $200,000 to more than $20 million using the strategic framework we developed together.

  • Today, as Founder and CEO of Baumann Global, manufacturers move from reactive, accidental exporting to strategic, scalable international growth. My work focuses on:
  • • International Growth Strategy
  • • Market Prioritization & Entry
  • • Distributor Selection & Development
  • • Fractional International Executive Leadership
  • • Export Compliance & Risk Management
  • • Executive Coaching & Team Development

  • Clients hire me because I combine executive-level strategic thinking with practical, real-world experience. I have sat in the chair. I have opened markets. I have developed distributors. I have solved international business problems. I have closed contracts in foreign countries. Most importantly, I have helped manufacturers achieve measurable results.