Donna St. Louis

Questioner
DISC Type : c

National Lead, Indigenous Business | Inclusive Trade at Export Development Canada | Exportation et développement Canada

Canada

Overview

Donna is the National Lead for Indigenous Business at Export Development Canada, drawing on a career dedicated to Indigenous economic development. A member of the Nlakapamux Nation, she holds a graduate diploma from Simon Fraser University and previously supported First Nation governments at the First Nations Finance Authority.

Outside of her professional life, Donna lives in Squamish, B. C. , with her husband and two children. She is passionate about community empowerment and enjoys spending time in the surrounding mountains and on the coastlines. She actively promotes career development opportunities for students and young professionals.

She champions the principle of "Relationships before Revenues, " advocating for genuine, Indigenous-led engagement in major projects over performative consultation.

Personality Overview

Not Easily Convinced

Value Seeker

Price-Sensitive

They generally do not appreciate an overfriendly approach and prefer to stay to-the-point.  While they don't hesitate to ask questions, they are generally risk-averse and tend to be late adopters. They are more likely than others to negotiate on pricing and terms.

Topics They Care About

Indigenous Entrepreneurship
Celebrates the vision and economic influence of Indigenous entrepreneurs and works to provide them with opportunities to grow through trade expertise and financial solutions.
Inclusive Global Trade
Focuses on creating opportunities for Canadian Indigenous companies to expand their businesses through exporting and navigating international markets.
Indigenous-led Engagement
Advocates for moving beyond outdated consultation, challenging partners to build authentic relationships with Indigenous communities on major projects.

Media Appearances

Donna has no verified media appearances

Work History

1-2025
National Lead, Indigenous Business | Inclusive Trade at Export Development Canada | Exportation et développement Canada
6-2023 - 1-2025
Associate Director, Member Services at First Nations Finance Authority
10-2020 - 6-2023
Business Development Manager at First Nations Finance Authority
11-2007 - 9-2020
Business Services Officer at Tale'awtxw Aboriginal Capital Corporation
3-2005 - 11-2007
Events Coordinator at Simon Fraser University

Education

1-2020 - 12-2022
Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University
2007 - 2010
Post Graduate Diploma from Simon Fraser University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 21 Location : Canada Job Level : Senior Designation : National Lead, Indigenous Business | Inclusive Trade at Export Development Canada | Exportation et développement Canada
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Insights For Selling To Donna

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Share as much information as possible regarding your product
  • If you have a lower priced product compared to the competition, call out the same
  • Tell them that you will come back if you don’t have a good answer for a question

DONT's

  • Avoid phrases like ‘do not worry about’, ‘no one compares to’ etc.
  • Don’t depend too much on anecdotal evidence, it reduces their confidence
  • Don’t try to be too friendly or informal with them

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Donna is

  • Confidence that the product provides ROI, effective pricing and process adherence matter the most to them.

  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Donna

  • It doesn’t come naturally to them but they can say no if they are not convinced.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Donna move?

  • They can move at a reasonable pace while making their decisions if they have the necessary information.

  • Can Donna take some risk or not?

  • They can take some risk if they are confident that they have analyzed the circumstances well.


You And Donna

Personality Compatibility


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