As a 21-year-old, Niall Meade went to Moscow with the export orientation programme, learning the language by day and practising it with the Russian family he lived with by evening. After three months, he was fluent enough to work as a marketing executive for the Irish drinks company he was placed with.

Niall, now 34, credits the programme with giving him the experience he needed and allowing his career to blossom: he is now the export director of Pernod Ricard's US business.

After earning a BA in economics from UCD, and an MA in economics and finance from Maynooth, Niall was placed with Cantrell & Cochrane, now known as C&C.

Niall spent a few weeks at the company's Irish operation, learning about its business, products and what C&C wanted to achieve in Russia before leaving for Moscow.

"It was very intense because I was learning Russian morning, noon, and night," Niall says.

"Normally, I would say three months isn't enough to learn a language, but once I started working, I realised that there is a certain business language associated with certain industries, so I knew enough Russian to explain C&C's products to supermarkets or to a buyer.

"C&C wanted me to survey the Russian market and find the opportunities for its brands there. Back then, in 1994 and 1995, it was very early days for the market and they were keen to take in imported brands. C&C wanted to get a foothold and have a presence there, and I was their eyes and ears on the ground."

Once his year with C&C in Russia was over, Allied Domecq, at that time the company's British owner, asked Niall to stay on in Moscow and work for it. All in all, Niall spent two years in the country.

"Through this placement in Russia, I joined Allied Domecq," Niall said. "It was a simple transition."

Allied Domecq, now owned by French distiller Pernod Ricard, placed Niall on an international management programme and later sent him to work in different roles in Bangkok, Bristol, Prague and Croatia.

After a six-year stint abroad, Niall left Allied Domecq and returned to Ireland, where he worked for the international division of Pernod's Irish Distillers business.

He moved to New York last summer to become Pernod's export director there.

"From my own point of view, that placement in Russia led my career to become very internationally focused," Niall said.

For more information on Ibec's export orientation programme, see www.ibec.ie/eop.