Joshua Boileau leads White Cross Online growth
Joshua Boileau, who earned his CITP designation in September 2025, has a career in international trade that was influenced by his family’s work ethic from a young age.
He says, “I grew up in a household of blue-collar workers who instilled a sense of work excellence and dedication that inspired me to work in a career that amplified those skills.”
Joshua saw parallels between how international trade operated and how his family negotiated contracts, maintained client trust, and ensured quality, which cemented his choice to pursue trade as a career path.
He believes that work such as handling regulations, supply chains, and cultural differences requires commitment, and for international businesses, they are the glue that holds everything together.
Experiencing the scale of global trade, especially when it came to product management and marketing, was a favorite part of Joshua’s career.
He says, “I watched as live orders came in from international markets I’ve never been to. There was something deeply rewarding about knowing that a product team in Ottawa could be making an impact so far from home.”
Working at Shopify marked another chapter in his path, one that taught him a powerful lesson about perseverance after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Joshua helped Ukrainian merchants set up their online stores, and he saw firsthand the resilience of entrepreneurs in crisis.
He says, “It was inspiring to see fashion, food, health and wellness, and retail shops pop up. A resilience through war and the pandemic.”
Related: International Trade: Roles and Career Paths
Joshua regards reacting to tariffs as one of the most interesting aspects of his career, as pivoting a business is incredibly difficult, especially in a small business environment.
He has been able to help his employer open new and interesting paths by shifting focus to new markets and interacting with new international regulatory bodies.
For anyone entering the field of international trade, Joshua has one piece of advice: “You need to learn how to crawl before you can run.”
International trade, he believes, demands patience, commitment, and a desire to do things the right way, at the right times.
Joshua completed the FITTskills program through Algonquin College, one of FITT‘s educational partners, and credits the courses with deepening his intercultural understanding.
His favorite course, International Sales & Marketing, was particularly influential, and he pursued an optional co-op placement in South Africa, where he experienced culture shock and the intricacies of international marketing firsthand.
With a blend of technical expertise, global awareness, and human-centred values, Joshua is poised to help shape the future of ethical, sustainable, and globally connected commerce, where finding the right mentorships and internships can be key.
The Forum for International Trade Training (FITT) is the standards, certification and training body dedicated to providing international business training, resources and professional certification to individuals and businesses.
