ESSEC’s first class of Global MBA students are nearing the end of their rigorous, twelve-month program. These 24 students, who represent 12 nationalities, each brought an average of six years work experience across a range of functions and sectors to the program when they began.
In addition to their coursework in Cergy, the Global MBA students spent six weeks at ESSEC’s Singapore campus, studying and familiarizing themselves with the cultural, economic, and business climate of this Asian city-state.
Projects and lectures were frequently punctuated by visits to and from companies and practitioners. Particularly memorable speakers were Pierre Nanterme, ESSEC alum and the CEO of global consulting firm Accenture, Antoine de Saint-Affrique, another alumnus and the President of the Foods division at Unilever, and even the Minister of Educaton of Bhutan, who spoke to the students on measuring success and the principle of Gross Domestic Happiness. Frequent treks to companies such as Apple, Google, Viadeo, IBM, Microsoft, John Deere, McKinsey & Co., and LVMH (among many others) exposed students to a fascinating array of industries and opportunities and forced them to flex their networking muscle.
And in keeping with the hands-on emphasis of the program, the students have had several opportunities to get immersed in the field. A week-long field trip to Russia allowed them to explore companies and culture in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and at present, all 24 students are at work on the ground in their International Immersion Projects. This month long immersion has taken them to locales as diverse as Egypt, Venezuela, Uruguay, the Philippines, South Africa, and India, where they are working on business projects and learning how things work in these major emerging markets.
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They’ll be back on campus to report on their work and wrap up their capstone in September before their graduation on the 21st of that month. An exciting and successful year for a promising and accomplished group of MBA students!
First Impressions: Cape Town, South Africa
By Lesley Green, Global MBA student, United States
Thomas, Gopi, Joosuk and I were selected a few months ago to complete our summer International Immersion Project at Backsberg winery in collaboration with the University of Stellenbosch Business School in Cape Town, South Africa.
The four of us arrived in Cape Town on Monday evening just in time to catch a beautiful sunset over Table Mountain. After the slow process of getting through customs, we exited baggage claim and we were welcomed into the country by the UBS coordinator, Charmaine Kapp. She was very excited to see us and very quick to offer advice for surviving four weeks "in the bush." Thomas, Gopi, Joosuk and I packed into the van with our 10 suitcases and started the 45 minute journey to Backsberg Estate Cellars in Paarl, our home for the next few weeks. We met up with Simon Back, the co-owner of Backsberg along with his father Michael, to have dinner before getting settled in for some hard-earned sleep after travelling for 24 hours.
Tuesday morning we started the project: how to make Backsberg better by improving the business model, growing sales on site, in ZA and abroad, and focusing their efforts to become more efficient. It's been a hectic, if not cold, few days full of interviews, researching history, getting to know the staff, and running the numbers. We had a lovely tour around the vineyard and were taught the entire wine making process from growing the grapes to bottling the fermented wine. They have some really terrific wines and are known throughout the area for their Merlot, Chenin Blanc and Pinotage varietals. Pinotage grapes were even invented by the USB program!
It was a bit difficult at first, since South Africa is so warm most of the year, it is a bit lacking in the centralized heating department. But it's been a great experience so far, even including a run-in with the local wildlife; Thomas and Joosuk had to catch a mouse in the kitchen! Hopefully, we will see some more wildlife on this trip including some penguins, but hope to stay away from the leopards that live on the Simonsberg mountain near the vineyard. Looking forward to helping this wine estate with 96 years of history become a household name, getting the IIP completed, and being one step closer to graduation.
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First Impressions of Cairo
Ayan Mukhopadhyay is a Global MBA student from India who is doing his International Immersion Project with PlaNet Finance in Egypt
The alarm rang at 9am sharp and I woke up, my head aching in tandem with the alarm. Although I wanted to snooze the alarm few times out of habit, there was barely time. The flight was at 4.30pm and I had to be at the airport at around 2pm. But before that a huge task was still left: cleaning L0612D and packing rest of the seemingly important stuff. After a rocking 8 months stay with my roommate Uday, sadly enough, it was time to part ways, temporarily for 2 months. Itmighty” game for the last time, it was time to head off to CDG.
I would be taking the Polish Airlines. I had read quite a few reviews about this airline and was a bit apprehensive but then couldn’t care less as long as it would take me to Egypt. Apart from a 1.5 hours delay at Warsaw, the plane food and the thunderous weather, the flight to Egypt was largely uneventful. The delay even turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I was able to watch the Euro 2012 finals along with 2 English, 2 Polish, 3 Egyptian and 1 Russian co-passengers.
I reached Cairo at around 4.30am and the hasty immigration procedure was over in few minutes. I was greeted by Umm al-dunya, meaning “Mother of the World”, (an old nickname for Cairo) with a warm wave of air outside the airport at around 5am. I started sweating immediately with my wet t-shirt pressing down on my sticky back. Soon enough, taxi drivers thronged around me offering to take me to the best hotel in Cairo. My eyes were however frantically looking for a piece of A4 paper on which my name was supposed to written. Mohammed from the hostel was present at the airport and had been waiting patiently for the last 2.5 hours to take me to the hostel. The cultural difference was clearly showing.
I was sitting in the front seats of a very old Astra along with one of my bags. Driving through the streets of Cairo, the first look at the city reminded me of my city, Calcutta. Somehow the streets looked familiar, not in their shape or structure but by the way cars were parked, how people slept on the pavement, and by the old houses built by the side of the streets. The environment truly transported me momentarily to my city while Mohammed kept feeding me information about Cairo and the places to see. The journey was not as painful as I had thought it would be. The roads were quite good and apart from few rattles & clatters, it was ok. As I reached my room at 6am, it was time to catch a nap and get ready for the first day at the PlaNet Finance office at 9.30am.
I was bold enough to decide to take the metro right on the first day. There are only 2 lines crisscrossing the city and I realized that it is relatively simple to navigate. The problem was the walk from the metro station to the PlaNet Finance office. After walking in the sweltering heat for 5 minutes, I realized that I have missed the left turn I was supposed to take and that it was time to ask someone. The strong sun, the pollution and the dust was already testing my... I don’t know what! My first two attempts to find my way were futile since the people didn’t speak English. I was lucky the 3 rd time when the man with impeccably combed hair gave me directions.
Cairo as a city is as multidimensional and complex as it can get. It is the largest African city that encapsulates different elements of Egypt. Although the flavour and spirit of western culture continue to influence Cairo, the city still retains a sizeable portion of its ancient orient culture. As such, a walk down the streets of downtown Cairo results in an exotic and chaotic assault on the senses. The crowd of vendors trying to sell just about anything and everything, the intoxicating smell of food and spices, the congestion of traffic and people alike, the warm weather, etc. gives an experience that is exoticized by many. Cairo is definitely is, however, not a city for the faint-hearted, and to survive hereone has to deal with the many problems wrought by a population boom along with bad governance and infrastructure.
To be continued...
The alarm rang at 9am sharp and I woke up, my head aching in tandem with the alarm. Although I wanted to snooze the alarm few times out of habit, there was barely time. The flight was at 4.30pm and I had to be at the airport at around 2pm. But before that a huge task was still left: cleaning L0612D and packing rest of the seemingly important stuff. After a rocking 8 months stay with my roommate Uday, sadly enough, it was time to part ways, temporarily for 2 months. Itmighty” game for the last time, it was time to head off to CDG.
I would be taking the Polish Airlines. I had read quite a few reviews about this airline and was a bit apprehensive but then couldn’t care less as long as it would take me to Egypt. Apart from a 1.5 hours delay at Warsaw, the plane food and the thunderous weather, the flight to Egypt was largely uneventful. The delay even turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I was able to watch the Euro 2012 finals along with 2 English, 2 Polish, 3 Egyptian and 1 Russian co-passengers.
I reached Cairo at around 4.30am and the hasty immigration procedure was over in few minutes. I was greeted by Umm al-dunya, meaning “Mother of the World”, (an old nickname for Cairo) with a warm wave of air outside the airport at around 5am. I started sweating immediately with my wet t-shirt pressing down on my sticky back. Soon enough, taxi drivers thronged around me offering to take me to the best hotel in Cairo. My eyes were however frantically looking for a piece of A4 paper on which my name was supposed to written. Mohammed from the hostel was present at the airport and had been waiting patiently for the last 2.5 hours to take me to the hostel. The cultural difference was clearly showing.
I was sitting in the front seats of a very old Astra along with one of my bags. Driving through the streets of Cairo, the first look at the city reminded me of my city, Calcutta. Somehow the streets looked familiar, not in their shape or structure but by the way cars were parked, how people slept on the pavement, and by the old houses built by the side of the streets. The environment truly transported me momentarily to my city while Mohammed kept feeding me information about Cairo and the places to see. The journey was not as painful as I had thought it would be. The roads were quite good and apart from few rattles & clatters, it was ok. As I reached my room at 6am, it was time to catch a nap and get ready for the first day at the PlaNet Finance office at 9.30am.
I was bold enough to decide to take the metro right on the first day. There are only 2 lines crisscrossing the city and I realized that it is relatively simple to navigate. The problem was the walk from the metro station to the PlaNet Finance office. After walking in the sweltering heat for 5 minutes, I realized that I have missed the left turn I was supposed to take and that it was time to ask someone. The strong sun, the pollution and the dust was already testing my... I don’t know what! My first two attempts to find my way were futile since the people didn’t speak English. I was lucky the 3 rd time when the man with impeccably combed hair gave me directions.
Cairo as a city is as multidimensional and complex as it can get. It is the largest African city that encapsulates different elements of Egypt. Although the flavour and spirit of western culture continue to influence Cairo, the city still retains a sizeable portion of its ancient orient culture. As such, a walk down the streets of downtown Cairo results in an exotic and chaotic assault on the senses. The crowd of vendors trying to sell just about anything and everything, the intoxicating smell of food and spices, the congestion of traffic and people alike, the warm weather, etc. gives an experience that is exoticized by many. Cairo is definitely is, however, not a city for the faint-hearted, and to survive hereone has to deal with the many problems wrought by a population boom along with bad governance and infrastructure.
To be continued...
Peter Herbel, Senior Vice President, General Counsel of Total
By Samer Farhat, Global MBA student, Lebanon
After Antoine de Saint-Afrique (Unilever) and Pierre Nanterme (Accenture), the talk by Peter Herbel (Total) is the third given by a top-tier manager to the Global MBA cohort this year. During a two-hour exchange, we had the chance to discover the legal complexities that a multinational company is exposed to under various jurisdictions and labor laws.
The growing public awareness about environmental issues and the need for renewable energy sources have driven the public to question the role of major oil and gas companies in the current situation of the energy markets. Are they stimulating the increase in oil price? Are they investing enough in the development of renewable energies? Is the activity of major oil and gas companies benefiting the local populations where they operate? The Global MBA cohort had the chance to ask numerous questions and to understand the role of major oil companies, of national oil companies, and to discuss the pros and cons of an institution such as OPEC.
The importance of energy supply in the economic development of all countries makes oil and gas more coveted by the day. The pressure and the benefits that governments, investors, and corporations try to extract out of such leverage pushes western oil companies to implement rigorous codes of conduct and bylaws. Without such tools and without legal awareness, major western oil companies could face sizeable lawsuits in their countries of origin that would impact their performance, reputation and brand equity.
The talk by Peter Herbel closes a rich series of seminars animated by top leaders in the public sector, FMCG, oil and gas, automotive and banking industries. The interaction of the Global MBA cohort with top level managers provided the students with a unique source of information about current problematics, projects and trends in various industries.[gallery columns="2"]
After Antoine de Saint-Afrique (Unilever) and Pierre Nanterme (Accenture), the talk by Peter Herbel (Total) is the third given by a top-tier manager to the Global MBA cohort this year. During a two-hour exchange, we had the chance to discover the legal complexities that a multinational company is exposed to under various jurisdictions and labor laws.
The growing public awareness about environmental issues and the need for renewable energy sources have driven the public to question the role of major oil and gas companies in the current situation of the energy markets. Are they stimulating the increase in oil price? Are they investing enough in the development of renewable energies? Is the activity of major oil and gas companies benefiting the local populations where they operate? The Global MBA cohort had the chance to ask numerous questions and to understand the role of major oil companies, of national oil companies, and to discuss the pros and cons of an institution such as OPEC.
The importance of energy supply in the economic development of all countries makes oil and gas more coveted by the day. The pressure and the benefits that governments, investors, and corporations try to extract out of such leverage pushes western oil companies to implement rigorous codes of conduct and bylaws. Without such tools and without legal awareness, major western oil companies could face sizeable lawsuits in their countries of origin that would impact their performance, reputation and brand equity.
The talk by Peter Herbel closes a rich series of seminars animated by top leaders in the public sector, FMCG, oil and gas, automotive and banking industries. The interaction of the Global MBA cohort with top level managers provided the students with a unique source of information about current problematics, projects and trends in various industries.[gallery columns="2"]
Video: Peter Kronschnabl, President of BMW Group Moscow
In an earlier post, student Julie Herbel described the students' visit to the unique BMW 7 Studio, a pop-up store in Moscow that looks like nothing ever seen in the automobile industry before. Here you can watch a clip of the presentation to the group by Peter Kronschnabl.
Peter Knroschnabl, President of BMW Group Moscow
Peter Knroschnabl, President of BMW Group Moscow
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