Inaugural Global Business Fellows (GBF) Class Graduates
As part of Georgetown University McDonough School of Business’s commitment to be known as the premier destination for global business education, in 2015 the school partnered with the university’s Walsh School of Foreign Service to launch the Global Business Fellows (GBF) Program. In May 2017, the first cohort of 20 students graduated, nine from Georgetown McDonough and 11 from the School of Foreign Service (SFS).
Ricardo Ernst, Baratta Chair in Global Business and director of the Global Business Initiative, remarked that the motivation to start the GBF program was the immense learning potential resulting from students from both Georgetown schools in the same classroom creating powerful synergies. Ernst reminded graduates that they are now equipped to ask the right questions as demanded by the new world’s paradigms, and he also thanked them “for building a strong foundation for the GBF program and future cohorts.” Ernst also thanked the donors, whose support has been invaluable for the implementation of the GBF program.
Theodore Moran, Marcus Wallenberg Chair in International Business and Finance at SFS, also addressed the attendees and thanked Georgetown McDonough’s Interim Dean Rohan Williamson, SFS Dean Joel Hellman, provost Robert Groves, and President John J. DeGioia, for encouraging and supporting this cross-campus initiative between Georgetown McDonough and SFS.
Ceremony attendees also heard from, Ravi Vish, chief global strategist at Limiar Capital Management and former World Bank chief economist, who provided graduates with key lessons to apply to their careers, specifically to anchor themselves in their values and to “remember that success can emerge from failure, if you are diligent and persistent.”
Global At Home And Abroad:
Combining classmates from both schools, the GBF program has created a space for rich discussions on international affairs and global business.
“Engaging with students from other schools helped me to work better with people with different backgrounds and thought processes,” Said Alejandra Elosua (B’17).
John Ruxton (F’17), who will be working as marketing manager for Facebook this summer, also commented on the program’s impact on his view of global issues. “GBF gave me the opportunity to develop a realistic global strategy for challenged global companies, while working with Georgetown students from multiple continents,” said Ruxton.
In addition to their core coursework, GBF students also took the Global Business Experience capstone course, which provided them with the opportunity to work on international consulting projects as undergraduates.
“We worked diligently on our presentations, applying new concepts from our global strategy class,” said Evan Zimmet (B’17). “It was a great experience presenting to corporate executives in Spain, who provided great feedback.”
Era Siyu Qian (B’7), whose team consulted for Lindt, reflected on her consulting experience as well. “We worked hard and had many sleepless nights in order to fine-tune our product. Everyone on the trip bonded and had a great time together,” said Qian.
Life After Georgetown McDonough:
“GBE opened my eyes to international business and to business culture, and as someone who hasn’t done an extensive amount of traveling I now feel more confident and curious about the world,” said Albert Lee (B’17).
Many of the graduates will soon engage in global professional and non-professional journeys. Angelo Angelino’s (F’17) interest in the sports industry came to fruition during his international consulting course.
“In Spain, I met with an alumnus who works for Lagardere, one of the largest sport agencies in the world, and this connection ultimately allowed me to intern in the company’s New York City office,” said Angelino. “My ultimate goal of working for FIFA has stayed the same, and thanks to the GBF program, my understanding on how to get there has changed.”
Daniela Suarez (B’17), who is originally from Venezuela, will start working working at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in the Debt Capital Markets for the Latin America Team.
Before starting his full-time job for L.E.K. Consulting in Boston, Carson Yates (F’17) plans to visit Central America this summer. “I will spend next July in Nicaragua on community development and microfinance projects with my church,” said Yates.
Morgan Kennedy (F’17), who will join Deloitte’s Federal Cyber Risk Advisory Practice next year, will soon be heading to Mumbai with her India Innovation Class in order to consult for the Maharashtra Government.
Photos courtesy of Kurt Muhlbauer