Announcing the 2016 UA EMBA International Trip

• August 3rd, 2015
• in International Trip

The Culverhouse College of Commerce Executive MBA Class of 2016 will be going to Marrakech and Casablanca, Morocco and Madrid, Spain, February 27-March 5, 2016.

The 2016 trip is a requirement of the IBA 550 International Business course in the students final semester. It is also open to EMBA Alumni who would like to attend. “We began formally inviting alumni to join us on our study abroad trips in 2013 when we visited Turkey and it has been a successful program,” said Cheryl Altemara, assistant director, EMBA Programs. In addition to visiting companies, meeting with senior executives and government officials, and touring cultural sites, participants may also take part in an optional post trip to Barcelona, Spain.

The students not only visit companies but will tour Marrakech and Madrid and take a day trip to Kasbah Le Mirage situated just outside of Marrakech. They will experience Moroccan life, camel rides and a dinner in Berber tents. A special consulting project focusing on social enterprise in and around Marrakech is also being added to the program this year. Spain offers another business climate, culture and economic transformation for the students to study in depth.

Our travel agency this year will be the International Study Programs (ISP). Headquartered in Prague, ISP has been organizing global trips for EMBA Programs since 1999. Their vision is to create meaningful global academic experiences for business school students.

Morocco has a GDP of $179.2B (2015), 4.5% growth, unemployment at 9.2% and inflation at 1.9%. Benefiting from a stable political environment and increasing levels of foreign investment, Morocco benefits from its geographical proximity to key markets in Europe and its perception as a stable destination in a region where many countries have seen widespread political unrest. The country is expected to welcome over 11M visitors in 2015, up from 10.5M in 2014. Europe is a major source for arrivals but Morocco is increasingly targeting affluent visitors from the Middle East – and Emirates recently expanded its flight routes into the country from the UAE.

According to Spiegel Online, Spain is back from the brink and emerging as a model for Europe. During the crisis, Spain instituted strict reforms and successfully put its emphasis on exports, with one-third of Spanish goods and services shipped outside the country. Although Spain still has a long way to go, the European Central Bank is predicting that Spain will be one of the economic drivers of Europe in 2015. Powered by a cheap euro and low-interest, economic growth is predicted to rise by 2.3 percent this year, GDP at 1.4 trillion, while the Spanish government predicts increasing job growth.

The post trip is to Barcelona, the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, is defined by quirky art and architecture, imaginative food and vibrant street life. It has medieval roots, seen in the mazelike Gothic Quarter, but a modernist personality represented by architect Antoni Gaudí’s fantastical Sagrada Família church. The central Boqueria market, ranging from fine dining to tiny tapas bars, anchors Barcelona’s restaurant scene. In addition, we will also travel to Tarragona and the caves Montau de Sadurini.

To join the trip, please contact the EMBA office for more information. The trip package for alumni, from check-in February 27 to check out on March 5, includes a single room (5 star accommodations), breakfasts, company visits, lunches, city tours of Marrakech and Madrid, the February 28 Kasbah excursion, and opening and farewell dinners. Spouses may also attend.
If your class never got to go on an international trip, here’s your chance. If you have attended a previous trip, this time you get to enjoy without classwork or a final presentation!

We look forward to having you join us. For more information and cost, contact Donna Blackburn, 205.348.8748. For more information on the Culverhouse Executive MBA Program check out the website at www.emba.ua.edu.

The International Trip – An EMBA Highlight

• April 24th, 2015
• in International Trip

The 2015 Culverhouse College of Commerce Executive MBA study abroad tour took us from Panama City in the Republic of Panama and then to Bogota, Colombia, February 28-March 6. While waiting to depart with some of the EMBA Class of 2015 students, who were excited and looking forward to heading to Central America, it was hard not to reflect on the many trips we have taken over the years.

Turning 30 this year, one of the many highlights of the EMBA Program is our international trip, which is part of the International Business course in the final semester.  The international trips began in 2003, and since then we have visited 15 countries, 28 cities and 118 companies. Students’ description of the trip include: Awesome, A Trip of a Lifetime, Challenging, Valuable and A Learning Experience I Will Always Remember! Students meet with senior executives from companies and government officials, in addition to touring the local sites.

The EMBA Class of 2015’s Central America trip included business visits to Global Bank Corporation, Electric Transmission Company (ETESA), DHL Express Panama and the Panama Canal Authority in The Republic of Panama, and the Ministry of Defense, IBM, Alpina and the Coffee Federation in Bogota, Colombia. In addition, 38 students, faculty, staff, alumni and guests enjoyed city tours and a day on Contadora Island (part of the Pearl Islands) off the coast of Panama, and finally a closing dinner on Monserrate Hill in Bogota.

South America has been experiencing rapid growth.  Panama’s economy is service based, with GDP at $57.1B and 10.7% growth, and 16% of US-born trade passes through the Canal. Students were able to compare and contrast the economic and cultural differences between the two countries. Colombia, a member of the Pacific Alliance, is the third largest economy in Latin America, after Brazil and Mexico, with a 5% average annual GDP.

At Alpina, a manufacturer of consumer food products in Colombia, the EMBAs met with Diago Aparicio, Director of Talent Development. According to Aparicio, “Alpina was founded by two Swiss entrepreneurs in 1945 creating artisanal cheeses, and six decades later exports more than 500 consumer products to 20 countries.”  Colombia’s economic growth in the last five years has been steadily improving, even overtaking Peru as the region’s fastest-growing economy.

Speakers at IBM and the Ministry of Defense in Bogota spoke of Colombia as a success story with a lot of influence in the South America region. “We are seeing more investment, but still have a long way to go,” said Luz Stella Paez, Director of Business Management at the Defense Ministry.

EMBA alumni are welcome to join the students on their international trip. We will announce the e next trip at the end of July.

For more information on the Culverhouse College of Commerce Executive MBA Program and its international trip, contact the EMBA office at 205.348.4501, caltemara@cba.ua.edu.

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Differences, Similarities, Opportunities

• March 6th, 2014
• in International Trip
• 1 Comment

As each of us prepared and anticipated our moments in South America, both from an educational perspective and a personal perspective, we were encouraged and challenged to keep an open mind: to identify differences, similarities, and even opportunities. Many of these moments came at different times and often revealed themselves in different aspects based on the classmate and/or staff member. This was to be expected, since some of us had traveled internationally, some of us had not; some had been to South America, even Chile and/or Peru, some had not; some knew little Spanish, some knew only English; some worked in international companies, some did not.

As we began our travels as early as Birmingham, I often noticed the nervous and anxious faces and body language of not only my peers, but also myself. Along our journey, each of us was finding within ourselves at least one question, but often many more, of what to expect throughout the experience. Questions moved in our minds about travel (flight/bus/taxi/walking), food, language, commerce, and even the welcome of the people. In early discussions, many of us were prepared for more differences than similarities. However, the more we experienced and witnessed, the more comfortable we became with travel, food, the foreign language. At this point we began to see more of the similarities: similarities not only of the countries we visited, but to the cities and lives of those of our own towns.

While in another part of the world, people lived their lives just as we do in the United States. Farms are grown and harvested, mines are dug, oil and gas is pumped, food is prepared and served, customer service is given, smiles are shared on the streets and families and friends are meeting at restaurants, cinemas, and shopping malls. All of this occurs while various business leaders in various industries manage the growth of the economy and find opportunities for their businesses, people and countries.

As challenged early in the process, we witnessed and experienced differences, similarities and opportunities. As we venture back to the United States, I believe each of us will be carrying new memories, new friendships, and most importantly a new perspective and open mind to the world we live in, both locally and internationally.

The (city, state, country, world) we live in…so big, yet so small; so advanced, yet still so far behind; so good, yet sometimes bad; so health conscious, yet still so limited; so accepting, yet so cautious; so developed, yet still so pure…the (city, state, country, world) we live in: so big, yet so small.

Janet North
TEMBA Class of 2014

Team: The Rising Tide
Janet North, Jeff LeRoy, Nagaraja Padur, Patrick Ellinger, Sunil Singh

Latin America — An Alumni’s Perspective

• February 28th, 2014
• in International Trip

When it was announced that alumni could attend the EMBA International trip, I immediately signed up. Several alumni showed interest; however, only three of us ultimately made the trek to Chile and Peru. In my opinion, attending the international trip as an alumni offered several unique learning opportunities. First, I was able to attend the company visits, which offered surprising insights into the local culture. Second, I had the flexibility to vary my schedule apart from the group at any time. Third, I was able to focus on other cultural learning opportunities instead of worrying about the team project (…which thankfully alumni aren’t required to do!)  With my newfound freedom as an alum, I maximized this opportunity by learning a foreign language. In this case, Latin American Spanish.

I began studying Spanish eight months prior to our departure. I used a combination of methods, including Rosetta Stone, Pimsluer audio courses, and the book “Dummies Guide to Spanish”. I was very excited about the opportunity to improve my Spanish skills through a full-emersion experience in Latin America. However, upon our arrival in Santiago, Chile, I quickly realized their speech patterns were greatly different than what I studied. Their style of speech involved partially enunciated words, dropped syllables and a lot of slang. Although the Chileans understood me, I had difficulty understanding them. For the first few days, my most frequently used phrase was “Escribilo, por favor” (Write it down, please).

Where ever we went, I practiced my Spanish by talking with the locals. I talked with anybody and everybody. Although my Spanish was far from fluent, I was able to communicate well enough to:

• Ask directions from subway workers and taxi drivers
• Haggle with local vendors
• Order meals at desayunar, almorzar, y cenar  (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
• Negotiate a private tour of the Bolsa de Valores de Lima (Lima Stock Exchange).
• Arrange bus transport through Lima, Peru, which can be very crowded and confusing.

Ultimately, I never would have attempted to learn a foreign language were it not for the EMBA International Trip. I highly encourage all alumni to take advantage of this learning opportunity and see the world with your UA friends, old and new.

– Russ Elrod, Huntsville EMBA Class of 2013

Experiencing Peru

• February 28th, 2014
• in International Trip

A famous American author once said “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” (James Albert Michener) It’s easy to say we are glad we didn’t stay home. We had the unique opportunity to see Peru not as tourists, but through the eyes of the people who work, live and love their country. With the lens of business leaders, our snapshot of Peru led us to believe they have great hope for the future. From people offering their artwork for a fee, to businessmen who are creating jobs, we had the opportunity to be exposed to the next generation of capitalism.
Peru is a beautiful country with an outward love of God, Christ and each other. It’s shown in the monuments of crosses that offer light to the city skyline at night. It’s seen in the gorgeous catholic churches’ set-ups for worship and smaller displays even in the hospital. Although we spoke muy poco español, the people were willing to decipher through our accents and our English to be of service to our needs.

It’s interesting how a place so far from home can instantly feel like Anywhere, USA. The constant honking and terrible traffic invoke the feeling of New York City. The cool, almost cold, calm nights feel like San Diego in the summer time. And the hot humid days feel like a game day in Tuscaloosa. (Roll Tide!) And what’s great is that it’s all in one place — Lima, Peru.

The greatest take away from this trip is gratefulness. Grateful, that with all of our problems, we still live and work in one of the greatest countries in the world. Hopefully what we’ve learned about business and culture will make us better American citizens and willing to change the world by upholding our perception of greatness not in judgment, but in cooperation.

Team: Crimson Cares
Kathi Dawn, Mrinal Dhar, Ashley Jackson, Dana Briley Runager, Krystal Swann and Tamaria Penick Yarbrough

Culture Shock

• February 28th, 2014
• in International Trip

 

Banco de Centro del Peru: Today we had a very interesting presentation from Renzo Rossini, manager of the Central Bank of Perú, the equivalent of our Federal Reserve Chairman. Mr. Rossini explained the very aggressive changes in fiscal policy that have turned their economy around. In 1990, inflation was near 400 percent. However, during the peak of the global economic crisis of 2008, in spite of three consecutive quarters of negative GDP, the country was able to maintain a annualized average GDP of 1 percent growth! This very quick recovery is just one of the highlights that demonstrates the strengths of Peru’s economic policies.

Santiago’s Scenery

• February 28th, 2014
• in International Trip

Flying into Chile was an awesome experience for our team.  The Andes mountain range enveloped Chile in a way that seemed to protect the country like a giant looking over it.  Upon entering Santiago, what we found interesting was the separation from the “haves” and the “have-nots,” not unlike big cities in the United States, just more noticeable due to proximity to the major highway.  The area before entering the tunnel was a poverty stricken shantytown, much like one would imagine in a third world country.  The water source for that part of the city was a river that flowed from the ice caps high on the tallest mountaintop in Chile.  Though it was the main water source, the river was littered with debris, as if the residence in this part of the city had no pride in the appearance of their city.

Immediately upon exiting the tunnel and entering Santiago, it seemed as if we entered another world.   The ramshackle hovels were replaced with beautiful high-rise buildings, designed by the best architects.    The streets of this part of the city were very clean, and the waterway was pristine.  Yet one item caught our eye—graffiti painted on the walls of every building.  It provided a sad continuity to the previous sentiment—that some residents did not take pride in their city.  In discussions with our hosts, we learned that there is no penalty for defacing property—even historical monuments.  Apparently most of the offenders are 8-9 year old kids from broken families, and the public sentiment is that prosecution of their crimes would serve no purpose.

On Sunday, we were able to visit the Andes Mountains.  Some individuals hiked the mountains, while others took in the scenery via horseback.  The view of the mountains was absolutely amazing.  The drive to the mountains was a bit scary, as the roads were winding with very deep drop offs.  However, this did not detract from the experience.  The trip to the mountains made us appreciate what a beautiful world God has given to us.

On Monday, we started the day with a trip to the Proctor and Gamble plant.  Being from America, we expected to see a plant that needed a lot of work to get up to the American standards.  We were pleasantly surprised to find an extremely clean and well-organized plant that met the highest standards of cleanliness and organization.  It was evident that they used many of the techniques we discussed in Operations Management.  The plant received its operating standards from the global corporation, which provided standardization and continuity across its worldwide operations.
We all agreed that our time in Chile was well worth the trip.  The country is absolutely beautiful, the local cuisine was great and the people were extremely nice and grateful to host us.   Our team is extremely grateful to the University of Alabama for giving us this opportunity to see such a beautiful part of the world, and to blend into a different culture.

Team: Crimson Express
Brad Wood, Ray Chowdhury, Brandon Cole, Emmett Garrett and Robert Justice

Experiencing Chile

• February 28th, 2014
• in International Trip

There was an air of excitement in the Atlanta Airport, the Huntsville and Tuscaloosa EMBA classes coming together to learn about the emerging markets of Chile and the culture. As we flew in, we saw the Andes Mountains seem to almost hug the entire country of Chile. As we drove into the city, there was a dramatic transition from run down shacks to the very metropolitan city of Santiago. In the afternoon, we had a tour of the city and there was a blend of old historic, to modern buildings. Our group seemed to be curious about the local fare and what is typically eaten in the Chilean culture. Mote de Husillo was a wheat, tea, and pear drink sold on the streets. Thankfully, it was a drink nobody got sick on.
After our tour, we all had a lovely welcome dinner at a steakhouse, where the two classes really bonded over great food. In the United States, everyone is in a hurry to eat and get to where they are going. Dinners in Chile are a bonding experience, the servers are in no hurry to serve you, and the people truly make it a relaxed moment. You cannot expect to go to any restaurant and be done in less than three hours.

Chile is truly a unique country with the Andes Mountains. Having the opportunity to drive into the countryside, go on a horseback ride, and see the country from a mountainside, just reminds you of how beautiful the world can be and what a blessing it is. The people in the lodge were truly gracious hosts and provided us with a meal fit for kings. They slow cooked lamb over an open fire with their traditional side dishes including roasted vegetables, salads, and the red and brown quinoa. Along with this local fare, we also learned Chileans love cookies and coffee. When hosting guests it is traditional to provide cookies and coffee. The coffee is very different from the US, it is very smooth without a bitter after taste and is served in espresso cups.

On our last full day in Chile we did our company tours to Proctor and Gamble, Banco Estado, and Marinetti. The big surprise was coming into the manufacturing companies and finding out they already had implemented lean production and were incorporating the latest technology to improve efficiency. The other big surprise was learning BancoEstado being a state run bank had no interest in being ahead of their competition. They wanted to have the image of being a safe and stable bank. Their competitive advantage was if macroeconomic conditions should change in a negative way, they would be able to remain more stable over the publicly traded banks. It is a reminder to the customer by saying we are here for you when times get tough. BancoEstado reminded me of how 90% of the Americans conduct their money business, most go into the major banks because technology is up to date and they do mobile banking. On the other hand, BancoEstado is comparable to that of a credit union in the United States because they are slower, but also provide rates lower on loans and are more willing to lend to a higher risk customer. The experience with each company was so neat because each company rolled out their own red carpet for us by providing cookies and coffee at each stop.

Team: Meridian
Will Coulter, Edward Eskridge, Daagye Harvill, Gary Morrison and Jennifer Thomas

CHILE IS PREPARING TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD

• February 26th, 2014
• in International Trip

The fruit demand worldwide is growing rapidly and Chile is uniquely positioned to satisfy the “growing” need. To the outsider, one may only think of Chilean wine and grapes, but in fact they are a major exporter of a plethora of fruits. We anticipate that they will leverage their position in this industry to become a new world leader.
The Chilean culture is one of service and hard work. The people appear to love their country and are committed to preserving the environment. They appreciate that a global economy exists and they are growing reliant on the global demand for goods and services. Their entrepreneurial spirit welcomes investment and ideas from around the world. Vast amounts of natural resources and an open business climate are also attractive features.

It is a long, slender, beautiful country that enjoys being surrounded by the Andes on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Because of the vast latitudinal space that Chile occupies, deserts exist in the North and the Patagonia in the south. This unique diversity of climate and landscape attracts tourists from all over the world – and for good reason.

– Marshall Liles, TEMBA 2014, The University of Alabama

Team: Flying Pachyderms
Sam Barall, Tim Brown, Ed Galvin, Josh McGill and Marshall Liles

Chile’s 9/11

• February 24th, 2014
• in International Trip

It was sunny and breezy. In fact, the weather could not have been more beautiful. We sensed this was a special place from the green-uniformed guards at each corner of the sprawling lawn. We posed in front as classmates and as friends to remember our International trip for UA EMBA class of 2014. But this space is remembered in Chile for other reasons.

We were in front of the Chilean Presidential Palace, a newer building with old-style architecture. That’s when our guide Ignacio told us the story of Chile’s September 11, in 1973. Shortly after being named Commander in Chief of the Army, Auguste Pinochet overthrew the government and this presidential palace was the site of the takeover.
“Imagine your navy seals and fighter jets assaulting your White House and the US Army taking over the country. That’s what happened that day to my country,” he shared.
Imagining the contrast between the perfect, peaceful afternoon and that day in 1973 provided my first lessons of the trip:

• no matter how different the culture may seem, the human experience of tragedy and patriotism, and a hundred other experiences, unite us
• as divisive as our political scene is today, we are blessed to have never experienced the attack of our own government by our military… this puts our political problems in a much different perspective
• even after the toughest of times, beauty returns and life goes on

The world makes an exceptional classroom, and this photo will hold for us both memories and lessons.

Staci Woods
HEMBA Class of 2014

Team: Prestige Worldwide
Sonya Bailey, Matt Bogue, Christopher Jones and Staci Woods