Post By:
Tom Cantwell
PEMBA, 2013
Team members from the trip getting to know each other at the welcome dinner |
Right after Memorial Day Weekend, 20 MBA students traveled
across Europe for the European Field Seminar.
Led by French native Professor Frederic Brunel, our trip brought us to Amsterdam,
Brussels, Paris and Budapest as we gained a breadth of knowledge on the impact
of European culture and government structure on a variety of industries. Having led a number of seminars in the past, Professor
Brunel provided a great context for business in the European Union, and made an
exceptional tour guide during our brief moments of downtime. Kristen Fischer from the GPO joined us as one
of the group leaders as well, ensuring that the group was both organized and
safe! Our class was a mix of both
full-time and part-time students with a range of different cultural backgrounds,
and graduate concentrations, which provided a great opportunity for everyone to
deepen their personal and professional networks.
Monica at the Audi plant in Hungary |
Inside the European Commission |
Through exposure to a multitude of companies, we learned
about many of the unique impacts of both European culture and government on
different industries. In Amsterdam, we
witnessed how the efficient nature of the Dutch had an intrinsic impact on
operations at Flora Holland, the largest flower auctioneer in the world. At the Audi plant in Brussels, we learned how
plant manager’s general concern for worker safety inspired line workers to
drive innovation in the workplace. We
were impressed with the analytical capabilities of the workforce in Budapest,
and had the opportunity to learn how financial firms like Morgan Stanley are
positioning themselves to develop and maintain a direct line into the emerging Hungarian
talent pool.
Team members posing in Budapest |
The timing of the trip was especially unique as we were in
Europe during the thick of the Greek debt crisis. During our visit to Brussels, we were able to
meet with economists, financial sector leaders, and members from the European
Commission throughout the trip to get their perspective on contributing factors
to the crisis, and requirements for a sustainable solution. We also gained a deeper understanding of how
our own economy is interlinked with that of the European Union.
Team members in Paris during the weekend |
In front of a windmill outside of Amsterdam the weekend before the trip
|
Tom is a Manager in Process Improvement at Liberty Mutual Insurance. He is expected to graduate from the Part Time Evening MBA Program at BU in 2013 with a concentration in Leadership and Organizational Transformation.
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