Destination: Chile

destination: chile

Travel, exploration and immersive experiences in international businesses—that is what 14 WMU business students had in store as they embarked on a trip to Chile. The trip, led by Dr. Steve Newell and Dr. Zack Quraeshi, professors of marketing, and Barb Caras-Tomczak, coordinator of MBA student support services, spanned two weeks and included visits to a variety of companies and organizations. The group was primarily composed of MBA students, with one undergraduate student, creating a travel group representing three generations of students and diverse viewpoints.

Why Chile?

With an average of 5.6 percent annual growth since 1990, Chile’s economy has the highest GDP per capita in Latin America.

In December 2007, S&P raised Chile’s credit rating from an A to an A+.

• Chile has doubled its per capita income over the last 10 years and has reduced poverty levels enormously.
• The country’s friendly atmosphere, stability and safe environment have encouraged large companies to establish their offices in Santiago as a gateway to business opportunities in Latin America.
• Chile’s qualified workforce and management capacity makes it a country with great potential for foreign investment.
• The business environment in Chile is the prime reason that the Haworth College of Business selected the location for a study abroad immersion course. And the students agree that the country gave them a very textured experience.

“This was an opportunity of a lifetime for me, and I hope this trip is still available when my two boys are old enough so that they can enjoy the same experience,” says MBA student Tina McNeil. At first, McNeil questioned whether she had the time to balance work, family and this course. “I talked to people about it, and they posed the question ‘Why not go?’ This really got me thinking because in the past year and a half I have tried to focus on change, and saying yes to this trip was a significant part of embracing that. Not only have I sold a business I had for 17 years but I also decided to come back and get my master’s after graduating from WMU quite a few years ago. This trip opened me up to experiences that will help me in my life and also in future roles that I decide to take in my professional career.”

The itinerary for the trip brought students into contact with multiple industries and with business leaders that they could talk to in depth about business and life in Chile.

The organizations

• AmCham: The Chilean-American Chamber of Commerce was founded in Valparaíso in 1918 with the mission of promoting free trade and business between the U.S. and Chile.
• Startup Chile: This program, founded by the Chilean government, seeks to attract foreign, high-potential entrepreneurs to Chile.
• Olisur: The largest producer and exporter of olive oil in Chile, its plantation is dedicated to producing extra virgin olive oil, with 10 varieties of olives, selected for their unique characteristics.
• Cruzados: A new legal framework that began regulating the Chilean football/soccer industry mandated that the Catholic university be converted to an official corporation dealing in professional sports.
• Girls in Tech: A global nonprofit focused on the engagement, education and empowerment of girls and women who are passionate about technology, the organization was founded to support women seeking careers in STEM fields.
• Terminal Cerros de Valparaíso: TCVAL is leading the infrastructure modernization process at Terminal 2 of the port of Valparaíso, which aims to increase productivity and competitiveness thereby transforming it into a strategic competitor in the Southern Cone.
• UPS: The parcel delivery company is present in North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America, where it focuses on reliability, industry-leading technologies and solutions expertise for competitive advantage in each market.
• La Bicicleta Verde: A bike tour company that operates its tours based on the ideal of sustainable tourism, the organization seeks to minimize its impact on the local environment and culture while at the same time generating employment for local people.
• CCU: Founded in 1902 as a joint venture among multiple breweries, the company has become a leading force in the beer business in Chile.
• Telefonica: With a presence in Europe, Africa and Latin America, the company is an integrated carrier that has more than 200 million customers and is the leading carrier in the Spanish-Portuguese speaking market.
• Veramonte Vineyard: The vineyard has a mission of producing high-quality wines that accurately and authentically express varietal characteristics of Chile’s unique terroirs—the combined environment of soil, topography, climate and people.

Beyond expectations

The trip ended up being everything that students and faculty hoped it would be and more.

“Having the opportunity to acquire business skills in a real-world setting, especially in another country, is invaluable,” says MBA student Chris Nowicki. “Hearing firsthand from Chilean executives and employees about the opportunities they see, and obstacles they face in their economy and current political climate, is something few students get the opportunity to do. It was an eye-opening experience for many of us. My favorite non-business experience from the trip has to be skiing the Andes. The quality and enormity of the mountain, the conditions, and the camaraderie among the group all made that day unforgettable.”

Meaningful business interactions, pre-trip cultural preparation and exploring safely on one’s own were all things that trip leaders emphasized with students. “For this program, we spend a significant amount of time visiting companies and listening to very detailed business-related information from leaders within the firms. Consequently, we expect our students to understand and be able to respond in very insightful ways with their own business experience and knowledge,” says Newell. “Because there are so many interesting business and cultural experiences to choose from when planning the trip, selecting the ones that would best fit our students is both exciting and challenging.”

And the trip was a perfect fit for students.

“I have enjoyed exploring other countries prior to this trip, but this class solidified my desire to work in a company that has international business relationships or an organization that works with multiple cultures,” says MBA student Karynn Sikkema. “I would recommend this trip to anyone. It is a phenomenal learning experience.”

Offered every other year, the immersion course provides business lessons and memories that extend well beyond the two weeks of the trip. “All of the experiences we had were fantastic. Each meeting or excursion built on the previous one, making the trip all the richer,” says Newell.