Name: Melissa Ogilvie
Program/major: Corporate Residency MBA
Career aspirations: I have a keen interest in pursuing a career in management consulting, particularly business and corporate-level strategy-related consulting. Following graduation in the fall, I will be working at Deloitte in its Strategy & Operations Consulting practice. More specifically, I will be working in the Public-Sector Transformation service line.
Why were you interested in taking this course, Doing Business in Emerging Markets?
I was interested in taking the course because international expansions are becoming prevalent in the strategies of today’s businesses. Not only are international expansions increasing as a whole, but also businesses are looking for emerging markets to enter. I took this course to gain general knowledge on emerging markets, as well as insight into the factors businesses must consider prior to expanding globally. Further, by working directly with an Atlantic Canada business wanting to expand its operations into an emerging market, I will be able to fully grasp these concepts, while also assisting a local company.
What do you expect to learn from your visit to Chile and Argentina?
In my opinion, the optimal way to learn is through hands-on experience. Therefore, by visiting Chile and Argentina, I will be able to further grasp the concepts taught in the Doing Business in Emerging Markets course. More precisely, as successful global expansion requires a deep understanding of a country’s culture, visiting these countries will provide me with a better understanding of cultural aspects that may have an impact on businesses expanding to these locations.
How do you think this experience will impact your future career?
Businesses are expanding globally to new destinations. Thus, I believe that to thrive in today’s business environment, employees must gain cross-cultural literacy. By gaining a deep understanding of the customs, perspectives and business practices in Chile and Argentina, I will be better equipped to help businesses wanting to expand operations to these countries. Further, by developing an openness to learn about new cultures, I will be able to better understand the cultures of various countries, thereby providing me with the ability to help businesses wanting to expand internationally.
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