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Class of 2008 International Experience - Vietnam
For the first time in the program’s history, Vietnam served as the host
country for the EMBA international experience. In April 2007, the VSB EMBA class
of 2008 spent nine days interacting with business leaders and immersing
themselves in the vibrant culture of this emerging economy. The objective of the
international experience is to provide students with a better understanding of
the complexities of conducting business in an emerging economy and of the
alternative ways organizations are dealing with these challenges. In order to
get a more complete understanding of the Vietnamese business environment,
students met with a range of business, government, and trade group executives
while visiting both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
While visiting Hanoi, the students conducted corporate site visits to Ford
Vietnam, Motorola, and Full Wealth International Garments. Students also met
with the executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce on Vietnam/Hanoi
and had the honor of taking part in a private reception with the United States
ambassador to Vietnam and the United States counselor for economic affairs for
Vietnam.
While in Ho Chi Minh City, students had briefings with the global sourcing arm
of Target and Target Sourcing Services/AMC. Senior executives from these
companies provided additional perspectives on how global sourcing decisions are
made, the importance of trade agreements in these processes, and the impact
these decisions have on business practices in Vietnam and other emerging
economies. Additional briefings were provided by DuPont Vietnam and Maersk
Logistics.
Senior executives from Kellwood, an international private label and brand label
manufacturer, marketer, and merchandiser, accompanied the class to factories
that manufacture garments for the company. During these tours, conversations
with the Kellwood executives provided an opportunity to hear a variety of
perspectives about contract manufacturing.
The students heard an account of being an entrepreneur in an emerging economy in
a visit hosted by Walter Blocker, the chair of the Board of Governors, American
Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, and managing director of
Gannon Vietnam. Students toured a state of the art Gannon Beverage facility,
gained insight into Gannon’s wide range of activities, and learned from
Blocker’s experiences as an expatriate and entrepreneur.
In conjunction with gaining insight into Vietnam’s emerging economy, students
were given the opportunity to immerse themselves in the vibrant culture of
Vietnam through visits to cultural and historical landmarks such as the Mekong
Delta, the tunnels at Cu Chi, and the shopping district of Ho Chi Minh City.
Accompanying the class to Vietnam were Doug Dickel, EMBA director, and Steve
Zarlinski Executive MBA '03, who served as the assistant trip coordinator.
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