3 Insights about London Business Culture from Spring Break 2015

International Business Insights Flowed

From Eight Meetings in London

14 Huntsman Students Learned from a Ten-Day Trip There

A trip to London with 14 business students yielded a number of insights about international business. Led by Senior Lecturer Christine Arrington and Program Director Liz Allred, the group took a one-credit course Bus. 2000, Foundations of International Business.

First, it was astounding the degree to which businesspeople in London have embraced design thinking and the lean startup process. The students spent half a day at True Start, part of Google’s innovation campus in east London, where they presented business startup ideas they had prepared and then were guided through the lean startup process. The setting was an open-space office, with no cubicles, and with large tables, white boards, and lots of sticky notes everywhere--exactly like such spaces in Silicon Valley.   

Later, the group spent half a day at a somewhat similar venue, the Barclays Bank London Escalator, in which Barclay’s funds hundreds of startup projects in return for a share of equity in any businesses that successfully get launched from there. 

A third visit, to Government Digital Services, showcased another lean startup, in which all relevant government services information for consumers is posted on www.Gov.UK. The site was created through rapid prototyping and constant iteration. A comparison with online government services information in the U.S. confirmed for the students that Americans don't have anything nearly as efficient for accessing information as do citizens in the United Kingdom.

A second insight came from a case study of the incredibly intense level of analysis required to place a giant bet on a commodity price. At Apollo Global Management, the students learned about that private equity firm’s massive bet that oil prices would fall significantly. An executive there, Rob Ruberton, described the analysis process, the quantitative requirements, and the political components. He pointed out that the entire bet was hedged, and he explained how that was done. Then he offered that the final political factor in favor of the bet was the level of antagonism that Iraqis feel for Iran and that Middle East oil operators feel for U.S. frackers; those big suppliers were judged not likely to lower their pumping in order to slow dropping oil prices. Rather, they would let the price fall and enjoy watching it drive some competitors out of the business.

            The third insight, about business culture in London, came from meeting with a digital analyst at the Financial Times. McKinley Hyden grew up in the U.S., attended St. Andrew's University, and then the London School of Economics. She explained how differently the business culture operates in London than in the U.S. The usual U.S. approach for a young, smart employee is to be a somewhat brash, outspoken underling, full of ideas and always eager to share them; that approach doesn't work well in London, she explained. More decorum and respect for authority is expected in all exchanges between employees and their supervisors.

            Additional visits were insightful, as well--at Deloitte, Goldman-Sachs, and Kantar Media. 

            Finally, the students visited Cambridge University, where they were hosted by two students there, Zach and Joe Levin; they are sons of Christine's Stanford classmate David Levin, new CEO of the $2 billion revenue McGraw-Hill Education in New York. Zach and Joe showed the group around the whole campus and shared the lore. They even pointed out the college that Isaac Newton attended, and the tree which legend has it was the one under which the famous apple fell on his head, stimulating his "gravity" aha moment.  

Opportunity Scholarship: Bo Johnson

By Bo Johnson

Studying abroad in the United Kingdom has been one of the most edifying experiences I’ve ever had. Participating in an exchange program is more than attending a different college; it is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop and grow as an individual, academic, and citizen. By leaving all that is familiar behind, you will learn more about yourself and widen your perspective. No amount of schooling will offer the knowledge you gain by immersing yourself in a foreign culture. Thanks to the Huntsman Opportunity Scholarship, I received the financial support I needed to study abroad. To anyone who is considering a semester abroad, I say, what are you waiting for? And to anyone who has not considered a semester abroad, I say, consider it! This is your opportunity to see the world! It will be an experience you will never forget.

Bo Johnson

A Student's Farewell to the Huntsman School of Business

With graduation coming up, I will soon leave Logan and the Huntsman School of Business, the place that became my second home. With all the graduation stress, I often reflect back to summer of 2010, when I first came to Logan and became part of the Aggie spirit. Being an international student, there were a lot of things I had to overcome. I was in a foreign country with a different culture and language, I had to make new friends and was about to start a new chapter in my life away from my family and friends. I was worried, scared, but most of all, very excited. Back then, I had no idea what kind of amazing adventure it was going to be.

 

Perhaps, the biggest challenge I faced in Logan was making new friends. In the beginning, my circle of friends was limited to other Armenian students at USU. However, as soon as classes started, I began to make new friends, mostly by participating to Business School activities. Today I am proud to have friends from all over the world. Each of them has opened my mind and has taught me to look at things differently, in a way that I would have never done had I not met them.

 

If I had to identify one important life lesson I learned at the Huntsman School of Business it would be to never limit aspirations, because the only limited thing is time. One has to make the most out of it, explore, learn, and enjoy every moment, since it only happens once. Three years ago I would never have thought that I would attend a Microsoft presentation in Paris, meet business leaders from around the world, or get to see the breathtaking view of Machu Picchu in Peru or climb the Great Wall of China. All of those were life-changing experiences I had while at school. 

Sometimes I think back and wonder what my life would have been like if I had continued my studies in Armenia. Of course I cannot find an answer to that question, but I certainly have no regrets with my choice of coming to Utah State. If I had stayed back home, I would not have gained the same competitive academic knowledge, I would not have travelled as much, and most importantly, I would not have met the number of amazing people from around the world.

 

I will soon be starting another chapter of my life, and again, just like three years ago, I am scared, worried, and of course excited. There is a lot of uncertainty, which makes me wonder what the future will be like, where I will end up three years from now. Sometimes I wonder if I could meet the future Anna, the one that has overcome this new uncertainty, and listen to what she has to tell me. Hopefully, her advice to me would be the same: “Explore, learn and enjoy every given moment without any regrets." And perhaps this is also my advice to other international students who are to become part of the Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University.

— Anna Vardanyan
     Senior at the Huntsman School of Business

Looking Back on Global Learning Experiences

When I entered college, I knew that I wanted to study business but did not know what I wanted to do.  I remember sitting in the old auditorium of the Taggart Student Center during the first few weeks of college listening to a study abroad presentation from a student who had participated in three study abroad programs.  I thought to myself, wow that is impressive!  I did not realize at the time the impact it would have on me.

Over the course of my freshman year, I decided to study business and I knew that I needed to do something during my time at Utah State to distinguish myself from the thousands of students that would be graduating with business degrees.   Having always had an interest in the global economy, I thought that some kind of international degree would be the differentiator I was looking for.  When the Huntsman School of Business introduced the international business major, I knew it was for me and jumped at the chance to be among the first students with the degree. 

I recognized that if I wanted to work internationally, I needed some international experience.  When the Global Learning Experience program was introduced, I signed right up.  Looking back, this was one of the best choices I made during college. 

The South America program was the gateway into a new way of thinking and seeing the world.  Not only did I get to travel to South America and visit some of the biggest companies in Latin America where I was exposed to a different business culture, but I had fun doing it.  The South America Program was the beginning of a deep love for international business that was nurtured by great faculty and exceptional opportunities.

After the bird’s eye view of many international companies in Latin America, I wanted more.  During fall semester I sought out an internship with BOSCH in Germany for the next summer so I could get more hands on experience in the international business world.  While in Germany, I worked with divisions of BOSCH all over the world.  I loved it.  I came back from that internship with a sharpened business sense, many new skills, an understanding of how to work with people from all over the world, and an increased interest in international business. 

Looking back I can see how those Global Learning Experiences helped prepare me for the global workforce.  I feel that I learned more from the Global Learning Experiences and internships than almost all of my classes combined. Not to say that I didn't learn a lot in my classes, but the knowledge, experience, skills and understanding I gained while participating in these programs provided context for my classwork and prepared me to be effective and successful in the global economy. The Global Learning Experiences truly gave me the competitive advantage I was looking for.

- Josh Kerkmann

Class of 2009

Editor's Note: Josh Kerkmann is an alumnus of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business who was one of the first to participate in the Global Learning Experience program. He is now a consultant at BSM USA Inc. 

Lessons Learned South of the Border

Traveling with the Huntsman School of Business to South America was one of the best experiences of my life. Here are a few things I learned from my trip.

First, we are extremely fortunate to live here in the United States. We really take for granted the many freedoms and opportunities we enjoy here the States. From being able to start and run your own business, to drinking water for free at restaurants, we really have many opportunities offered to us that are not available to others.

Second, education is more than reading out of text books, it's applying knowledge to real life situations. While in Peru we worked with the Small Enterprise Education and Development program (SEED) to issue micro loans to start up companies. This required me to apply knowledge I had learned from economic, accounting, finance, and marketing classes. It was extremely satisfying to be able to take concepts taught from my professors and apply it to this project in order to help someone else’s business succeed. It helped me connect the dots between learning and doing, something I believe we as students sometimes forget to do.

Finally, I was reminded just how important it is to build relationships with those around you. I got to know some really great students and faculty while on our trip and learned a lot from them. I’ve forged a bond with them that wouldn’t have been possible without this trip.

I would recommend that every student at Utah State University look for opportunities to get out of the box and try something new and different. By so doing you can develop talents and abilities that you thought you never had. This trip really pushed me to become something better, and I’m glad I did it.

Parker Brower in Rio De Janeiro

Study abroad: the highlight of my college experience

This past week, a group of Huntsman Scholars got home from a 3 ½ week long trip to Europe. I literally thought about them every day and reflected on my own experience on that trip two years ago.

Bungee jumping in the Swiss Alps wasn't the only great
thing I did on my study abroad.

My study abroad experience was the highlight of my college career. I spent a majority of the trip trying to convince myself that I was actually experiencing everything that was happening. I did a lot of fun things (see the picture at the right), but I also learned about things in a way that I never had before. It’s one thing to talk about international economic policies; it’s quite another to talk to a European Union official in Brussels, Belgium.

There will be a Go Global information session on Tuesday from 5-6 p.m. The first 300 people to show up will win Best Buy gift cards ranging from $5 to $50. If you haven’t had the chance to “go global” with the Huntsman School, I highly recommend that you attend this session. I am a firsthand witness to the value of these study abroad trips. We have a world-class global enrichment program, and my education has been greatly enhanced by their efforts. In the words of Huntsman student Whitney Dastrup, the world is too interesting to stay in one place.  

San Francisco/Seattle trip recap

After a busy week of visiting some of the biggest companies in existence and learning everything there is to know about how to get a job, the time finally came to go home. I wasn't very excited to end the trip. It felt like just yesterday we were getting off the plane in San Francisco.


I learned a lot of really important things while I was out there. I learned the importance of networking and getting to know everybody you can. In the long run, you never know who will be able to help you get a job. From people you meet at a little league soccer game to a contact your friend said hi to one time at a coffee shop, I've heard real stories of how these kinds of contacts have helped people get the jobs they want.


I also really enjoyed being able to learn and understand how important a company's personality is. Each company has a different culture/personality, and because of that people with the same idea of culture enjoy working at those places more than they would another place. Before this trip I just thought I would pick a place that was cool and hope to get a job there; now I've learned that I should research the company personality and what working there is actually like. If you do this I would dare say you could be a happy employee of that corporation the rest of your life!


There are so many opportunities outside of our state and I will forever be indebted to these cities and the people who helped me learn what I did while on this trip. I would encourage any student to go on a trip like this because the things you learn out there can't be learned in the classroom.

Week recap video:

Braden Thompson

Seattle Day 1 (Wednesday, July 20, 2011)

Today was a really interesting and fun day. This morning we had a chance to go to the Microsoft Headquarters in Redmond, Washington. We met with a USU alumnus by the name of Marlowe Dayley. It was a very unique experience because were able to sit down with him in a conference room and after sharing his background with us, we were able to pick his brain for the next hour and a half. It was very interesting because there was no question that we couldn’t ask. We covered everything from competition with Apple, Microsoft’s strategy, relations with vendors like HP, and everything in between.

This was my second time visiting Microsoft's Headquarters. Last fall I had the chance to visit the Microsoft’s international headquarters in Paris, France with the Huntsman Scholar Program. Both times I have visited Microsoft I have been so impressed with their company and the culture and passion that exist within Microsoft. The story I always share with people is how last fall one of the international executives flat out told us, in his opinion, the iPad out performed what he thought it would. His honesty about their competition was refreshing and this time I feel I understood more about the overall vision of Microsoft to work with various companies to get their products to consumers so that one day every home and every business is running Windows.

Fish 'N' Chips at Ivar's for lunch

After Microsoft we headed back to Seattle and ate at the famous Ivar’s Restaurant down on the water. I ordered the delicious fish and chips and we had quite a fun time feeding the seagulls around. At one point I found myself with a French fry in my mouth getting close to a seagull to see if he would eat it, but I think it freaked him out and he flew away. We then got Melinda to hold a straw in her mouth with a French fry on the end and as she got close to one bird another one swooped in and ate it suprising her and all of us. Luckily we got the whole thing on video! It was a fun time.

Blog post by: Brent Meacham

After lunch we visited Projectline, a marketing consulting company for the tech industry. We met with one of their founders, Anika Lehde, and Eric Larson, a senior marketing consultant. This was probably one of my favorite visits because it was so interesting to learn about Projectline’s unique business model. Projectline encourages employees to ONLY work 40 hours a week, all the employees participate in monthly community service projects, money is donated monthly to various organizations and they do a variety of other unique things. They are very progressive in providing a fulfilling environment for their employees. Projectline goes against the usual business model and provides an atmosphere where employees want to be and because of that their employees are more successful and invested into their work. It was neat to see such a unique successful company.

After visiting Projectline we headed back to our hotel and had a small alumni mix-and-mingle and it was a lot of fun! Overall, today was a great day full of fun, exploration, and has left me anything, but “Sleepless in Seattle.”

Day 2: Passion yields success

Today was our last day in San Francisco, and even though we were here for such a short time, I feel like I've learned more than I would in a month sitting in a classroom. Meeting with incredibly successful companies and being able to learn how they got where they are and what they are doing day-to-day has been quite an amazing experience.

Perks are amazing on the Google campus. Food is free, they give free massages, there is a sand volleyball court and pool to enjoy yourself, they have hundreds of bikes to ride around from building to building and I'm sure there are so many more.


Despite all these perks, the thing that keeps people happy and working for the company is the atmosphere. I realized today after having been to six different companies in two days that every company has a personality. Personalities range from serious and strict to comfortable and relaxed. All of the companies we visited had different personalities, but each was very professional and had employees who were passionate about what they did. Passion yields success, and when it comes down to it, if you don't have passion to do something, no matter what perks a company throws your way, odds are you aren't going to accomplish anything life-changing.


To sum it up, here is what I learned during the San Francisco portion of the trip:

• Find a company that matches your personality
• Do what you are passionate about
• Get going on your career before you graduate through internships or other similar opportunities

At all the companies we've talked to so far, interns are the main pool of people used for hiring new full time employees. Internships are the easiest way to get your foot in the door of a great company and network with people who will help you in the future. Find that company that matches your personality. Make sure it gives you the freedom to be passionate and work doing what you love. Then search your little heart out for an internship or some opportunity to get into that company. I promise you won't regret it! In fact, I'll slap a Braden Guarantee on that. (All donations to the "Thanks Braden for the great advice I now make a lot of money in my career and want to pay you back with a large sum of money" fund are graciously accepted.)

Here is the video recap for day 2:

San Francisco was a great place to see some amazing companies. I'm very excited to move on to Seattle now and learn even more.

Braden Thompson

San Francisco day 1

I set my alarm for 4:00 a.m. and closed my eyes for a mere 20 seconds before sitting up in bed realizing how early my day would begin the next morning. After a three-hour "nap" and a bit of a drive to the airport, though, I didn't mind the early wake-up call and was excited to be able to be going on this trip.

Being so tired, talking and doing normal things people do when they are awake seemed out of the question during the flight to Phoenix and the connecting flight to San Francisco. I stayed awake just long enough to get my free in-flight beverage and peanuts and not a second longer. In fact, I almost choked on a peanut as I drifted in and out of sleep mid-chew. I did, however, manage to grab a few shots out the plane window before I lost consciousness, including this one as we rose above the clouds in Salt Lake to find the sun shining beautifully at 38,000 feet.

Despite our plane arriving early, a line out the door and a bunch of very confused and clearly unorganized rental car employees managed to stall us an hour and a half, putting us behind schedule. Luckily, we were able to make it to our first appointment which was with Ali Towle, the Director of Marketing for the San Francisco 49ers. This was definitely my favorite visit of the day. She did an excellent job of explaining in detail the path it takes to get to where she is now.

After that, we visited with two more companies, Portola Pharmaceuticals and SteelRiver Infrastructure. To spice things up, we even crammed all 12 of us into an elevator and got stuck between the 4th and 5th floors for 20 minutes. The experience proved to be the best bonding experience we had all day. At the end of the day we got to tour a little of downtown and eat some pizza with the locals. If Utah had a pizza place as good as the one we went to I would go there everyday, even if it was in Salt Lake and I had to commute. The pizza was that good!

If I was to rate this day I would give it four stars and two enthusiastic thumbs up. Here is a short video recapping everything that happened.

Braden Thompson

Our new executive director of entrepreneurial programs featured on Utah Public Radio

To be honest, as a student, I’m nervous to enter the workforce.

I often find myself asking, “Will I be able to find employment in this economy?” and “Do I have the skill sets necessary to compete in a competitive market?” While this anxiety might be valid in the uncertain climate of today’s workforce, it’s important to remain optimistic.

Rob Goates

There are exciting changes going on around us, and it’s a great experience for students to have professors with academic and professional backgrounds that we can learn from in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business.

Michael Glauser is a good example. The new executive director of entrepreneurial programs was interviewed on Utah Public Radio yesterday.

Speaking on nurturing a passion for something, he said, “You have to really be excited about what you’re doing, and passion is the fuel that carries you through all the ups and downs.”

I thought that this was a marvelous point because everyone has a passion for something (mine is Aggie ice cream). You might laugh, but Dr. Glauser turned his passion for yogurt into a very successful business.

He said it is important to know your industry. The Huntsman School of Business works hard to make certain that the students here are given opportunities to study abroad, intern at businesses and rub shoulders with real-life professionals because, as Dr. Glauser stated, “Good ideas emerge in industry; you need to be out in the field.”

He emphasized the importance of teamwork. He said business leaders should share the load of carrying a company because “a lot of entrepreneurs want to fly solo and keep all the ownership, but statistics have shown that they won’t get far.” I’ve found this in group projects. To achieve the common goal (in many cases, to get an A) and do something extraordinary oftentimes requires the contributions of every group member.

With 50 percent of startup businesses only lasting three to five years and another 20 percent not making it past seven, it can be intimidating. Dr. Glauser said it takes a lot of work to get a business off the ground.

“I always joke with my students that they, as entrepreneurs, have complete freedom to choose when they work their 80 hours a week.”

He talked about Jon M. Huntsman, his entrepreneurial spirit and the principle that Dr. Glauser learned from him to “give back” to the community. With that ideology and the need to be ethical in business, Mr. Huntsman found enormous success and now acts as an inspiration, especially to the students that study here.

As an ending note, Dr. Glauser stated that “Our ultimate goal is to help to as many people as we can start successful companies.”

It will always be scary to graduate and move into the unknown, but knowing we have faculty that have been there and done that certainly helps.

Rob Goates

A Huntsman student checks in from Ghana

As a Huntsman School of Business student, I have definitely been encouraged to increase my global vision. Although I have been out of the country before, I had no idea how challenging and rewarding the S.E.E.D. program would be.

I am here in Abomosu, Ghana with three other Huntsman interns: Aaron Wade, Chelsey Funk, and Supe Lillywhite. We are halfway done with our internship, and we are absolutely loving it.

Life here in Abomosu has been amazing. The people here are so welcoming and excited to work with us. We teach classes in two different towns four nights a week. We teach in English but have a translator so everyone can understand. Our curriculum revolves around building a good business plan and helping them consider all the things necessary to start their business. Having to teach has helped me truly understand so many of the principles I learned in the business core.

Our class attendees exemplify entrepreneurial spirit. Ranging in age from 16 to 85, their ideas are just as diverse. Some want to expand inventory that they sell door to door (from a basket on their head), some want to buy fertilizers to increase their crop yield and others want to open a little bookstore.

After our first session of classes, we were able to give loans to our first pod. (A pod is a group of loan recipients who support each other and are responsible for each other’s loans.) This pod consists of three men who want to start a fish farm (the first in the area) and two cocoa farmers who will buy insecticides and fertilizers. We have many more business plans in the works and hope to give more loans soon.

We are proud to represent the Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University here in Ghana. S.E.E.D. is an amazing program that is changing the lives of not only the loan recipients, but also the interns. I am so grateful for this opportunity to make an impact in the world.

Melody Jensen

Ingles, por favor

On our flight to South America, I discovered what happens if you don't understand the language the flight attendant is speaking. After getting about four hours of sleep in 48 hours, I had just nodded off as we were getting to Lima, Peru. While I was asleep, the flight attendant asked me to put my seat up. I missed that part. As I was waking up she came by again and was visibly upset with me for not moving my chair. She then started speaking very fast in Spanish (which I do not understand). She talked progressively louder and then finally just grabbed my seat and pushed it to the upright position.

I have now learned to say, "Ingles por favor."

Mike Clagg

(Mike Clagg is a student in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business. He is currently with the school in South America for the South America Summer Study Abroad Program.)