By Emma Livingston, Co-Editor
Miraflores, Peru, where 14 of our Thunderbird MAGAM students will be spending three weeks in Thunderbird’s inaugural Global Consulting Laboratories (photo courtesy of miraflorestours.com)
A T-Bird’s summer is never dull. This summer, no fewer than 5 Thunderbird teams will be deployed on 5 separate international consulting projects. Joining the legendary 6-week long TEM Labs this summer (See the article Meet Summer 2016 TEM Lab Teams), will be a new program designed specifically for Thunderbird’s MAGAM students called Global Consulting Laboratories, directed by Professor Tom Hunsaker. Three MAGAM student teams will spend three weeks in Lima, Peru carrying out intensive consulting projects for organizations in both the private and non-profit sectors.
Let’s get to know the teams that will be the first representatives of Thunderbird’s Global Consulting Laboratories this summer:
Project #1:
Citi Peru: Commercial Markets
Citibank Peru (photo courtesy of www.monografias.com)
Citi Peru provides corporate and investment banking services, including corporate financing and government bond issues on the domestic and international markets. They have asked the Thunderbird GCL team to analyze the organization’s operational process for onboarding large commercial clients and present a strategic proposal for improving this vital component of their value chain.
The Team: This superstar team is comprised of Walter Arias (MAGAM, USA / El Salvador / Mexico), Ryan Todare (MAGAM, USA), TSG President Andrea Kaloush (MAGAM, USA / Lebanon / Greece), and Franz Ferguson (USA / Belize). Ryan says the team is excited for “the opportunity to work with such an amazing company. During this summer, we will help build up the Thunderbird brand, as well as our own personal brands.”
Project #2:
Johnson & Johnson Peru: Andes Region
Johnson & Johnson baby powder product (photo courtesy of publimetro.pe)
The second GCL team will be working with J&J in Lima. This project will focus on market penetration and commercialization development efforts for a product or products to be named once the team arrives on the ground. The team is required to develop a written report as well as a presentation of findings to help J&J achieve its targeted growth in the Andean Region.
J&J Global Consulting Laboratory Team (photo courtesy of Alex Marino)
The Team: Das Tor staff writer Alex Marino (MAGAM, USA, New Orleans specifically) worked for Target Corporation as an Executive Team Leader in the largest sales volume Super Target in the Southwest region. Ana Carolina Zajas (MAGAM, Brazil) has a diverse international background, having developed the ESL and Arts program and curriculum for a local community center in Magala, Spain, as well as empowering youth by leading community outreach programs in underprivileged neighborhoods in Rio, offering classical dance training to over 200 youth. Stefani Chaney (MAGAM, Venezuela) is the President of the Latin America Business & Culture Club at Thunderbird and works with Bpeace, a non-profit consulting firm focusing on developing nations like El Salvador & Honduras. Tomás Thomas (MAGAM, Mexico) completed an internship as an international trade specialist at the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce where he was appointed as first ever representative of the chamber in Mexico. Since starting Thunderbird, he has been working with ProMexico, a trade and investment office at the Mexican consulate in Phoenix. “As a group we are excited to work with a team that is open to innovative approaches and passionate about the opportunity to make a real impact and add value to J&J’s long term strategy in the Andean region.”
Project #3:
ESAN and National Government of Peru: Organizational Innovation Capacity for Sustainable Market Development
ESAN Logo (photo courtesy of www.reclutec.com)
The third and final Global Consulting Project this summer will be working with ESAN, a highly regarded non-profit business school in Lima to develop and begin implementing an “innovation absorption model” to assist small to mid-sized organizations in Peru. The GCL team will go on site visits to manufacturing facilities in Lima, help gauge how professionalized and how “innovation-ready” the businesses are, and develop recommendations on how businesses can implement changes that will lead to greater professionalization of the company.
ESAN Consulting Team (photo courtesy of Faduma-Doohl Mohamed)
The Team: For this project, Thunderbird is providing its greatest manpower, sending a team of 6 to cover the entire workload. The team members are Justin Lorsch (MAGAM, USA), who spent two years in Paraguay serving and teaching the Paraguayan people, and has also worked in retail banking training new hires and streamlining business processes. Faduma-Doohl Mohamed (USA / Kenya) has held two positions with a major Kenyan supplier of environmental and energy services, where she tracked projects and managed communications with over 40 key clients including the UNDP and UNICEF. Faduma says, “I’m beyond excited to work with my team members in a beautiful and lively city such as Lima. This will be my first time in Latin America, so I look forward to fully immersing myself in the Peruvian culture with my fellow classmates.” Melissa Gaylord-Ratsimbazafy (USA / Madagascar) has experience working at the Cultural Affairs Office at the US Embassy and with the World Bank Integrated Growth Pole project in Madagascar. Brett Balling (MAGAM, USA) is a student of history has begun a cross-functional internship with Discover the World, a marketing company that focuses on the travel industry, which she will complete this summer. Our own Das Tor Co-Editor, Jake Strickler (MAGAM, USA) is on this team. He has four years managerial experience opening and running a series of Cuban restaurants throughout the Denver, Colorado area. Rounding out the team is Bianca Buligia (MAGAM, USA / Romania). She has worked as an Economic Intern with the Department of State at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, Romania, and with the Arizona House of Representatives as a Legislative Intern for Democratic Staff.
Inca Ruins in Lima (photo courtesy of thestephs.ca)
“I am most excited to expand my comfort zone by venturing to South America for the first time, and experiencing the beautiful country of Peru on many levels. We are thrilled to delve into Lima’s business sector, to taste some savory ceviche, to explore the various Incan ruins scattered across the city, and to immerse ourselves into the vibrant Peruvian culture,” she told me. “I look forward to the opportunity to cultivate a long-lasting relationship with my teammates, as well as with our Peruvian counterparts at ESAN Business School and the national government.”
We here at Das Tor wish all the consulting teams the best of luck on their summer adventures. We know you will represent Thunderbird well and we hope that you will motivate each other to do your best work and provide great recommendations for all your clients.
Check out the Das Tor article with more details about MAGAM Global Consulting Laboratories.