Seventeen students from a consulting class at Drexel University’s Lebow College of Business had the privilege of traveling to Italy for the conclusion of a project that focused on helping a family-run olive oil business emerge into the international market.
The course presented students with the challenge of forming an expansion plan for the company, which encompassed all aspects of diversifying the business, including the management of distribution, shipping and manufacturing costs. The team was also tasked with advertising strategies using interactive websites and social media.
Marc Patterson, one student who participated in the project, said of the project:
“[Consulting is more than understanding business]… It’s also about understanding people. You have to basically become the client’s best friend. You have to learn how they think, what they like, what they don’t like – and learn what their perspective is so that you can guide the client in that direction where he or she’s going to be most profitable.”
Professor Trina Andras, PhD led the consulting class. She said:
“Business consulting is not like a case study that you can read about in a book with nicely organized chapters. You have to figure out what the problem is yourself, and this group did a great job of that. It was a great learning experience.”
The group that tackled the project was comprised of students from Lebow, the Goodwin College of Professional Studies, and the university’s Center for Hospitality and Sport Management. In addition to completing the course, the team found time to see the sights in Turin and the surrounding area, with visits to the Lavazza coffee manufacturer and the University of Gastronomic Sciences.