Lake Forest MBAs Visit Mexico City in Global Focus Program
As part of the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management’s (LFGSM) Global Focus Program, 15 MBAs recently spent a week studying the in’s and out’s of the Mexican economy in beautiful Mexico City. The group was led by Juan Rocha, LFGSM Business Leader Faculty member, Founding Partner of Dynamic Solutions, and Mexico City native.
Why Mexico City? Rocho told Lake Effects Blog:
“I had taken students on two previous Global Focus trips to Chile and Colombia and felt that Mexico would be a great country to visit next. Being from Mexico, I would also be able to advise on companies to visit and cultural tours to do.”
While abroad, students took part in serval activities: They toured the Volkswagen plant in Puebla, took a cultural tour of Teotihuacan and visited Grupo Modelo and Medtronic Mexico for business discussions. Through these visits, prior research and Rocha’s guidance, students learned about the Mexican economy and foreign business affairs.
Rocha described the course as a “real success”:
“Direct emergence into the Mexican culture and business and an economy that has been doing very well was important for the students to experience. They now understand how Mexico is being managed—and on top of that, Mexico City is a very cosmopolitan and growing city, including shopping, technology, and finance.”
Jillian Elder, LFGSM MBA student and Director of Enterprise Location Intelligence at Walgreens, said the following about her experience in Mexico City:
“I have traveled extensively nationally and globally for work and fun and love to learn about other cultures. Our global experience was focused on creating a plan to enter Mexico with a new consumer product. As this was a real company with a real growth strategy question, our recommendations could materially impact the success of a company. The in-country company visits were invaluable to help us understand the environment of doing business in Mexico.”
She added:
“The Global Focus course was a highlight of my program at LFGSM. The people, the exposure to a different side of Mexico, and the challenge of the project assignment came together to make an educational and joy-filled experience.”
LFGSM Global Focus trips are available to MBA students and alumni. You can read more about LFGSM’s Global Focus Program here.
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Max Pulcini
Max Pulcini is a Philadelphia-based writer and reporter. He has an affinity for Philly sports teams, Super Smash Bros. and cured meats and cheeses. Max has written for Philadelphia-based publications such as Spirit News, Philadelphia City Paper, and Billy Penn, as well as national news outlets like The Daily Beast.
