A group of 30 Fully-Employed MBA (FEMBA) students from the Paul Merage School of Business recently traveled to Spain for their International Residential. The group, led by Professors Connie Pechmann and William Hernandez, toured the Spanish cities of Madrid, Santander, and Bilbao, visited with a number of different companies, and experienced an authentic cultural experience. Some of the trip’s highlights included visits to the corporate headquarters of Banco Santander and SENER.
Located in Santander, Banco Santander originated in the Spanish city but has since expanded to operate in Europe, Latin America, North America, and Asia.
“I was extremely impressed with the [Banco Santander] speaker’s knowledge and business prowess,” said Christopher Adams, ’18. “After this experience, most of the students are craving a west coast expansion by the bank and some way to work for this organization. What an unbelievable and exclusive experience.”
In Bilbao, the group visited Grupo SENER, which is a global engineering and construction company. “Their innovative value proposition of differentiation at higher value was clear,” said Bita Hosseini, ’18. “But, what was shocking to me was their ability to facilitate cross-functional collaboration with both public and private experts as they transformed more into a manufacturing strategy rather than a services strategy, similar to GE. Learning about various solar panel plants and the mix of science and business was eye opening.”
The MBAs also spent time studying at the University of Cantabria where they learned how business was conducted in Spain. The students participated in lectures that covered topics such as economics, law, sustainability strategies, and corporate governance.
All FEMBA students have the opportunity to participate in an International Residential. This one-week residential is a rare, firsthand opportunity to learn about the socio-economic, cultural, and political issues faced by businesses outside the United States. Other recent trips have been to major cities in China, and have focused on how the country became a dominant political and economic force throughout Asia. You can learn more about the FEMBA program here.