consulting-abroad-program – Page 4 – Global & Experiential Education

CAP Hong Kong: The Big Day

marielbaloJune 3, 2019February 25, 2020

Blog post by Josh Lodestro, GMBA '20

Five months of work led up to just one hour of one day: final presentations to the client. Over the last five months, each team has been diligently working towards their final deliverable, a 30-minute presentation and final report. The CAP journey begins with meeting your client for the first time through a video call. The client presents the team with a business problem to research and develop solutions for by the end of the semester. Through extensive research and preparation, each team aims to provide three recommendations for the client. The bulk of the final presentation is justifying each recommendation.

As one can imagine, the final presentation in front of the client is both nerve-racking and exciting. Teams are nervous about whether their recommendations will work, but find relief knowing that months of hard work and dedication culminate in those 30 minutes. My team suggested several recommendations to improve brand consistency and pursue international expansion. Only through numerous primary research interviews, extensive secondary research on the market, and the help of our professor for estimating capital expenditure projects were we able to arrive at these recommendations. After about an hour of presenting and a question and answer session, we were done. What an exciting feeling to see your work come together in such an impactful way for the client!

For many of my classmates, and myself included, this was our first experience working with businesses in Asia. On one of our great informational meetings, Anny Kwok, a Partner at Heidrick & Struggles, said that Hong Kong is, “introductory Asia.” Even with this in mind, each team had to overcome some struggles with cultural differences in business. Learning how to navigate the cultural differences when conducting business in the East versus the West was the most significant takeaway for me from CAP. These experiences are what makes the GW Global MBA program genuinely global.

After all teams delivered their final presentations and sent the final reports to the clients, we had some time to continue enjoying the fantastic food in Hong Kong. This dinner was well deserved by all! The following day we were able to visit one of the most iconic structures in all of Hong Kong, Tian Tan Buddha (colloquially known as Big Buddha). Being able to experience some more of Hong Kong’s culture before heading home was the perfect cherry on top of a wonderful five-month experience.

It was a sad goodbye as we all gathered in the hotel lobby to head to the airport. Some students chose to continue to travel through Asia and some students were heading back to Washington, DC to start their summer internships. My family met me in China, where we will be spending a week experiencing a new country together before I head back home to start my summer internship. The skills learned in CAP will undoubtedly set up a summer of success for my classmates and me.

CAP Germany 2019: Wrapping Up and Looking Forward

marielbaloJune 3, 2019February 25, 2020

Blog post by Jonathan Fuller, GMBA '20

17 students; 3 teams; 1 professor; 1 TA; 2 tour guides; countless directors, founders, CEOs, CFOs, managers, and liaisons… just a taste of the many people that made CAP Germany so special. It’s easy to say that the final two weeks of Year 1 in the Global MBA program at GW were nothing short of unforgettable.

Our final presentations took place the Thursday before leaving, when all three teams got up in front of their clients and crushed it! It was incredible to see the final projects come together and to compare them to each stage throughout the CAP process. A special shout-out to Ali, who was named the most improved (and boy did he deserve it). If there were any doubts about progress before, after the presentations it was clear that each group had learned an exceptional amount through CAP. The teams were able to put it all together in final deliverables that received the highest of praises from all clients: the statement, “We look forward to next year’s GW Consulting Team!”

Team BEOS

Team Peccato

Team GETEC

The BEOS Team delivered a change management initiative which included the re-structuring of company personnel along with an implementation plan and timeline. The Peccato Team offered a full marketing plan, complete with a how-to guide and step-by-step process moving forward. The GETEC Team presented a comprehensive industry analysis along with market-entry strategy and quantitative decision-making tools for the UK. To say that any of us anticipated such in-depth and well-received deliverables back in January would have been a stretch!

Some of us left CAP Germany with better presenting skills, some left with new mentors/professional contacts, others left with a better grasp on working with people from different cultures. All of us left better prepared for what’s next. We’re heading off to internships around the country and world this summer with an enhanced sense of the business needs of today and the solutions of tomorrow. The CAP experience gave us a boost in the skills and confidence needed to be successful in our internships and come back in August ready to complete Year 2 before heading off to our big-kid jobs post-MBA!

CAP South Africa – A bit of exploring and a lot of preparation

marielbaloMay 15, 2019February 25, 2020

Blog post by Calvin Sanders, GMBA '20

The South African elections came and went as 16 GMBA students explored the ins and outs of Cape Town and Johannesburg. Political posters were placed on each streetlight for us to observe on the spot and research later on. The ANC won handily, as expected. In hindsight, the unexciting election day was a testament to the strength of South African democracy. Political participation is unpredictable on the African continent, so the relatively stable voting process was a pleasantly received surprise by all members of our D.C. contingent.

We are continually fascinated with the dialectic nature of South African society. The country features some incredibly western characteristics that contrast the seemingly-endless rows of shanties we observe outside of the city centers. On its own, Cape Town could be any southern European coastal city. Slightly dirty, lots of cigarette smoke, but a healthy number of commuters, well-lit streets, and strong infrastructure. The nightlife is extensive and the restaurants are phenomenal. Needless to say, these realities are not enjoyed by the masses who spend their lives in informal housing and scrapping for an income. We have spent a significant amount of time discussing the country’s political economy and debating different strategies to elevate the nation out of poverty.

Our client engagements strengthened after each group met their respective points of contact. We dispersed around Cape Town for meetings and came back with ways to improve our recommendations for our clients. Every project has unequivocally improved since the face time. Team RainFin and Team VoiceMap took their clients out the following weekend for drinks, food, music and dancing. The evening ended at a dive bar called Aces & Spade in the center of Cape Town; a dive bar that VoiceMap’s owner, Iain, frequented over a decade before. Iain, thanks for the recommendation!

Dana, Vedika, Shehu, Prava, and Will and a safari.

Each student was free to spend last Sunday doing any activity they desire in the Cape Town region. Swarchaa Kataria and Tasorn Pornsirikrul went paragliding in the morning and cage diving in the afternoon. One handful of students embarked on a day-long safari where they saw 4 of the Big 5 (Elephant, Black & White Rhino, Cape Buffalo, Lion, and Leopard). Another group road bikes along Cape Point and had a drink as the sun set behind the southern Atlantic Ocean. Overall, it was quite a spectacular day across the board.

The next days will be spent sharpening presentations and tightening recommendations. With our last bit of feedback from the clients, our professor, and other advisors, everybody is excited to show their clients the culmination of three months’ worth of work. Until next time!

CAP Hong Kong: West Meets East

marielbaloMay 15, 2019February 25, 2020

Blog post by Josh Lodestro, GMBA '20

While I have been to Hong Kong before, for many of my classmates, this is their first time to Hong Kong. For some, it is even their first trip to Asia. The different sights, sounds, and food stand out as such a difference from Washington, DC.

Students were provided a case study by Deloitte to solve and are presenting their findings to executives.

On our first night together, we decided to jump head first into the culture and try Chinese hot pot at Haidilao. The spices of the soup and delicate meat made for a truly memorable first night in Hong Kong!

As much as us students would like the trip to be all pleasure and no business, we immediately began to work the following day with professional meetings around Hong Kong. We were able to meet with the city’s Planning Department to discuss how such a vast and expansive city like Hong Kong came to be the icon that it is today. We met with finance heavyweights like Broadridge and Visa. We also had meetings with Marriott, the American Chamber of Commerce, and Deloitte, to name only a few. Being able to immerse yourself in the business perspective of this side of the world is a truly unique experience to CAP.

On our second day in Hong Kong, all of the teams met their client in person for the first time. For my team, Regal Hotels, we were able to tour many of their properties and meet with front-line staff from the hotel. We gained a more in-depth perspective about the hotels themselves and the hospitality industry in Hong Kong that we could never have gotten from a video conference. When we returned to our hotel for the evening, we had to reevaluate our recommendations and adapt them to the realities on the ground. This is a challenge that we had to work on steadfastly to ensure that we were delivering value to the client.

Students recap their memorable day at Deloitte Hong Kong.

In between our busy working schedule, G&EE arranged for exciting and insightful cultural tours so we can better get to know the city of Hong Kong and its people. We were able to see the iconic Symphony of Lights, an absolute must for anyone visiting Hong Kong. We were able to experience the unique architecture of Hong Kong up close with a tour of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. One cannot appreciate how unique Hong Kong is without being here up close and personal.

After more than a week of long nights reworking our recommendations and our presentation, we will wake up tomorrow and deliver the final presentation to the client, bringing the most critical portion of CAP to an end.