At Harvard: Part 4

April 6, 2008

After some very late nights working on our “OAS” (Objective, Advantage, Scope) statements, we met in groups of 8 at 8:30am to review each company’s OAS, comment, question and challenge the strategy declared. In my group, we had a software provider who works with logistics companies Down Under, a Nigerian mobile bank and payment system, a Panamanian home appliance distributor, a US-Indian jewelry manufacturer and distributor, an American pharmaceutical developer, a Belgian osteopathic doctor setting up unique clincs in Italy, an Austrian software company serving the automotive industry and myself, a study abroad and educational tour provider. Our mission: to vote for what we considered the best strategy. It’s a fascinating exercise to zero in on what differentiates you from the competition and to boil it down to a couple of sentences. Here is what I came up with:

To become the leading provider of 1) study abroad programs for American college students and 2) luxury , educational group tours for top donors of American non-profit organizations. Our programs are custom-designed, built on a proprietary network of contacts, featuring experiences not available to the average traveler or student abroad, and augmented by concierge-level service. Our 58 years have solidified a tried-and-true risk and crisis management system that protects our students and adult travelers in an ever-changing world.

I voted for the Belgian doctor. Confidentiality agreements preclude me from sharing the details of his competitive advantage, but suffice it to say that he’s got a golden concept that I hope takes off.

We learned late in the day, once the votes for 20 groups were tallied, that our doctor had won within our group. So from 150+ of us down to 20. Next week, the competition is further narrowed. In the end, there will be only two winners.

It’s the weekend now, and we get a little break after Saturday morning classes, to recover and read up on next week’s cases.

One tired student,

Kate Simpson

President,
Academic Travel Abroad

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At Harvard: Part 3

April 4, 2008

Today, we explored the case of Mid-Missouri Energy’s ethanol production and decisions they faced in late 2007. Frankly, the case was 17 dense pages of grueling facts and 16 pages of graphs and data charts. I know more than I ever thought I would on the issues confronting this energy form and the challenges inherent in its continued production. One classmate suggested algae were a more efficient source of energy and could one day be the country’s total energy solution!

And yes, we did a Finance class on a “Contract Research Organization” (CRO) about to do an IPO and buy two smaller companies. We’re fortunate that our professor loves to bounce (literally, with hands above his head at times) and run (really) around the classroom to ensure we stay engaged and enthused about Weighted Average Cost of Capital, multiples and market valuations. When the projector wouldn’t work, he tore out of the room yelling “Help! Help! Help!” No worries. A techie classmate solved the problem before help arrived.

Tomorrow we start to present our strategies within groups. It’s a competition that lasts several days, and we will vote for the winning strategies until there are only two winners out of 160. Should be lots of fun!

Signing off in my dorm room in Baker Hall,

Kate Simpson

President,
Academic Travel Abroad

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At Harvard: Part 2

April 4, 2008

In our Negotiation class, we studied the case of the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association confrontation of 2004-2005 which resulted in the NHL canceling the season. Here we see how strong egos, water under the bridge, and distrust can lead to stalemate and a lose-lose scenario. The NHL and NHLPA have paid a high price for the mistakes committed in this negotiation.

In our Marketing class, we examined a classic case–Benihana of Tokyo. We learned how, in 1972 in midtown Manhattan, Rocky Aoki established a unique formula for a restaurant chain (minimum kitchen area, maximized bar area, controlled staff costs, reduced food costs, all enhanced by at-table entertainment) and managed to sustain a legacy for decades. Now if you google Rocky Aoki, you will find an expose about his life in the New York Magazine–sad, but funny. Some cases have odd endings.

On to our Globalization class–the case: India on the Move (set in 2003). A fascinating study made all the richer by the many well-informed Indians in the class. Was Nehru wrong in 1948 to have followed the Soviet Union’s example of a centrally planned industrialization of an agrarian, fragmented land? Would Indians be as equipped and autonomous in their current economic growth had he allowed foreign direct investment and a free market economy? How accurate are the official growth rates? Some of our Indian classmates contend they do not take into account a large informal economy. Will political and religious strife allow the economy to continue on its upward trend?

Kate Simpson

President,
Academic Travel Abroad

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At Harvard: Part 1

April 4, 2008

There’s an amazing energy coursing through the campus of Harvard Business School these days. It’s a force to be reckoned with–it’s called OPM37 or HBS’ “Owners/Presidents Management 37th Class.” It only lasts three weeks a year for three years, and this is OPM37′s last year.

OPM is one of Harvard Business School’s most prized executive education programs, designed to elevate and expand the minds of leaders in business and industry around the world. From my first day three years ago to the present, I have been truly astounded by the diversity, intellect, talent and good humor of 160 classmates from the US, Canada, Central and Latin America, China, India, and all over the African Continent. We U.S. citizens make up less than 50% of the class. We women make up less than 8%. We American women make up half of that small minority.

We’re fortunate to have the creme de la creme of HBS faculty teaching us. As you can imagine, it’s a refreshing break for them to have classes full of experienced entrepreneurs well into their careers, rather than 22-year-old MBAs. This year, they’re taking us to practical levels of instruction, having us focus on our own corporate advantages and strategies on multiple levels. We’re looking at our leadership styles through different lenses and learning how differently others perceive us from how we perceive ourselves.

After three years, many have become tight friends, others have hired classmates and work together, others still have joined classmates’ companies’ boards, some have visited each others’ businesses, and many cavorted under the Cancun sun last fall where the Mexican contingent hosted a mini-reunion.

The combination of learning in class and learning from each other is a winner.  HBS has bottled the very finest essence of business education here.

Signing off from a little dorm room in Baker Hall,

Kate Simpson

President,
Academic Travel Abroad

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