The audience seemed very engaged during the India Business Forum.

The India Business Forum, a.k.a. IBF, is an annual fixture that puts a face to the oft-discussed India growth story. This year’s event, Building Organizations for a Billion People, brought together four accomplished business figures to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing mangers doing business in/with India.

The talks at the event offered many insights and lessons. Below are some of my key takeaways:

Think Long Term

India is not a market for the short term. As Satyen Patel, a seasoned executive who led at Pepsi and Nike, pointed out, the risks and challenges of operating in India are very real. However, as Patel found out through his many ventures in India, organizations that commit to the country and take a long-term view of the market tend to make good returns.

The Value of Being Local

It isn’t surprising that investors want to be in India to invest in the up and coming companies. However, the start-up ecosystem in India is not nearly as evolved as in the U.S. That creates interesting opportunities and challenges for PE and VC outfits in India. Dimple Sahni, a Fund Principal at Hattery, spoke about how she mitigated this challenge by spending time in India to understand the local culture of doing business in the region.

Social Mission Drives Good Business

Putting social good at the center of a business model is great for starting new businesses that make a huge impact. Manoj Sinha, a co-founder of Husk Power, spoke about starting and growing a company with the vision to setup power plants in remote areas that have never had electricity. While Sinha and his team continue to tweak the operations and strategy, the vision has resonated globally and kept them focused on the organization’s true calling.

Organizations Need to Learn to Manage India

India is not one market but highly heterogeneous — there are 58 distinct socio-cultural and economic regions in the country. Organizations that recognize and address this tend to do well. Swami Raote, Managing Director of Johnson & Johnson India and ASEAN, spoke about the challenges J&J faced in India despite the company’s 50+ years of history in India. However, the recent focus on segments, challenges faced by consumers, and staying true to J&J’s credo have guided the company to become a billion dollar business in India.

There is a lot one gains from events like the IBF. It is not often that you get to listen to and speak with high profile executives who have tremendous experience and insight into roles and markets that business school students aspire to be a part of. What makes the experience even more rewarding is organizing the event to bring together great speakers and aspiring leaders, while learning a great deal in the process.

In an earlier post, I laid out some of my goals for getting out of my comfort zone during my last year at Fuqua. My first successful achievement was voluntarily taking a 500-level accounting class this past fall. While numerous recruiters stated this was the one class you shouldn’t graduate from Fuqua without, I didn’t take the course to follow their advice. I took the class because the professor, Shane Dikolli, wouldn’t stop bugging me to take it.

Professor Shane Dikolli during the infamous “three-legged stool” lesson.

I showed up on the first day of Shane’s class comforted by the fact that I could drop the course later that day, if need be. Shane gave us an introduction to the class and quickly shared with us that in our classroom of 70 students, there were 4 Michaels, 5 former Deloitte consultants, and one person from Australia (Shane’s home country). He then went on to name every one of the students in the classroom, along with fun facts that he picked up from his independent research. After witnessing this feat in the first 15 minutes of class, I thought, how could I not commit to Shane for a 6-week term when he had already committed to so much on the first day? While the course was a lot of work, Shane’s passion-filled lectures, similar to Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting, made it worth the effort.

Like many MBA professors, Shane uses the case method. However, each case is supplemented by acronyms, catch phrases, and theatrical displays — one including a tuxedo, a teddy bear and Gordon Gecko hair — I’ll stop here to avoid spoiling too much for future students. These antics along with his tendency to cold call students in his entertaining Australian accent make it nearly impossible not to be engaged throughout the entire class (think Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society). A case study is due for every class, which requires a lot of outside preparation, but we can’t complain since Shane does his homework as well. He watches recordings of his previous classes to see what his students see and how he can make improvements to his teaching methods.

While his professorial efforts are too numerous to count (accounting pun intended), his lessons and values extend beyond the classroom. After talking to several of my classmates about Shane, all stories, including my own, began with how we each met Shane outside of the classroom. We’ve run into him at Fuqua Friday, Fuqua Idol (he’s a judge for that), Dancing with the Faculty (as a dance participant), and the Association of Women in Business conference. The following are a few additional anecdotes and quotes from fellow classmates about Shane:

• He truly listens, gives thoughtful advice, believes the things he teaches and wants the best for his students. — JC Conover

• Shane participated in the second-year improv [workshop] so that he could understand the types of things that we were all doing in order to understand his students. Shane saw it as an opportunity to see it through our eyes. This in and of itself was remarkable. — Spencer Karney

• Shane’s most valuable Fuqua Friday lesson is to always hold your drink in your left hand so that you can leave your right hand warm, dry, and ready to shake hands and network. — Multiple students

• If I had one word to describe Shane, it would be “accessible.” He encourages his students to incessantly email him and use his office hours. What professor encourages you to over-consume scarce resources? — Benjamin van der Horst

• In an academic world where research competes for priority with time spent teaching, Shane is as selfless as they come. Outside the classroom, Shane lives “team Fuqua” . . . it’s clear that Fuqua is more than just a place of employment to Shane. — Michael Bruno

If you Google Shane, you’ll quickly notice he’s won numerous teaching awards at Fuqua (5 years running), Bloomberg Businessweek recognition, and coveted cameos in many FuquaVision skits. His accounting accolades even led him to meeting his wonderful wife Lynn, 23 years ago (if you get the opportunity, ask Lynn to tell you the whole story of how they met).

So while I could have avoided Managerial Accounting and still met Shane, I would have missed the entire “Shane experience.” His support of his students is not unlike Sean Connery’s in Finding Forrester. His commitment to the entire student experience is what makes him not only a genuinely unique educator, but a vital supporting role in our Fuqua MBA journey.

I was not ready to think about leaving Fuqua. In fact, I felt like I had just begun the program! I can still vividly remember coming to Fuqua and the first day of Orientation, when I first met my accomplished classmates. Now, it is hard to imagine that 2 years have already passed. While time has flown by, I also recognize that I have had the opportunity to do so much during my time at Fuqua. I greatly developed my leadership and management skills in my role as FuquaVision co-president. I had the chance to bolster my communications skills through transformational courses such as Management Communications and the 1-week intensive Managerial Improviation (read a blog post about this workshop, by my classmate Dipesh). The aforementioned courses along with FuquaVision even helped me to get over my nervousness with public speaking and being in front of crowds (FuquaVision skits are broadcasted on the large screen in Geneen Auditorium, so it’s hard to be shy after your acting is projected in front of 700+ students!).

In addition, I led 37 of my peers to China and Taiwan, to experience the culture and survey the business environment during our GATE excursion. I was able to switch industries and explore a new career in marketing strategy — I am going to work in that function at American Airlines! I had my share of fun theme parties and made some wonderful friends. Oh, and of course, I had the opportunity to experience living and studying abroad in Cape Town, South Africa.

These are only a few of the things I’ve been able to do during my time at Fuqua, and truthfully, I could go on and on for hours about the many other opportunities Fuqua has offered me. However, in an effort to be a little more concise, I will end by saying that Fuqua has been an unforgettable experience for me and … I am just not ready to leave this beloved business school bubble to enter the real world!

Last fall, I was thinking out loud with my fellow cabinet members of the Arts @ Fuqua Club: “Wouldn’t it be awesome to do our own version of Dancing with the Stars?” Well, on April 5, we did! Dancing with the Faculty began as just an idea that became a reality this spring.

Guest Blogger Bee-Lian Quah and Senior Associate Dean for Programs Jennifer Francis.

Finding an available Friday evening for a Fuqua-wide event in the Spring 2 term is no easy feat. We jumped on the only Friday evening that was available. I then realized I had less than 2 months to convince some of our faculty members to learn a dance from a student within 3 weeks and perform it in front of the entire school! As evidence of how amazing our faculty is, it was easier than I thought!

‘90s Hip Hop by Associate Dean for Admissions Liz Riley Hargrove and second-year student/choreographer Rotimi Thomas. (Photo by Dionne D. Hill)

After returning from Spring Break, 6 couples were beginning to practice one of 6 different styles of dance. Most of the faculty members had little to no dance experience, so the teams were starting from ground zero. The dance couples were:

• Associate Dean for Admissions Liz Riley Hargrove & Rotimi Thomas: ‘90s Hip Hop
• International Programs Coordinator Candice Aldrich & Sahithya Yadati: Indian Classical Dance
• Consulting Careers Section Director Mary Beck White-Sutton & Tony Toussaint: Cumbia
• Professor Shane Dikolli & Wing-Kam Li: Swing
• Associate Dean for the Daytime Program Russ Morgan & Jamaila Holder: Caribbean
• Ford Library Associate Director Jane Day & Azamat Valiyev: R&B
  

  Indian Classical Dance by first-year Sahithya Yadati and International Programs Coordinator Candice Aldrich.

Dancing with the Faculty

Hours before the live event, the couples (and I) were all nerves. The other event organizers and I had converted classrooms into dressing rooms, where the dancers could change into costumes, warm-up and have their hair & makeup done by students. Our faculty members’ families came to the event for support; many provided pep-talks to their “star” for the night.

In true Dancing with the Stars fashion, the couples performed in random order, introduced by a video showing their progress from 3 weeks of rehearsals. I had the pleasure of providing some commentary at the end of the performances with Senior Associate Dean for Programs Jennifer Francis. The two of us (and the rest of the audience) were thoroughly impressed as the dancers put it all out there for our “coveted” disco ball trophy. I saw the sighs of relief from the performers after their dance, and the proud look of relatives as they cheered for their mom/dad or husband/wife.

Swing Dance by Professor Shane Dikolli and second-year Wing-Kam Li.

Behind the scenes, we were taking some risks with how we executed the event. We attempted to push the limits of what was possible from a multimedia and live performance perspective. Throughout the prior 3 weeks, we taped our competitors learning their dances and rehearsing, and then played a short video before their live performance. Before we conducted our text message voting, we played a recap video that we compiled during the live event. To buy some time, we had a special performance by Fuqua Fast Motion, our school dance team. As the real-time voting took place, we also had a musical performance by our “house band,” giving the audience a preview of the upcoming Fuqua Idol event.

After the votes were in, we learned that our champions for the first-ever Dancing with the Faculty event were: Jane Day, our librarian, and Azamat Valiyev, a second-year (aka. Jayonce and A-Zee). They did an R&B performance, and it was quite impressive what they had achieved in such a short period of time. Watch their performance!

Here at Fuqua, we’ve always wanted more student-faculty interaction and engagement outside the classroom. Some of the faculty members described Dancing with the Faculty as being “terrifying, yet satisfying” and “in the almost 12 years I have been at Fuqua and the dozens of student events I have been a part of, this rates at the very top.” For our Arts @ Fuqua team, receiving this feedback for a new event created from a tiny idea was extremely gratifying.

For some, this event was an opportunity to step out of his/her comfort zone. For others, it was an opportunity to coach and teach someone. However, for all of us, it was another exhibit of the unique culture here at Fuqua.

Interested in watching the dances? You can check them out on the Arts @ Fuqua YouTube channel.

41 new COLE Leadership Fellows are wide awake and ready for a full day of training, after being inspired by Professor Joe LeBoeuf.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of just going through the motions as an MBA student and making it a very “transactional” period in our lives. In retrospect, I have made the mistake of simply attending class, participating sporadically in a few extracurricular events, and thinking casually, if at all, about trying to develop my leadership skills while giving back to Fuqua. After speaking with Professor Joe LeBoeuf, head of Fuqua’s Leadership Development Program, I realized how ambivalent my attitude had been toward my overall development, and was inspired to write my previous blog post on leadership.

Through our Consequential Leadership (C-Lead) classes with Prof. LeBoeuf, my classmates and I have had several opportunities to assess our current leadership skills and determine which areas need improvement, but introspection quickly gets pushed to the side when accounting or finance assignments are due. Last August, I thought I’d have plenty of time to discern what I needed to do to become a more effective leader and well-rounded person, but earlier this year, I felt like I was already severely behind the curve. Luckily, there was time during the spring terms for me to raise my hand and take ownership of clubs and organizations to which I can contribute most.

Taking Steps to Become a Leader of Consequence

My resolution for this year was to decide how I can make Fuqua a better place by committing my time and abilities to organizations that I am passionate about. For starters, I volunteered to become Co-Chair of Fuqua’s Leading Women Organization, which is a new joint initiative between the MBA Association and Student Life Office, dedicated to fostering connections among women leaders on campus. I have only been “in charge” for a few months, and I already appreciate the amount of time and effort leading a club requires! I’ve hosted several events this spring, and while the planning portion is getting a little easier, I always get nervous that something will go wrong on the big day! Luckily, I have a great Co-Chair and the support of Fuqua staff, which has helped me to learn that I don’t have to do everything by myself — a lesson in leadership that is crucial to success.

Students navigate through a "minefield" at COLE Fellows training.

Another step I’m taking in fulfilling my resolution is becoming a COLE Leadership Fellow — we are students who are chosen to work with the Fuqua/Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethics, and we are guided by Prof. LeBoeuf to help shape leadership development for other Daytime MBA students. When I first arrived at Fuqua, I didn’t have the slightest bit of interest in becoming a COLE Fellow. It seemed like a large time commitment, and it’s unpaid!

COLE Fellows are all second-year students, and I didn’t think that they would be able to help me become a better leader — I had been in the Navy, after all. But, like it or not, my first-year C-Lead team was assigned to a COLE Fellow, Dionne, and luckily, I had a wonderful experience with her. I understood that she wasn’t just there to help me develop my leadership skills, but to ensure that I was taking enough time to think about my personal happiness and whether I was actually transforming into the person who I want to be.

It isn’t easy to corral a team of 6 people together to talk about their feelings, stress levels, and any other issues they may be facing, but that is exactly what being a COLE Fellow is about. It is also about giving people an outlet for their concerns or frustrations during a hectic time in their lives, which is a necessary skill not only at Fuqua, but in the real world as well.

COLE Fellows are the backbone of Fuqua’s leadership program because they are the impetus behind so many leadership opportunities for students, like the Leadership Cohort Experience and BOLD. I want to be a part of an organization whose sole mission is to promote leadership within our community while also maximizing cohesion within C-Lead teams, which is exactly what I would be able to do as a COLE Fellow, so wish me luck as I work on my leadership style this summer, in anticipation of meeting my C-Lead teams in September!

Matt Ganderson hands RJ Fox a board to help him reach an “island.” The team building exercise was part of COLE Fellows training.

I am lucky that I was able to personally speak with Prof. LeBoeuf before the end of my first year, because I gained insights into the disparity between what I wanted out of Fuqua and what I was actually doing at Fuqua. During the next year, I will actively seek out leadership roles, both formal and informal, within the Fuqua and Duke community in order to give back to a school that has given me so much already, and to position myself successfully in the real world. And hopefully, I’ll have time for a round or two of golf at the WaDuke (Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club)!

On the first day of school at the University of Cape Town. I was with other Fuqua students who were also there for the exchange program. From left: Allie Chafey, Anjali Menon, Stani Grozdeva, Jessica Sawhney, Ganesh Subramanian, Jonathan Segal.

I took 3 classes which I thought were very interesting. My first class focused on small business consulting, and I was able to get a truly hands-on perspective of the challenges that a local entrepreneur faced in South Africa. In small teams of 3 to 4 students, we were assigned to a small business entrepreneur from the local townships (slums) with whom we worked with for 6 weeks. Our project culminated in a series of actionable recommendations that we gave to improve/grow our entrepreneur’s business. My particular entrepreneur was a woman named Patheka who wanted to own and operate full-service guest houses for long-stay individuals. This project was extremely challenging, as she did not have a steady stream of cash flow, nor did she own any of her own assets, but my team and I were able to identify several avenues that we drilled down into, so that we could give her some (hopefully) value-add recommendations that she could actually implement in the short-term to get her business up and running.

My next class was focused on diversity, which I thought was very interesting because South Africa is still struggling greatly post-Apartheid to fully integrate the different races in order to have an inclusive and diverse work environment. In fact, South Africa is one of the countries with the largest level of inequality in the world! So, it was refreshing to candidly explore this topic, learning from people who experience this type of environment first-hand. My final class was the theory of management and we analyzed quantum physics, complexity, and the psychology behind why particular management and leadership methods are in place. The class was a bit theoretical, but incredibly fascinating, since I had never thought about management in such philosophical and psychological terms before.

Overall, I was pleased by the quality of classes that were offered to us exchange students, as well as the caliber of our peers in the exchange program — many of whom come from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School and Chicago Booth. I learned a great deal and networked with intelligent individuals … all from the comforts of sunny, gorgeous Cape Town!

Duke Basketball

At the Duke/UNC game on Coach K's birthday.

Admittedly, I did not know much about Duke basketball or even NCAA Basketball before coming to Durham. I went to a Division III undergrad (Brandeis!) with no sports presence, and I competed in the occasional March Madness office tournament pool, but that was the extent of my college basketball knowledge. Last year, I willingly participated in Campout for roughly 6 hours and didn’t make a valiant effort to win tickets. In fact, I didn’t actually go to a game until January 2012, when a classmate handed me a ticket. However, from then I was hooked and made it to 4 games last year.

This year, I won season tickets (through a Campout exemption due to a wedding) and went to many more games, including the Duke/UNC game in Cameron. The layout of Cameron Indoor Stadium (only seats 9,314) and the energy from the fans is unlike any other sporting event that I have ever been to. The Cameron Crazies are on their feet the whole time and constantly cheer, sing, and make hand signals for Duke. There is Crazy Towel Guy, a lifelong Duke fan who will stand on his feet and whip out his towel during every game. There are even celebrity sightings at the games, with Peyton Manning, Rob Lowe, Doc Rivers, and Dick Vitale making known appearances in the past couple of years. The intimate environment of Cameron combined with the Crazies and the dominance of the men’s basketball team and Coach K makes going to basketball games some of the most fun I’ve ever had at a sporting event.

Carolina Hurricanes

Enjoying a Carolina Hurricanes game with some friends.

I hadn’t been to a professional hockey game since I was 9 or 10 years old, until this year. The MBA Association held a lottery for Carolina Hurricanes tickets, and gave out 100 tickets to Fuqua students for a game against the Winnipeg Jets. Unfortunately, I did not win the ticket lottery, but one of my friends did and gave me her ticket.

Although our seats were high in the upper deck, it was still fun to watch some hockey, check out a new arena, and root for the home team. A few weeks later, I went back to the PNC Bank arena to watch the Hurricanes play the NJ Devils. A small group of us wanted to go check out the Devils game and Duke had great tickets available for $20/piece. Being from NJ, I had to root for the Devils who ended up winning the game. I don’t know if I’ll see any more games before I leave N.C., though I am glad that I was able to check it off my bucket list and remind myself that hockey is fun to watch in person.

Durham Bulls

At the Durham Bulls stadium.

I have been to 2 or 3 Durham Bulls games since coming to Fuqua, and although they are not a Major League baseball team (they’re Minor League), the games are fun and every seat in the house is a good seat. Also, since the Durham Bulls stadium is right next to American Tobacco (a former tobacco factory that’s been converted into cool shops and restaurants), there is ample parking in the area and lots of bars/restaurants to go to before and after the games.

So, for all you sports fans — don’t overlook the Triangle area. Your Durham bucket list should include going to games with all of these teams!

Guest Blogger: Joel Theodros, first-year student.

What an AMAZING trip! I recently got back from my first trip to South America. During spring break, I went there with 25 of my classmates as part of the Global Academic Travel Experience program, or GATE. It was the perfect blend of fun and adventure as well as education. Our trip was led by our distinguished professor and former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela, Patrick Duddy, which allowed us to have special insight into the business and political climate in South America. A number of events happened while we were there that also shaped our trip to Brazil and Argentina: the passing of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, the election of an Argentine Pope, and a whole host of economic events including Brazil’s announcement of protectionist policies and Argentina’s controversial take-over of an oil company controlled by Spain’s Repsol. To say that a lot was happening in South America would be a great understatement.

We were also fortunate to have access to business leaders from a wide range of industries including banking, petrochemical, and health and beauty, to name a few. We enjoyed all of the presentations and learned a ton of cool and insightful information on a whole host of topics.

Here’s a list of 10 random bits of information I learned from corporate presentations, cultural excursions, and from interacting with the people we met along our journey:

The Latin America GATE group visited the Casa Rosada, the office of the President of Argentina.

1. The name Brazil comes from brazilwood, an indigenous tree and the country’s first export during the early days of trading with European settlers. The name Rio de Janiero is Portuguese for “River of January” and was given by the European explorers who visited the area in January 1502. Rio de Janiero was also the original capital of Brazil until 1960, when the government was transferred to Brasilia.
2. The famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janiero is considered the largest Art Deco statue in the world and the fifth largest Jesus statue in the world. Constructed from 1926 – 1931 it is considered an engineering marvel because in addition to its large size, it was assembled on top of a 2,300 foot high mountain, where it was carried to by train, piece-by-piece.
3. Imported goods are very expensive in Brazil. In addition to an import duty tax there are additional taxes and “extra” margins put onto these items. In one case, while walking the streets of Sao Paulo, a group of us stopped by a sports car dealership and noticed a Lamborghini that would cost $300,000 in the U.S. cost 1.2M Real (roughly $600,000 USD).
4. Messi is often regarded as one of the greatest, if not, the greatest football (soccer) player of all-time. However, Maradona will always be the national soccer hero because he led the national team to the World Cup championship over England after the Falkland War between the two countries.
5. During the presentation from Itau Unibanco’s (one of Latin America’s biggest banks), we learned that bank ATMs in Brazil aren’t connected to other banking institutions. What this means for bank customers is that they can only deposit and withdraw money from an ATM associated with their own bank and not another competing Brazilian bank. Ironically, international tourists are able to use any ATM in Brazil if their home bank is part of the same alliance network.
6. The Catholic Church in Argentina and the national government have a long history of public spats over social issues and their relationship is often described in the media as being mutually hostile. The dynamic recently took on a dramatic twist during our trip when Pope Francisco became the first Argentine Catholic Pope.
7. Argentina doesn’t import any beef. While anyone who’s ever tried a savory Argentine steak will argue there’s no need to do so, the issue has become a thorn for the industry as it seeks additional markets outside of Argentina.
8. Argentina modeled its capital after Paris and is often regarded as the Paris of South America. The mix of coffee shops, opera houses, and museums that line the streets gives it a very sophisticated and historical feel.
9. Avenida 9 de Julio (translated to July 9 Avenue) in Buenos Aires is the widest avenue in the world, spanning the width of an entire city block. While the design of the avenue was inspired after the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in France, its name honors Argentina’s Independence Day from Spain on July 9, 1816.
10. Nightlife in Argentina doesn’t begin till very late in the evening and can run into the wee hours of the morning. In the heart of Buenos Aires, it’s not uncommon for stores to close in the afternoon just to reopen at 10 pm as the nightlife goes into full swing. Also, club goers don’t go to the club until around 1 am!

This trip was everything I could have asked for and more. From wine tasting and tango dancing in Argentina to walking the world famous Ipanema Beach to being interviewed on national television in Buenos Aires about the new Argentine Pope, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. But what made this trip all the more special was that I was able to enjoy it with my classmates and Ambassador Duddy. Taking stock of my first year at Fuqua, I can’t believe how much I have learned and experienced in one year. It seems like it was only yesterday that I was working in my office wondering what business school would be like. Now that I am here, I can confidently say that being at The Fuqua School of Business has exceeded all of my expectations. And while I am sure there will be other trips to South America, I know this GATE trip was truly a unique experience — one that I will remember for the rest of my life.

What is FoB?

FoB provides students with the opportunity to work with a non-profit Board of Directors from the local community. Students also develop a project with a real impact for the organization, thereby enhancing the reputation of Fuqua. Very often, these projects involve strategy formulation, corporate governance enhancements, or developing a fundraising policy.

Why does FoB exist?

It provides a way for students to gain first-hand experience about non-profit corporate governance. This knowledge is a critical part of educating future business leaders in practical, ethical behavior in challenging situations. As for the participating non-profit organizations, they receive a fresh pair of eyes and a head full of ideas for their operations. My project was the organization of a board and management retreat to enhance collaboration and gather input for a review of the organization’s 5-year strategy.

How does FoB work?

Students must apply to the program and are chosen through acompetitive process. Students rank the boards that they’d like to join, in order of preference, and then they’re placed with an organization. Typically, students are paired up with a board member who has volunteered to be their mentor and act as primary contact and facilitator. Whenever schedules permit, the students attend regular board meetings and board committee meetings. Program directors from Fuqua provide regular feedback channels, networking events, and expertise on difficult situations.

What do non-profits expect from FoB?

The expectation is that students have the courage to ask tough questions, as well as bring concepts from the classroom to the board. This can help enhance how the non-profits fulfill their mission. Since for-profit and non-profit organizations are distinct in many aspects, it is very fruitful to combine knowledge and skills from both sides.

What are the challenges for FoB?

Students with a busy academic schedule and little or no board experience can sometimes be overwhelmed by overenthusiastic boards. This can lead to mutual expectations that would be hard to fulfill. FoB coaches and staff therefore organize workshops and networking events for all parties to achieve realistic expectations and effective cooperation.

What’s new at FoB?

Fuqua on Board was reorganized during this past summer in many important aspects.

• The program management was moved under the central Fuqua function of ‘Student Life’.
• There is now a student who serves as project-lead (Meredith Driscoll).
• There are also second-year coaches (like me) who served as active FoB students the previous year.
• The engagement period has changed from one academic year to the calendar year.

All of these measures aim to ensure that knowledge is accumulated and passed on over the years, that FoB is more tightly integrated into the life of Fuqua, and that non-profits can benefit from the cooperation according to their planning period.

How did I personally profit from Fuqua on Board?

As an international student, it was even more important for me to get out of the venerable walls of Fuqua and meet people in the community who are exemplary in their commitment to making Durham as best as it can be. Had I not done this, I would have missed out on a significant part of my Fuqua experience — listening to and learning from non-Fuquans.

For FCCP, groups of students are paired with a corporate client and over the course of the two spring terms, engage in a real-life consulting project. The projects run the gamut of what a real consulting engagement would be like. The big perk of FCCP is location. Opportunities are available both locally and internationally. This year, international projects included clients in South Africa, Brazil, and China. Students with an international project traveled abroad for spring break to work with their client in person. Fuqua offered dozens of potential projects, and I searched for one that aligned with my own passions, international travel and the non-profit space. I opted to work with a client in Shanghai, China, which provided the opportunity to explore a new city on a continent I have only visited once before. I worked with a team to improve a business plan for a fledgling non-profit client.

The Prep — Spring 1 Classes

My team at the Forbidden City.

Unlike some other spring break opportunities, FCCP isn’t all fun and games (all the time), and it takes a lot more preparation. Spring Term 1 is very busy for FCCP teams. Over several months, my team scoped our project, agreed on deliverables to our client, conducted copious amounts of research and outlined our 2-week trip to China. Our goal was to maximize our time on the ground during spring break in order to deliver the most value possible to our client. The FCCP classes provided the skills critical to success. In particular, classes showcased Fuqua’s strong relationship with Deloitte’s strategy consulting practice. Three classes were taught by practicing consultants who provided us with some of the foundational skills we would need to navigate the client relationship, including effective engagement management and international research techniques.

The Trip — China for Spring Break

My team of 5 and I left for Shanghai the day after our Spring 1 final exams. Eighteen hours of travel later, we hit the ground running. Here’s a brief outline of our trip:

Days 1-4 Working Days: Client meetings in Shanghai

Days 5-7 Pleasure Days: Flight to Beijing for cultural/historical tour and much needed R&R

Days 8-12 Working Days: Client meetings in Shanghai with final presentation to client on day 12

Day 13 Pleasure Day: Free time in Shanghai to explore

Day 14 Return Home

As you can tell, we were pretty busy. Week one consisted of heavy working days, typically including rounds of interviews with stakeholders followed by several hours of synthesizing and discussing data collected. During this time, we made sure to enjoy Shanghai through its food, after all, even busy students need to eat! And Shanghai is a city where a student can eat! The highlights of our days included stops at 5-star restaurants and incredible street food vendors.

Halfway through the trip, we took time to enjoy our break and traveled to Beijing for some sightseeing. Highlights included a trip to the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall — all breathtaking spots that I highly recommend visiting. The trip also provided critical team building time, when we were able to step back and reflect on what we had accomplished thus far and determine a path forward.

The Results – Life as a Consultant

Week two culminated in a final project presentation. We wrapped up loose ends and final interviews, created our final presentation and delivered our final product. I wish I could elaborate more on the process, but as with all consulting projects, much of our work was confidential. However, this piece I can share with you — the experience of FCCP is a true Fuqua experience and a global experience. While working during spring break may not sound like fun to you — FCCP is certainly something I would recommend. It’s a chance to gain some real-life work experience and simultaneously travel internationally with a group of your amazing peers.

This summer I am heading off to an internship at The Boston Consulting Group to try my hand at consulting full-time. FCCP and Fuqua provided me with a safe environment to explore the profession prior to my internship. I left China feeling like I had really learned about what life could be like as a consultant; I am now better prepared to handle the rigors and stress of the job. I also left China grateful for the chance to experience two of the world’s most amazing cities and their vibrant cultures. There aren’t many places outside of school where one can easily find such an experience.