Ted Rogers MBA students gain international business experience in Chile
A group of Ted Rogers MBA students got a first-hand taste of the wine industry and experience presenting to international clients during their trip to Santiago, Chile.
As part of the International Experience Capstone in the Ted Rogers MBA program, students worked on consulting projects varying from optimizing business practices to international expansion with one of three Chilean wineries: Viña Marchigüe, Garage Winery, VICAP (Viña Capitan Pastene). The teams, made up of five to six students, had meetings and communication with their clients throughout the term, and several teams made in-person presentations of their findings while in Chile in July 2022.
Students also had the unique opportunity to hear from industry experts, visit the wine region and explore the country during their time there.
Valuable insights
During their trip, the MBA students toured several wineries and a wine retailer, and met with The Independent Winemakers Movement (MOVI) and Wines of Chile and Sustentavid, a non-profit, private organization of Chilean wine producers who promote Chilean wine globally.
They also went to Deloitte Santiago, the Chilean office of the international consulting firm, where they heard the Lead Consulting Partner speak about the political and social environment and its impact on the business environment, and visited the Canadian Embassy where they learned about trade agreements and the activities of the embassy.
“Exploring the wine industry in one of its most important markets and learning about the culture and lifestyle of Chile was invaluable,” says MBA student Isa Celik.
“The experiential learning aspect of this project further supplemented the knowledge we gained in our lectures and enhanced our understanding of the wine industry,” he explains. “Thanks to the detailed planning of our director, Donna Smith, we were able to explore the entire journey of wine from the production phase to sales.”
Client presentation
The students visited Marchigüe Wineries’ headquarters in downtown Santiago where they presented their Capstone Project to the company’s Commercial Director, Cristián Mubert. The two consulting teams that presented received high praise from their client.
“Toronto Metropolitan University and [the program] are doing something very important, which is to have MBA students deal with reality,” Mubert says.
“Theory is needed to understand the principles and framework on how to approach a problem to find an efficient solution, but fully support your approach by linking your students with companies that deal with the real everyday challenges," he adds.
Celik and other students appreciated the opportunity to present to Viña Marchigüe. “On behalf of the group, I can say that presenting to the company executive in-person and receiving such positive feedback from him elevated our Chile experience to another level,” he says.
“Consulting with international businesses is challenging. In addition to understanding the global market, industry and the business, culture plays a significant role,” explains Dr. Donna Smith, Graduate Program Director, MBA Program.
“We walked in our clients’ shoes during our experiential learning program in Santiago, Chile. This significantly helped Ted Rogers MBA student/consultants gain a broader view of how to best meet the needs of the client," says Dr. Smith.
Memorable experiences
During the trip, the Ted Rogers MBA students also explored the city of Santiago, hiked to the top of the Andes Mountains and toured Valparaiso and Viña del Mar, important ports and seats of political power for Chile.
“Although the trip was organized around the wine industry, we got the chance to dine in some of Chile’s finest restaurants, soak in the beautiful views of the Andes Mountains, and experience the colourful cities of Valparaiso and Santiago,” Celik explains.
Along with the valuable experiences and insights gained during his time in Chile, Celik adds, “the lifelong connections formed among each other in such a short period of time was the highlight of this trip.”
International Experience Capstone Project
The International Experience Capstone Project, one of three capstone options in the Ted Rogers MBA program, allows students to gain an understanding of a specific cultural, business, political and economic environment impacting businesses. They meet with business executives and community stakeholders, and under the guidance of a faculty member, work with a community group or business to transfer knowledge or solve a problem.
Prior to departing to select destinations, students attend pre-travel training and bootcamp sessions. In the host countries/communities, students gain first-hand experience and an understanding of a unique business culture directly from industry experts. Students also visit local companies and participate in cultural activities.
Due to COVID, the program pivoted to operate in a dual virtual and travel mode. Some students took the course and presented virtually, while a dozen other students took the course virtually and went to Chile to present to their client in person.