Disneyland Paris
Unfortunately we were unable to speak with any Disney management representatives, but we still were able to visit the park for an entire day. I was very grateful the professors just let us go around the park and enjoy every minute. I grew up going to Disneyland every year, so I was very interested in the differences I saw. The main things that were different from Disneyland California were: The cast members were not as friendly or cooperative, the rides were designed for a colder climate, the target market seemed to be a little older age group and not so much focused on children, the parks were very small and both could be visited in one day, and the language was a mix between French, English, and Spanish. Even though these differences existed, I still felt like I was in Disneyland. That was my biggest concern because I was expecting to be disappointed, but I wasn’t. I felt Disneyland Paris adapted to the variety of cultures very well and could please almost anyone looking for a “Disney” experience. I had so much fun running around with our group of ten people. We were looked at a lot because of our American accents and loud voices, but a lot of the people smiled at us (maybe because they were laughing at us). We stayed until the park closed and I did buy a few things as souvenirs. There were many products that were unique to Disneyland Paris (i.e. winter hats and ear muffs and things that actually had Paris emphasized). My experience with Disneyland Paris was positive and I would go back with my family for sure.
Microsoft Europe
Before this visit I thought I knew a lot about technology, but I don’t feel that way anymore. I felt like my grandmother who can barely send a text message as I was playing Microsoft’s new Connect- I played ping pong without any controller or paddle and it sensed my movements through digital cameras. The technology Microsoft is developing globally is moving rapidly. We did hear a figure that it takes about 15-20 years to invent, create, and implement a new product. It was fun to be in their facility and get a sneak peak into the new things they are creating. We watched a youtube video that showed a product that I would buy. It was a small box about four inches long, two inches wide, and less than half an inch thick that was used as a universal card. It could be a drivers license, credit card, boarding pass, etc. I thought that seemed very useful. I also like the idea of not having computers or telephones on your desk, but they would be built into your desk. Just seeing some of the products that are the gateways to this technology blew my mind. I’m actually scared for my children and the new technologies that will tempt their lives. Even though I have no plans on going into the technology industry, this visit was helpful because I will certainly be using technology and it’s nice to know Microsoft is a good resource to use to help me and my technological needs.
OECD
The Organization For Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) was a visit very beneficial to me because I went in only knowing the little what I had researched on my own and left with a greater knowledge of the importance of their organization. A few facts I learned include: The OECD currently has 34 members and growing; Russia is a country currently trying to enter; the United States has been providing one-fourth of the OECD budget, but it’s currently declining; and next year is the OECD’s 50th anniversary. Our tour guide, Andrew, was quite delightful. He was by far the most typical “French” man even though he was from the United States. Our first presenter, Will, was a younger guy who graduated from Brigham Young University who we actually saw at church the next Sunday. He gave us excellent insight about the process the join the OECD through internships. Our second presenter, France Chain, spoke about anti-bribery work the OECD does through their law department. This was very interesting and noble they would dedicate their careers to fighting such a cause. We got a good tour of the facility after and the visit ended up being very informational and they treated us very well.
NATO
Our NATO visit was a different setting than I expected, but fantastic to say the least. We were recommended to meet them for lunch at a restaurant in Brussels that was quite small and compact, but the food was very good and the speakers were even better. James Snyder was my favorite speaker. He was an American and gave interesting insight to how NATO was operating. He mentioned they do not target countries to join NATO and remain consistent to their mission of protection. There was a speaker who I didn’t enjoy because he seemed to be doing a stand up comedy routine rather than giving us valuable information that we traveled half way across the world to hear. The final speaker, Adrian Kendry- Senior Defense Economist and Head Defense and Security Economics, was a very good public speaker and gave us his powerpoint presentation that had some very good numbers. For example, the US research and development is five times greater than Europe, China aims to be a middle income country by 2020, and China will overtake the US sometime in the 2020’s as the world’s largest economy. I don’t necessarily believe each of these figures, but they do give interesting discussion of what the US needs to do as globalization continues. Overall, our NATO lunch was very good and I’m excited to know more about their organization because I’m picking up valuable information that is very useful in my personal and professional life.
Caterpillar
This visit was sprung onto us last minute because the European Commission fell through. I enjoyed having another factory tour and learning about operations. One thing that stood out to me was the fact that Caterpillar stores parts of their machines up to 40 or 50 years after being built. This didn’t seem like a good idea at first, but after our tour guide gave more insight as to why, it made more sense. The machines purchased are very expensive and high quality. There is no reason to replace the entire machine when one little part gets damaged or needs replacing. Caterpillar had storage shelves all over the place to facilitate their customer’s needs for one specific part or enough parts to assemble an entire new machine. The Six Sigma process they follow to manage the warehouse was very impressive. Every employee is required to give input of what they can do to improve their operation. This method of learning establishes best practices and I actually am incorporating a lot of this into my leadership taxonomy. Our tour guide did mention multiple times their infrastructure inside the factory was very outdated and slow. I noticed the boxes moved very slowly on the pathways designed for them to move around. That seems to be a difficult challenge and would be very frustrating as a manager to deal with. I thought Caterpillar was doing everything possible and seems to be on the right track to stay competitive in their industry.
InBev
I’ll have to be very honest about our InBev visit. I would say it has been the least favorite of mine. There are a couple of reasons why. First, our tour guide admitted he didn’t work in the facility and that he was a “free lance” tour guide. Second, the machines were not functioning because of cleaning so we didn’t get to see the beer bottling process. I was impressed with their facility and the amount of beer they produce on a daily basis, but I didn’t learn as much from this visit as I have from the others.
Huntsman Chemical
Up to this point, the Huntsman Chemical visit has been the most entertaining. We were given a very good debriefing of European culture and the adjustments one would need to make to work internationally. We also were given a brief introduction to what polyurethane is and what it makes (i.e. shoes, mattress foams, car seats, etc.). I learned that insulating your house is the best way to save energy and polyurethane is a good insulator for that. After our discussions we were given a very good tour of their facility and actually got to see polyurethane in action. My favorite part was seeing how they designed Nike shocks because I love those shoes. The lunch we had after the tour was incredible. We ate like kings and left feeling very full. This visit was very beneficial to me because I’ve enjoyed learning about Jon M. Huntsman and the business models he creates. Of all the visits, I was proud to be a Utahan and associate myself with the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Huntsman Chemical.
I never thought I would be in the WTO delegation room, but I was! Our tour was very interesting and informative. The gentleman who assisted us was very specific on what the WTO does. The things he mentioned that I noted down was that the power of the WTO rests completely with the members, you must compromise (all countries usually leave a little unhappy for not getting exactly what they were fighting for), and there are no side deals allowed- complete transparency in WTO transactions. To work for the WTO you would need to love the international field of work. Another thing that stuck out to me in our visit was how the presenter focused for a minute or two on how the United States citizens shouldn’t always have a “buy American” attitude. The United States needs other countries to trade with because there are many commodities and resources we can’t get ourselves (i.e. cell phone parts for blackberry’s). I’ll admit I’ve never really used where a product is made as my final decision, but it’s good to know what he said because I do speak with others on occasion who could use that advice.
ICRC
Visiting the ICRC in Geneva, Switzerland was very informational. We watched a video introducing the ICRC, heard from an ICRC delegate, and then from an ICRC humanitarian law representative. The one thing that stands out the most about our visit was the ICRC’s strict policy to represent all parties in a neutral manner. They help both citizens and soldiers no matter what side they are on and in her words, “good or bad guys”. This is reflected in their mission statement, “To protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence and to provide them with assistance.” The ICRC has offices all over the world as well as delegates from many countries working for them. This is important because I know the symbols that represent them now and if I’m ever in a dangerous situation during a time of war I know who to look to for help. I really want to get on their website and donate some money to help their cause. I don’t have much, but I want to help anyway I can. Our second speaker was a younger lady from Mexico City, Mexico. Because of living in Mexico, I was very impressed with her desire to serve abroad and work internationally. I learned a lot from her presentation on how the ICRC represents themselves in legal matters. The one thing she said that would be the most helpful to anyone in war would be to surrender your weapon in case of a near death experience. If you surrender and become a prisoner of war, there are legal rights protecting you and its important to know this just in case.
Medtronic
We had a wonderful visit with Tom Caine at Medtronic. Tom graduated from the University of Utah, went to Wharton for his MBA, lived in Minnesota four years working for Medtronic, and now is a Medtronic Project Manager of a heart pump in Switzerland. I was looking forward to this visit the most because I’ve known for a long time that I want to work in the Healthcare industry. I’ve been debating between hospital administration and the medical device sector. I was able to speak with Tom a little bit on my own and he recommended I continue researching and look for the opportunities that open up. Learning about heart pacemakers was very special to me because my dad received a heart transplant about ten years ago and had a pacemaker for about a year before his new heart arrived. The pacemaker saved his life on a handful of occasions and I was able to see as a child how important medical devices and good healthcare service can influence a family like mine. Tom gave a very good tour of Medtronic’s facility in Switzerland. I especially liked when he talked about Medtronic’s Lean Management principles. We spent some time talking about this before the tour, but it was good to see it in action. Another important topic we discussed with Tom was ethical business decisions. Tom was very passionate about honesty in the work place and following company policy. He gave all of the Huntsman Scholar’s hope for the future and maintaining the honest reputation that should be upheld in good companies like Medtronic. Overall, our visit was excellent. It’s something I’ll never forget and will refer back to many times as my career progresses.
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