Executive MBA Program Blog

I have to admit when the locations for the international trip were announced, I had to go to a map and find Estonia.  It wasn't on my team's short-list of places we'd like to go nor was it ever discussed as a potential destination.  The second location that was a part of the trip, Finland, garnered initial excitement as somewhere we all would like to visit.  But once we arrived in Tallinn, Estonia, our minds were forever changed.

Tallinn is the capital of Estonia located on the Baltic Sea.  About 1/3 of Estonia's population of 1.3 million live in the capital.  It's one of the oldest walled cities in Europe dating back to the 1300s.  It's also a thriving city that has a rich history of technology and entrepreneurship.  Some familiar names have come out of Estonia like Skype and Rovio- the makers of Angry Birds.

I have had the opportunity to travel internationally for business, so my only hope when we were learning about our EMBA international trip was that it was somewhere that I had not been to before. My personal “wish list” of places was very long, but I admittedly had never even considered Estonia or Finland as somewhere I would visit. After spending five days in Tallinn, Estonia, and four days in Helsinki, Finland, I hope to return to both cities as soon as possible!

The “Old City” of Tallinn is exactly how I would picture a medieval city that has barely been touched in 800 years, yet it is amazing just how focused the country is on high-tech solutions. Helsinki has a drastically different appearance, yet is equally focused on high-tech developments. I was amazed to learn of the companies that began in Estonia and Finland including Nokia, Skype, Rovio (Angry Birds franchise), and Supercell (Clash of Clans), among others.

First off, I should probably start with the obvious; that I am extremely lucky to have the opportunity to participate in the international trip as a previous survivor of the Executive MBA program.  Survivor, wait, I meant alumnus.  I joke because many outside of the program may not realize how much work is involved. 

Travelling abroad to Estonia and Finland, two very similar yet different countries, provided me an opportunity to relive the end of the program 10 years later through the current students’ international trip.  I witnessed them wrapping up capstone projects, reading for their remaining course work, and taking in the businesses we toured.  However, what they impressed upon me most was the comradery and enthusiasm they all displayed despite having 14 intense months behind them with only one to go. 

Not Your Average International Trip

The Executive MBA international experience is more than an international trip. You are immersed in  the culture of a new city, where traditions and general business practices may seem unusual or even exotic. That is one of the exact reasons we select the locations we do — to create a transformative experience for our EMBA students. In addition to company visits, tours, and presentations from senior management, your team will serve as a consultant to an international organization, applying your knowledge and expertise to a specific client project. This trip is like none you have experienced before. 

“Anything is possible: today was the day a group of dedicated, everyday New Yorkers & their neighbors defeated Amazon’s corporate greed.”  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC)

To the short list of death and taxes, I would add the certainty that college faculty will regularly voice their concerns regarding the poor writing skills of their students. Having been part of those conversations for more than 15 years, it appears that the issue has not only not disappeared, but has become an even bigger problem.