Careers Crossing Borders

Careers Crossing Borders is a series of opportunities of the Center for Global Business intended to help students explore and navigate career paths in international business, gain perspective from professionals about their career experiences, and leverage their global mindset.

Upcoming Event

Careers Crossing Borders: A Dinner Networking Conversation

Thursday, April 4, 2024, at 6 p.m.

Expand Your Global Horizons: Join the Center for Global Business for an evening of networking and international career insights. Smith School alumni will share their expertise, offering valuable advice on leveraging a global mindset. Open to all students and majors. Alumni, be our guests and connect with aspiring global professionals. 

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Speakers

Smith School alum, Michael Barnett graduated in 2016 and has experience in the Consumer Goods Industry working for companies such as Unilever and Stanley Black & Decker. Throughout his career, Michael held various sales + marketing roles ranging from business development to shopper marketing to brand management on $100+ million brands. Currently, he serves as a global senior product manager for consumer cleaning goods, overseeing all facets of new product development and category management for a cordless cleaning portfolio, which has doubled since he joined the team in 2020. Michael has extensive experience creating + launching new products to market, inclusive of 4 new cleaning platforms for the Black&Decker brand.

Ja’Nel Edens has 14 years of experience in international business development, U.S. trade policy, and commercial diplomacy. She is a Commercial Service Officer with the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service where she recently completed her first diplomatic tour in Kazakhstan. Previously, Ja’Nel served as an International Trade Specialist at the International Trade Administration where she helped U.S. companies overcome market access challenges in nine export markets across West Africa. In this role, she engaged with African countries to benefit U.S. firms and advance U.S.-Africa trade policy. She also developed digital marketing solutions for U.S. companies seeking access to early-stage business opportunities across the Middle East and Africa. Ja'Nel is a skilled negotiator, communicator, and manager in diverse intercultural settings with experience advocating for U.S. companies at the highest levels of foreign governments. Prior to joining the U.S. Commercial Service, Ja’Nel worked in business development at an international development consulting firm. She also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Madagascar. Ja’Nel received her bachelor’s degree at Virginia Commonwealth University and her Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business. Born in New York and raised in Virginia, Ja’Nel has Belizean heritage and speaks Spanish, French, Russian, and Malagasy.

Leveraging almost two decades of experience in the spice and flavors industry, Dave Hosford is driving supply chain transformation on a global scale from right here in Maryland. An 18-year veteran of McCormick & Company, Inc., Dave is currently leading the standardization of processes and tools in planning, scheduling, and inventory optimization in conjunction with the implementation of SAP S/4HANA for McCormick's network across 6 continents. Through this multi-year endeavor, Dave has gained considerable insights on international team management, change management, and business strategy that he looks forward to sharing with the Smith community.

Navendu Tripathi is a Senior Research Analyst in Capacity Development Department at the International Monetary Fund. As an experienced finance professional with a master’s degree in quantitative finance, Tripathi has dedicated his expertise to conducting number crunching, statistical modeling, investment analysis, credit risk management, finance and economics research, as well as project management over the past 8+ years. Tripathi previously served in roles at Morgan Stanley, a hedge fund startup, and a prominent commercial bank.

Careers Crossing Borders: The Trek

Friday, April 12, 2024, at 8 a.m.

Discover exciting career opportunities with the Center for Global Business (CGB) during our Careers Crossing Borders Series! Join us for a day of exploration as we visit prestigious international organizations in D.C., including the InterAmerican Development Bank, with potential stops at the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and more.

Enjoy hassle-free transportation, departing from Van Munching Hall at 8 a.m. and returning by 5 p.m. More details will be provided by CGB upon registration.

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