Global Alumni Stories

Smith School alumni utilize their global mindset on a daily basis while doing business abroad or while working with multi-national companies. Learn how the alumni below utilized global business savvy to reach their current career positions.

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Alumni Profile

Connecting Across Continents and Finding Solutions

Ed Novak divides much of his time between Boston and the Washington, D.C., area, but his professional reach is global.

As managing director and partner at Vistra, an international business services provider, he’s in constant contact with clients and colleagues worldwide.

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Alumni Profile

Leading with Self-Awareness and An Open Mind

Chris Steadley, MBA ’12

Chris Steadley, MBA ’12, has consistently used his global mindset in his eight-plus years at advisory and research services firm Gartner. His current role as a senior partner in consulting includes managing business in the Midwest region of the U.S.

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Alumni Profile

Utilizing an Appreciation for Diversity to Lead an International Organization

Each of the seven global mindset competencies is integral to Mark Lenhart’s MBA ’00 work as executive director of study abroad organization CET Academic Programs. As a manager and leader, he finds self-awareness and humility to be a particularly important competency.

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Alumni Profile

How Cultural Curiosity and Relationship Building Adds Value to Research

Erika Hall ’07, assistant professor of organization and management at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, studied finance at Maryland Smith while maintaining an interest in entrepreneurship.

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Alumni Profile

Leading Through Understanding

Approaching cultural differences with curiosity and openness is fundamental to leading with a global mindset.

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Alumni Profile

Removing Fear from the Equation

People with a global mindset have spent time understanding, accepting and leveraging similarities and differences among cultures and business practices.

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Alumni Profile

Telling Stories, With Boundaryless Thinking

Kristin Fallon, MBA ’11

A global mindset is essential for success in an increasingly interconnected world. For Kristin Fallon '11, that means developing boundaryless thinking, with no set geographical reference. “It is about thinking outside of your immediate world and really accounting for the world at large.

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Alumni Profile

Relationship Building Doesn't Always Come Easy

Larry Legates, MBA '04

For senior global trade compliance manager, Larry Legates, MBA ’04, developing a global mindset goes far beyond the workplace. Legates studied abroad in Spain, Chile, and Mexico.

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Alumni Profile

Different Markets Mean Different Planning

Julia Barge, BS in Supply Chain Management 2012

At Hilti actively seeking out opportunities to leverage different cultures and geographies is an important part of being inclusive in the workplace, according to Julia Barge an undergrad alum of Smith.

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Alumni Profile

Adaptability at the World's Most Penetrated Brand

Michael Marcus, BS in Marketing 2011

Global mindset is a point of view that embraces diversity. For associate Brand Manager, Michael Marcus a global mindset can be defined using three different viewpoints: business, operations, and people.

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