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.
Read About Our Alumni
Alumni Profile
Driving Growth in Latin America
Dan Freiman, '94 and MBA '04
Business conditions change over time and across regions, but finance professional Dan Freiman '94, MBA '04, says one thing remains constant. "Building relationships is key, as is going in with understanding and respect," he says. "That goes a long way and is a constant process."
Alumni Profile
Digital Strategist Excels at OgilvyRED
Rishi Kadiwar, '05 and MBA '10
A multimillion-dollar social media campaign on two of China's most popular platforms requires careful planning and vision.
Alumni Profile
Marketer Finds Her Niche in Germany
Elaine Oves, Undergraduate ’15
Some people wait until they travel abroad to develop a global mindset. But Elaine Oves ’15, a marketing associate with Interel Group, says the process starts at home. “You don't have to travel far,” she says.
Alumni Profile
The One Constant in Global Business
Philip Grove, MBA '15
Visiting other countries, whether for business or leisure, can seem daunting because of the abundance of variables in a new environment. Philip Grove, MBA '15, an international sales manager, chooses to focus on the one constant variable in each trip: himself.
Alumni Profile
Helping Firms Enter New Markets
Paul Adler, MBA ’78
Global business strategist Paul Adler, MBA ’78, can’t help asking questions when he meets somebody from another place. His cultural curiosity propels him forward.
Alumni Profile
Global Mindset: A Power Tool
Maurice Nick, MBA and MS '16
Sameness can be reassuring. But Maurice Nick, a supply planning manager at Stanley Black & Decker, prefers the disruption of new ideas. "I grow tired of situations quickly," he says.
Alumni Profile
Global Curiosity Shapes Career
Rocio Holub, MBA '15
A global perspective starts with a local outlook for Rocio Holub '04, a senior manager for global operations at DAI Global, LLC. She says understanding on-the-ground conditions in foreign environments has helped shape her career.
Alumni Profile
Fluent in the Cross-Border Deal
Abhjieet Biswas, MBA '00
Cross-border mergers and acquisitions start with empathy, says investment banker Abhjieet Biswas, MBA '00. "Everything else can fall into place," he says. "But if there are barriers to understanding each other, you won't be successful."
Alumni Profile
Relationship Building from Sea to Sea
Katie Praske, Undergraduate '01
Every transaction is international when you work at Maersk, the world's largest container ship operator. "Supply chain management gives you a really literal illustration of global business," says Katie Praske '01, who spent nearly 15 years at Maersk as a customer service and compliance manager.
Alumni Profile
Raising Her Hand for Stretch Assignments
Evelyn Hartwick, Executive MBA '10
Development banker Evelyn Hartwick, EMBA '10, embraces ambiguity and stretch assignments as a way of life. "People who resist change don't grow," she says.