¡Hola!I don't think that anyone can complain about the last week we just spent in Barcelona. We arrived on Sunday afternoon and had time to get our bearings around the hotel and the city. For the first three days of the week we studied at the Barcelona campus of the Toulouse Business School and visited local companies.
On Monday we went to MRW which is a 100% Spanish, family owned logistics company with over 500 franchises. They believe strongly in social responsibility and have made their building fully sustainable even by using rainwater for the toilets. After our first company visit we attended a lecture on the Spanish economy to better understand why Spain's economy fell and how the country is handling it now.
On Tuesday we spent the full day visiting companies. In the morning we went to Barcelona Activa where they help entrepreneurs with a business idea actualize it into a business and they also offer struggling small businesses resources to grow; all at no cost. After learning about the Spanish economy the morning before, it was great to visit a company that is committed to helping the Spanish economy flourish once again. In the afternoon we went to El Pueblo Español. It is a private capital company that runs a spanish village that was founded in 1929 to explain Spain's cultural diversity through representative architecture, entertainment, food and shopping. Meeting with an executive gave us a unique perspective as to what factors are needed to make this company and village sustain themselves.
On Wednesday we enjoyed a full day of class from 8 am to 6 pm. In the morning we had a lecture on Spanish culture where we learned about what forms culture and then we experienced it. An opera singer from Barcelona came into the class and sang for us, explained her current occupational status as a struggling opera singer in a crowded market, and then we each in groups had the opportunity to come up with a business plan for how she could better market herself to stand out. The fun continued in the afternoon as we learned about management and team building. This was a great culmination to the management class we had taken earlier in the quarter. We had a team building exercise that ended in Chase Beckmann showing his extreme athletic ability to get through a hoop hanging from the ceiling without touching it- all for the team to accomplish the goal.
Once our classes were over we had plenty of time to explore the city of Barcelona. It was impossible not to learn about the great artist, Antonio Gaudi whose architecture and work is all over the city. He is most famous for designing La Sagrada Família; A cathedral that began construction in 1882 and is not expected to be complete until 2050. We enjoyed the beach, although most of us didn't get much more than our feet in the Mediterranean Sea because it was so cold! On Friday Matt Regnold, Regan, and Megan took a day trip to Porto, Portugal to see Coldplay in concert while another group of us went to the Olympic Stadium and saw Bruce Springsteen in concert. I never thought I would see so much red, white, and blue in Europe! Between the "tapas", shopping, La Boqueria, bus tours, parks, the pier and night life it is safe to say that Barcelona not a boring city and we now understand why it is called the city that never sleeps! We have had a great week together learning, laughing and enjoying Barcelona. Now we are ready to start full swing into classes in Toulouse and spend time with our host families!
By Lena Tome
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Our Experience in London, England
Let me preface this by saying that the CEO of Unilever told us that the most important thing we can do is spell check... However, I am writing this on an Apple device without spell check. So please excuse any spelling or grammatical mistakes.
After touching down at Heathrow at eleven in the morning on Wednesday,
we took a coach ride through the heart of London to our hotel near
Victoria station. The hour-long trip gave many of us a chance to
recuperate after the overnight flight.
The hotel, a Premier Inn, was on the corner of two quiet cross
streets, adjacent from a nice square, and just blocks from the
Victoria Station underground. Once we had a chance to settle into our
rooms, Jeri and Susan decided to introduce us to the Tube. For many of
us this meant a first time in a subway, and certainly a first in the
famous London Underground.
The subway trip was quick and easy, and in minutes we were in the
center of Piccadilly Circus. From there, we were allowed to begin our
first night in London! Breaking off into several groups, my classmates
and I then started on our first hours exploring the city.
The next morning, all twenty-three of us were ready bright and early
for the first of three Thursday company visits, which took us back
toward the airport, to GE Aviation's London office. There we learned
about the global aviation industry, and the processes behind engine
manufacture and sales.
After a quick pizza lunch, we set off toward Canary Wharf to meet with
the CFO of the multi-national private bank, Credit Suisse.
Unfortunately, London traffic was uncooperative, and we quickly
realized we would be late for the meeting. Seeing that the coach was
not going to be able to get us to the meeting on time, we hopped onto
the Tube, and rode the last five miles of trip in the Underground.
At Credit Suisse, we sat in an executive boardroom with the CFO for
nearly two hours, as he talked us through the international regulatory
environment for banks, as well as the firm's strategy moving forward.
For all of my classmates, and especially those interested in finance,
this was a truly fascinating meeting, and one we were privileged to
have. I came away from the conference room wondering how often
students our age are able to associate with and learn from the CFO of
one of the world's most prestigious banks.
Finally, we ended Thursday's company visits with a stop to Bloomberg.
At the company, we were received by LHP alumnus Ben Zimmerman. For
over two hours, we were able to hear presentations from Ben and his
colleagues detailing how they contributed to Bloomberg's success as an
international financial news and information company.
That night, groups of students set out to see the sights of London. I
was amazed to see world renowned landmarks like Big Ben, Westminster
Abbey, and Tower Bridge. Several of us also visited London pubs, where
we enjoyed traditional fish and chips, pints, and local meat pies.
On Friday, the last day of company visits, a handful of students
including myself took a tour of Lloyd's of London, the world's
specialty insurance epicenter. Later in the morning, our entire LHP
cohort met at the headquarters of Unilever, which overlook the Thames.
There, we heard from CEO Paul Polman, who spoke about his company's
vision and his experience at the University of Cincinnati. Hearing Mr.
Polman speak was inspiring and enlightening, and the company's
sustainability efforts are certainly admirable.
The final company visit was at the brand consultancy firm, Interbrand,
which was just off an embankment overlooking the Thames. There we were
introduced to several cases in which the firm enhanced, repositioned,
or replaced ailing brands. Overall, it was interesting to see how the
field of marketing translated overseas.
During the night, while walking along the Thames by City Hall, a group
of our students unwittingly became extras in a music video being
produced by Black-Eyed Peas star will.i.am.
On our last free day, most students continued to take in the sights of
London. A favorite was the Olympic Park which, while still under
construction, was already an enormous complex, complete with track
field, velodrome, and the Olympic Village.
Finally, Scott K. and I had an amazing opportunity to take a nighttime
ride on the London Eye, one of the biggest ferris wheels in the world.
From what seemed like a football field above the city, we were able to
see all of the sites we had visited in the days before. Unilever
headquarters, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the London Bridge, the
Shard, and countless other historic landmarks were visible from the
top of London. It was a stunning way to end the first leg of our trip.
By Nick Hertlein
After touching down at Heathrow at eleven in the morning on Wednesday,
we took a coach ride through the heart of London to our hotel near
Victoria station. The hour-long trip gave many of us a chance to
recuperate after the overnight flight.
The hotel, a Premier Inn, was on the corner of two quiet cross
streets, adjacent from a nice square, and just blocks from the
Victoria Station underground. Once we had a chance to settle into our
rooms, Jeri and Susan decided to introduce us to the Tube. For many of
us this meant a first time in a subway, and certainly a first in the
famous London Underground.
The subway trip was quick and easy, and in minutes we were in the
center of Piccadilly Circus. From there, we were allowed to begin our
first night in London! Breaking off into several groups, my classmates
and I then started on our first hours exploring the city.
The next morning, all twenty-three of us were ready bright and early
for the first of three Thursday company visits, which took us back
toward the airport, to GE Aviation's London office. There we learned
about the global aviation industry, and the processes behind engine
manufacture and sales.
After a quick pizza lunch, we set off toward Canary Wharf to meet with
the CFO of the multi-national private bank, Credit Suisse.
Unfortunately, London traffic was uncooperative, and we quickly
realized we would be late for the meeting. Seeing that the coach was
not going to be able to get us to the meeting on time, we hopped onto
the Tube, and rode the last five miles of trip in the Underground.
At Credit Suisse, we sat in an executive boardroom with the CFO for
nearly two hours, as he talked us through the international regulatory
environment for banks, as well as the firm's strategy moving forward.
For all of my classmates, and especially those interested in finance,
this was a truly fascinating meeting, and one we were privileged to
have. I came away from the conference room wondering how often
students our age are able to associate with and learn from the CFO of
one of the world's most prestigious banks.
Finally, we ended Thursday's company visits with a stop to Bloomberg.
At the company, we were received by LHP alumnus Ben Zimmerman. For
over two hours, we were able to hear presentations from Ben and his
colleagues detailing how they contributed to Bloomberg's success as an
international financial news and information company.
That night, groups of students set out to see the sights of London. I
was amazed to see world renowned landmarks like Big Ben, Westminster
Abbey, and Tower Bridge. Several of us also visited London pubs, where
we enjoyed traditional fish and chips, pints, and local meat pies.
On Friday, the last day of company visits, a handful of students
including myself took a tour of Lloyd's of London, the world's
specialty insurance epicenter. Later in the morning, our entire LHP
cohort met at the headquarters of Unilever, which overlook the Thames.
There, we heard from CEO Paul Polman, who spoke about his company's
vision and his experience at the University of Cincinnati. Hearing Mr.
Polman speak was inspiring and enlightening, and the company's
sustainability efforts are certainly admirable.
The final company visit was at the brand consultancy firm, Interbrand,
which was just off an embankment overlooking the Thames. There we were
introduced to several cases in which the firm enhanced, repositioned,
or replaced ailing brands. Overall, it was interesting to see how the
field of marketing translated overseas.
During the night, while walking along the Thames by City Hall, a group
of our students unwittingly became extras in a music video being
produced by Black-Eyed Peas star will.i.am.
On our last free day, most students continued to take in the sights of
London. A favorite was the Olympic Park which, while still under
construction, was already an enormous complex, complete with track
field, velodrome, and the Olympic Village.
Finally, Scott K. and I had an amazing opportunity to take a nighttime
ride on the London Eye, one of the biggest ferris wheels in the world.
From what seemed like a football field above the city, we were able to
see all of the sites we had visited in the days before. Unilever
headquarters, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the London Bridge, the
Shard, and countless other historic landmarks were visible from the
top of London. It was a stunning way to end the first leg of our trip.
By Nick Hertlein
Let the adventures begin!
I know the anticipation has been building and the blog of the 2012 LHP international trip is officially in full swing! After a full day of travel we arrived in London and began the first leg of the trip. Over the 3 and a half days there, we packed in lessons on the "tube" (subway), impressive company visits and enjoyed London sight-seeing. Today is our first full day in Barcelona, so we are off to class! Stay tuned for frequent updates on detailed experiences from students, pictures, and quick updates!
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