University of Queensland MBA students are helping three Australian companies to expand their customer bases in the United States.
The projects are part of the 2015 Wharton Global Consulting Practicum and include fashion retailer Lorna Jane, steel company OneSteel and earthmoving machinery supplier Ludowici.
Through the practicum, students form international consulting teams with students from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, to complete a “real life” US market entry or expansion project for an Australian company.
The teams are mentored by a mix of alumni, academics and previous clients of the GCP program, from UQ Business School and Wharton.
UQ Business School MBA student Henry Anning said the practicum was “an amazing opportunity” to gain experience with real-life, influential clients.
“Working on a complex project as part of a large, inter-continental and diverse team has been a highlight of my MBA studies,” Mr Anning said. “The complexity, uncertainty and challenge of this project develops communication, management and execution skills that are critical to business success,” he said.
Business School MBA director Dr Sarah Kelly said the practicum had been running for 37 years at Wharton and for five years at UQ.
“It provides great value for the clients, and represents a significant opportunity for Australian businesses and the economy,” Dr Kelly said.
UQ Business School MBA students also will soon have the opportunity to collaborate with MBA students from Fudan University in China on expansion projects for Australian companies looking to grow into the Chinese market.
