University of San Diego's 2020 Ahlers Center for International Business Brochure

THE AHLERS CENTER FOR

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

R IO DE JANE IRO,DUBA I, SEOUL , MADR ID, TOKYO, SAN DIEGO, PAR IS, MUNICH, LONDON, MIL AN, ATHENS, BOGOTA , BEIJING, L ISBON, BUEN O S A IRES, L IMA , CA SABL ANCA , HONG KONG, SHANGHA I.

E XPER IENCE THE HE ART-P OUNDING RHY THM OF

global business The University of San Diego School of Business has something truly unique—one of the few privately endowed centers for international business in the world. Through the Ahlers Center for International Business, students, faculty and the local business community engage in a multitude of global business opportunities.

Students get to participate in international consulting projects advising global giants like Mazda City or L'Oreal at their headquarters around the world. Or earn course credit while experiencing life abroad in an exchange program with one of our leading partner schools. To further the USD School of Business' global standards, the Ahlers Center also supports faculty members as they conduct international research and develop new curriculum.

With a multitude of learning opportunities through our International Business Speaker Series, Professional Series on International Trade and Business Development, Professional Series on Data Analytics for Global Business and custom programs for international executives and university groups, members of the business community can stay up to speed with current global business trends and strategies without ever leaving San Diego.

globally minded

DEVELOPING BUSINESS LEADERS SINCE 1994 1994

THE AHLERS CENTER IS FOUNDED WITH A GENEROUS ENDOWMENT FROM THE ESTATE OF JOHN AND CAROLYN AHLERS TO ENHANCE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO.

2001-2005

● Launched full-time international MBA program which started with a three-day orientation in Mexico ● Offered certificate program in global strategy and management for the business community

● Launched USD’s first semester exchange and double degree programs ● Organized USD’s first international alumni association meeting in Europe ● Launched international consulting projects for MBA students

1995-2000

● Developed faculty-led courses abroad for undergraduate business students ● Began offering custom learning programs for international organizations at USD

2011-2015

● Joined CUIBE (Consortium for Undergraduate International Business Education) ● Received a grant for case development from the Aspen Institute ● Master’s in executive leadership program integrated a required international experience into curriculum ● Undergraduate international business majors and minors began to compete annually in international business case competitions

● Established full-time MBA program with an embedded learning focus on international experience ● Joined PRME (Principles of Management Education) and prepared first Sharing of Information (SIP) reports ● Launched annual international faculty development programs

2006-2010

● Received grant from the Department of Education to design and develop academic programs focused on emerging markets ● Launched an undergraduate degree in international business

2016-2020 Expanded study abroad opportunities to all graduate business programs Launched the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate, open to students from universities all over the world Initiated USD’s first residential degree to be offered completely abroad in partnership with CETYS Universidad (Mexico) for our master’s in global leadership program

and beyond...

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

BRAZIL’S TOP GRADUATE BUSINESS SCHOOL SHARES WHAT A WITH USD MEANS FOR THEM

partnership

The University of San Diego has been our strategic partner for 20 years now. We co-edit the professional journal, the Latin American Business Review, and have had several faculty collaborate in cutting edge research and teaching through faculty exchanges. We have a joint MBA course that brings together students and professors from both business schools for consulting projects in Rio de Janeiro. During these 20 years, more than 100 consulting projects have been completed for small, medium and large businesses in Brazil.

USD students are great and their professors are fantastic. They have a professional background that always enhances the experience. Our MBA students from COPPEAD also go annually to San Diego to participate in an International Study Week and semester exchange programs at USD because we strongly trust that this is a memorable experience. For us, the University of San Diego and the Ahlers Center are references of excellence and a place to meet good friends!

ELAINE TAVARES

Dean, COPPEAD Graduate School of Business (UFRJ) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

EMPOWERING THE NEXT WAVE OF

global leaders

San Diego is known in the United States as “America’s Finest City”—and for a good reason. Located on the southernmost tip of California, right at the border with Mexico, San Diego has year-round 70-degree weather, 50 miles of spectacular coastline and endless sunny days. But with this vibrant Southern California vibe, San Diego also means business. Its budding startup culture, strong U.S. military presence and proximity to the busiest border crossing in the world, makes San Diego home to a unique ecosystem where businesses and government work together in a bi-national and multicultural setting.

This city is host to many corporations representing a number of industries, most notably technology, life sciences, biotech and defense. Over the past few years, San Diego has built a reputation as a startup hub and given rise to some of the world’s most innovative companies including Illumina, Qualcomm and Viasat.

Committed to being a city where startups flourish, San Diego is investing in entrepreneurial endeavors more than ever.

4 #1

TH BEST CITY FOR STARTUPS CITY IN THE U.S. FOR BOOMING ENTREPRENEURSHIP

WITH ITS TEMPERATE CLIMATE, ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES AND MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT, WE INVITE YOU TO USD TO EXPERIENCE ALL THAT SAN DIEGO HAS TO OFFER.

INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER SERIES The Ahlers Center for International Business Speaker Series gives students, faculty, alumni and members of the community an opportunity to hear from distinguished international business experts and scholars. Each semester, we invite leading industry professionals, researchers and educators to campus to share their unique insights and bring current global business topics to life through captivating presentations and forums.

SOME OF OUR RECENT SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

NAVRINA SINGH

CHRIS PEYRE (USD MBA ‘04)

RACHEL CANTU

Director of business development for artificial intelligence, Microsoft – “The Age of Artificial Intelligence: What Lies Ahead”

Head of global supply chain, Amazon Prime Now – “How Amazon Has Remained Customer-Centric as it Expands Across Programs and Countries”

Vice president of global supply chain, Patagonia - “Why Business is Good for the Planet”

*For a full list of speakers from this year, see accompanying brochure

EDUCATING GLOBAL

executives

With a history of designing exceptional learning programs for our students across the globe, the Ahlers Center is uniquely positioned to do the same for business students and professionals from an array of industries, functional specialties, and geographic locations. Since the center’s inception, we have crafted unique programs for a variety of clients looking to deepen their global business acumen.

Led by our USD School of Business faculty and local industry experts, our programs challenge participants to examine timely and relevant topics from a global perspective.

Examples of seminar topics have included global business strategy and entrepreneurship; innovation management and marketing; international supply chain management; faculty development on curriculum design; real estate investment and management; education technology; and customer service and operations management.

EXAMPLE OF CUSTOM PROGRAMS DEVELOPED FOR UNIVERSITY PARTNERS: A one-week seminar, Innovation and Design-Driven Strategies for Competitive Differentiation, for executive MBA students from COPPEAD Graduate School of Business - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil A one-week Summer Institute on Innovation and Entrepreneurship that included a track for undergraduate business students and a separate track for graduate business students from eight different universities in Germany, Mexico and Uruguay A custom training in supply chain management for graduate students from Universidad Anáhuac Mexico

by the NUmbers

12,000

EXECUTIVES IN ATTENDANCE

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

PASSPORT TO THE WORLD OF BUSINESS

leadership AROUND THE WORLD IN 24 MONTHS…

As an MBA student at the University of San Diego School of Business, Maria Lack took full advantage of the optional global learning opportunities presented by the Ahlers Center for International Business.

Kicking off the program with a team-building trip to Ensenada, Mexico, the whirlwind continued from there—first to Shanghai for an international consulting project at WD-40, then to Hong Kong to tour Foxconn, Cisco and Hactl’s manufacturing operations, then to South America to study global business strategy with the likes of Coca-Cola, Globant and Juan Valdez Café.

From there, it was off to Madrid, then Morocco, to learn how to manage business environment challenges in emerging and distressed markets. The adventure culminated in Rio de Janeiro for Lack’s second international consulting project working with a startup to bring additional revenue to the favelas (slums) of Brazil. Through it all, the Ahlers Center provided everything she needed to succeed while studying abroad.

“FROM VISAS, PAPERWORK AND CURRENCY CONVERSION TO ON THE GROUND DIRECTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THINGS TO DO ABROAD, THE AHLERS CENTER HAD EVERYTHING LAID OUT FOR US,” LACK SAID. “I AM VERY GRATEFUL FOR USD’S MBA PROGRAM AND THE AHLERS CENTER. IT’S A WORLD-CLASS PROGRAM. THEY SET UP SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR ME TO DEVELOP MY SKILLS NOT JUST AS AN MBA STUDENT, BUT AS A GLOBAL LEADER. THEY TRULY OFFERED ME A PASSPORT TO THE WORLD.”

Lack graduated with more than just her MBA—she also had a portfolio of global business analysis, corporate investment and operational efficiency projects to share with prospective employers. Not only could she apply the hard skills she learned to real-world business cases from the 10 countries she visited in 24 months, but she was able to demonstrate she had an open mind and a drive to adapt—top traits for today’s business leaders.

“THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE HAS MADE ME EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE WORKING WITH PEOPLE FROM EVERY CONTINENT, WHICH HELPS ME TODAY AS A LEADER OF DIVERSE TEAMS.” MARIA LACK '15

Manager for Training and Strategic Operations QueBIT Consulting

THE WORLD IS OUR

classroom

At the Ahlers Center, we believe international consulting and participation in courses offered in a variety of international locations—integrating the city, region and business practices into the classroom—are two of the best ways to prepare students for careers in a global business environment.

The courses we offer abroad, taught by our own faculty, allow students to visit local companies and hear from industry experts. Lecture material is enriched through cultural activities that further increase students’ overall understanding of both place and business abroad.

With our international consulting projects, students apply the business concepts and hands-on training they learn in class to real-world business situations abroad. Students work directly with top management of multinational companies, start-ups or even non-governmental organizations to tackle significant and current business problems—all on international soil! In some cases, project teams include graduate business students from our partner universities.

“THIS PROJECT WAS A TRUE TESTAMENT TO THE POWER OF EMBRACING AMBIGUITY, WORKING COLLABORATIVELY, AND THINKING CREATIVELY TO ACHIEVE DESIRED OUTCOMES. AS A RESULT OF OUR EFFORTS, WE WERE ABLE TO STIMULATE ENGAGING CONVERSATIONS WITH EXECUTIVES TO PREPARE THEM FOR LOCAL POLICY CHALLENGES AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO INCREASE HUBER+SUHNER’S VISIBILITY AS A KEY PLAYER IN THE AUTONOMOUS DRIVING MARKET.”

JULIE MAI (SHANGHAI) Full-Time MBA, '21

THE NET GAIN FROM THESE

opportunities

Our global outreach over the last 20 years includes a variety of destinations demonstrating exposure to diverse business environments and practices.

Students experience real-world challenges and develop a network of international contacts which prepare them to make signiďŹ cant contributions to our global business community.

MEXICO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC GUATEMALA

PERU BRAZIL

ARGENTINA

NETHERLANDS PORTUGAL SPAIN

ITALY

GERMANY

GREECE

TURKEY

CHINA

JAPAN

MOROCCO UAE

INDIA

HONG KONG THAILAND

GHANA

UGANDA

SOUTH AFRICA

TAIWAN VIETNAM

SINGAPORE

Key CONSULTING PROJECTS FACULTY LED COURSE

WHILE SOME ARE EXPLORING THE WORLD, OTHERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MULTIPLE GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED RIGHT HERE ON USD’S CAMPUS. Throughout the year, the Ahlers Center designs multiple seminars to complement the theoretical knowledge students are gaining in the classroom. Below are examples of our most recent professional series seminars.

Professional Series on International Trade and Business Development Undergraduate business students take a deep dive into various topics like import operations, supply chain management, market entry strategies, negotiations and business development in our Professional Series on International Trade and Business Development. This series brings industry experts to campus, providing students with real-world insight and greater career readiness.

Professional Series in Data Analytics for Business Data analytics is fast transforming how companies compete in today’s digitally powered world. In this four-seminar program designed for our undergraduate students, we invite business professionals of multinational corporations to discuss the critical role that data analytics holds for their jobs and the skill sets our graduates will need to be competitive in the workforce.

HITTING THE THROTTLE ON CROSS-CULTURAL

innovation

“AS THE INDUSTRY CHANGES, SO DO THE PREFERENCES OF OUR CUSTOMERS. MBA STUDENTS FROM THE USD SCHOOL OF BUSINESS BRING A FRESH PERSPECTIVE TO THE BMW MOTORRAD BUSINESS, WHICH HELPS US BETTER ANTICIPATE THE NEEDS OF OUR CURRENT AND FUTURE CUSTOMERS WHILE REMAINING AHEAD OF MARKET TRENDS.” Thoennes has also conducted workshops on USD’s San Diego campus, most recently working with MBA students to create a customer ecosystem from which a new business model was developed. And while the value of these workshops to both USD students and the BMW organization is clear, for Thoennes, getting to visit his alma mater in America’s Finest City is a bonus.

“The Ahlers Center had such a huge impact on my appreciation for the USA and how nice a different part of the world can be,” he said. “When I first came to San Diego, I felt like there were so many possibilities—so much to do; so much to be a part of. And each time I return to USD, I have that same feeling.”

Dominic Thoennes came to USD for the first time from the University of Applied Sciences Landshut in Germany to participate in a short-term program through the Ahlers Center. This was just the beginning of what would become a global partnership between the Ahlers Center and BMW Motorrad.

As business development manager for the renowned motorcycle brand, Thoennes leads a strategic partnership wherein USD MBA students travel to Munich for a ten-day-long international consulting project at BMW Motorrad.

world-class

STUDY IN A INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PROGRAM SUPPORT FOR IB MAJORS

Since the inception of the international business major and minor at USD, the Ahlers Center has supported international business students with an abundant array of activities and opportunities to prepare them for a global business career. Some of the programming offered includes: Guest speakers from multinational corporations and start-ups Site visits to leading international companies and discussions with business leaders Support, funding and training for a four-person USD team in the CUIBE International Business Case Competition at Northeastern University in Boston Establishment of a dedicated mentor program for IB majors and minors that pairs these students with local business professionals in the students’ area of interest

“The mentor program has helped me a lot with my professional development.

Through this network, I was informed of a summer internship opportunity and was ultimately hired for the position! Through my mentor, her connections, and her advice, I was able to gain experience and confidence in my abilities.”

TAYLOR HICKOX

BBA Marketing, International Business Minor '21

ARGENTINA

EXCHANGE PROGRAMS An open exchange of ideas benefits us all. In collaboration with our partner universities around the globe, the Ahlers Center coordinates semester-long exchange programs for graduate business students. With the goal of helping students develop a global mindset, these opportunities to spend an entire semester learning abroad allows participants to broaden their knowledge, increase language skills, and network outside of their home universities.

Not only can students study for a semester, they also have the opportunity to obtain a dual degree at an international university. Dual degrees at the MBA level are offered with Tecnológico de Monterrey’s EGADE Business School in Mexico or WHU Otto Beisheim Graduate School of Management in Germany. A dual degree is offered with our Master of Science in Global Leadership with the Centro de Enseñanza Técnica y Superior (CETYS) at various campuses in Baja California, Mexico.

BRAZIL CHINA

Each summer, USD offers the one-week International Student Introductory Program (ISIP) for newly admitted international graduate business students. ISIP is comprised of several workshops and activities designed to prepare these students to be successful in their academic and professional pursuits at USD. It is also a wonderful opportunity for them to meet and network with faculty, alumni and other students.

Graduate Business School of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ/COPPEAD) Fudan University in Shanghai The Guanghua School of Management at Peking University in Beijing Nanjing University in Nanjing

COLOMBIA FINLAND FRANCE

Universidad de los Andes in Bogota Aalto University School of Economics in Helsinki EDHEC in Lille and Nice EM Strasbourg Business School in Strasbourg KEDGE in Bordeaux NEOMA Business School in Reims

GERMANY GREECE INDIA

WHU, Otto Beisheim School of Management in Vallendar or Dusseldorf ALBA Graduate Business School in Athens Institute of Management Technology (IMT) in Ghaziabad (Delhi)

ITALY

LUISS Business School in Rome

JAPAN

University of Tsukuba in Tokyo

KOREA

Korean University Business School in Seoul

MEXICO

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT INTRODUCTORY PROGRAM

IAE in Buenos Aires

MOROCCO PHILIPPINES PORTUGAL SPAIN

Bocconi University in Milan

Tecnológico de Monterrey ESCA Management School in Casablanca Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in Manila The Lisbon MBA Escuela de Alta Dirección y Adminstración (EADA) in Barcelona IE Business School in Madrid

GO FROM INTERNATIONAL TO WITH PROFESSOR GÓMEZ

cosmopolitan

“THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING WELL TRAVELED AND BEING ABLE TO NEGOTIATE AND CONDUCT BUSINESS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD. OUR IMMERSIVE DEGREE PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO EMPOWER STUDENTS TO BECOME MORE COGNITIVELY AWARE, CULTURALLY SENSITIVE AND BEHAVIORALLY SAVVY IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS.” Through the Ahlers Center, Dr. Gómez was invited to engage with USD in several capacities while still residing in Mexico—as a guest speaker, distinguished international professor and later, as a part-time faculty member teaching classes on campus and abroad for more than 10 years before being appointed dean of the USD School of Business.

The USD School of Business’ deep commitment to internationalization under Gómez’s leadership led to a history-making moment for the university. In June 2019, the USD School of Business partnered with Mexico’s Centro de Enseñanza Técnica y Superior (CETYS) to offer USD's first master's degree outside of the U.S.—an achievement Gómez says wouldn’t have been possible without the leadership and support of the Ahlers Center, which facilitates seamless logistics abroad and helps students and faculty hone their global business skills.

Dr. Jaime Alonso Gómez holds degrees from universities in four countries, has consulted for companies in 55 countries and has served as dean of internationally oriented business schools in two countries. As founding dean of the EGADE Business School at Monterrey Tech in Monterrey, Mexico, Gómez helped establish the first two double MBA degrees in North America—one of which was in collaboration with the Ahlers Center for the University of San Diego School of Business. During his tenure as dean of the USD School of Business from 2015 to 2019, he made global learning a top priority leading the school to further develop a skills- and experience-based curriculum that fostered not just internationalism, but cosmopolitanism.

“In today’s globally interdependent and integrated economy, the international perspective and expertise provided by the Ahlers Center gives students and faculty an unmatched advantage when operating across markets, continents and cultures.”

Since having stepped down as dean of the USD School of Business, Gómez is still very active in advancing the internationalization of the school as a management professor teaching abroad, leading international consulting projects in Argentina and Brazil, teaching international students in the Summer Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship as well as other professional programs hosted by the Ahlers Center. He continues to participate in the annual faculty development trips to develop and expand his knowledge of current business practices abroad.

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT TRIPS FROM MOROCCO TO DUBAI TO SEOUL, OUR FACULTY HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE THE WORLD OF BUSINESS. LITERALLY. In an eort to continually develop and expand understanding of global business practices, USD School of Business faculty have opportunities to travel to various parts of the globe every year on a program organized by the Ahlers Center for International Business. While abroad, faculty visit local universities, share current and future research ideas, connect with USD alumni and have discussions with local business leaders. Social and cultural activities in the host country are also integrated into the trips. Faculty return to USD's campus excited and equipped to integrate their expanded knowledge into their teaching and research.

ADVANCING INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE THROUGH

research

Because open minds and diverse perspectives lead to remarkable results, the Ahlers Center is deeply committed to advancing international business knowledge. We do this by supporting the work and collaborations between USD School of Business faculty and other scholars from the international business community.

The Ahlers Center helps facilitate opportunities for many international scholars to come to the University of San Diego to conduct joint research with USD School of Business faculty. Working collectively to contribute to the university’s body of research, these visiting researchers not only bring a unique international perspective, but also enhance their own global mindsets by working and learning side by side with our own faculty.

In addition, USD faculty have the opportunity to receive research awards through the Ahlers Center. These awards recognize published papers, books, book chapters and case studies of signiďŹ cant interest that contribute to the academic international business community.

For the past ten years, Professor Kortmann, a professor of strategy and innovation and director of the Amsterdam MBA at the University of Amsterdam, has spent his summers at the USD School of Business for the unique opportunity of creating interdisciplinary research with USD Associate Professor of Management Carsten Zimmerman, along with Associate Professor of Accounting Johan Perols and Associate Professor of Marketing Kenneth Bates, among others.

“THE AHLERS CENTER IS DEFINITELY AN INSTITUTION THAT YOU DON’T FIND IN MANY OTHER PLACES. IT’S AN INCUBATOR OF NEW KNOWLEDGE. IT BRINGS STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE AND ALLOWS THEM TO INTERACT WITH OTHER CULTURES AND EXPERTS FROM DIFFERENT KNOWLEDGE AREAS TO SPARK NEW IDEAS.” PROFESSOR SEBASTIAN KORTMANN University of Amsterdam

VISIT US ONLINE www.sandiego.edu/ahlers