Professional MBA students visit France

WKU’s Professional MBA (PMBA) students visited Lyon, France, recently to learn about business in France and the European Union.

WKU’s Professional MBA students recently visit Lyon, France.

The WKU PMBA program globalizes its program by including an international trip is part of the curriculum for the 2012 and 2013 cohorts.  “We chose Lyon because it is the second most populous city in France and the center of many French industries,” Bob Hatfield, MBA Coordinator, said.

PMBA students attended important presentations by French business leaders in different industries.  Students toured French businesses, private-public industry cooperative “clusters,” and met with American and French officials involved in trade between the U.S. and France.

Students on the trip were: Danilo Amoretty of Gallatin, Tenn.; Derek Anderson, Brandon Boone, Erin Desmarais, Amir Salkic and Brandi West, all of Bowling Green; Pam Decker of Smiths Grove; Tom Morris of Brentwood, Tenn.; Mark Wegener of Rockfield; Allison Willian and Damian Wirth, both of Franklin; and Kathy Wilson of Tompkinsville.

The students visited the Lyon’s Economic Development Agency, Rhodia Bioresource Research Center and the associated French cluster focused upon sustainable bioresources, Renault Trucks-Volvo Group and the French truck and bus competitive cluster.

Business-cultural visits included the Paul Bocuse Culinary Arts & Hospitality School, the gardens of the Chateau de la Chaize winery and the aspects of the silk industry. U.S.-French business relations were discussed in special meetings with Mark Shapiro, U.S. Consul in Lyon, and Bradley Stock, Regional Chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Students spent a day in Geneva, Switzerland, home of the Red Cross and many other international organizations.

“The trip to Lyon was both educational and insightful; an experience that exposed and submerged PMBA students in the culture and business world unique to Europe,” said Damian Wirth, PMBA student and Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer at Franklin Bank & Trust Co.

According to Jeff Katz, Dean of the Gordon Ford College of Business: “We are an applied college of business and very proud that our professional MBA students are able to experience global business on a first-hand basis. Our excellent faculty-led study abroad programs are designed to provide unique learning experiences for students in all degree programs offered by our college. We encourage our students to be global business leaders.”

The large and influential business college in Lyon, Jean Moulin University of Lyon 3, coordinated the May 19-27 presentations and visits. WKU has a relationship with the University of Lyon and has hosted French MBA students for visits to Bowling Green in recent years. More than 6,000 business students, including doctoral students, are enrolled at the University of Lyon. Its dean, Jerome Rive, visited WKU last week and discussed efforts to extend the relationship between WKU and the University of Lyon to areas outside of business.

The Professional MBA students visiting Lyon are completing their second and final year in the alternate Saturday executive MBA program in the Gordon Ford College of Business. The students began and ended together as one cohort, with the international trip reinforcing the global aspects of their business education.

To learn more about all of the WKU MBA program options, visit http://www.wku.edu/mba or call Bob Hatfield at (270) 745-5458.