St. Gobain Containers - China: Challenges & Opportunities
Dates: Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Time: N/A
Location: N/A
Why is an international trip is essential to the future of your career and why China is a must to have on your resume?
Tom McDuffee, Sr. VP for Human Resources at St. Gobain Containers talked to MBA students from the Krannert School of Management about the challenges and opportunities of working overseas. Specifically, he talked about what corporate HR would say about the value of international experience to an MBA’s resume.
Excerpts from his presentation:
Multinationals hire people from all over the world. Invariably, this diverse group interacts, exchanges ideas, resolves conflicts and moves the company forward. In this sort of environment, language skills and cultural awareness are absolutely vital. Months of classroom training cannot substitute for a few days spent in a foreign country. Recruiters overwhelmingly prefer candidates with language skills and cultural diversity over those who have little or no exposure to other cultures.
McDuffee emphasized the social and environmental considerations of doing business overseas. While some countries have relaxed laws about worker rights and environmental pollution, companies should continue to do business as if they were operating in mainland America. “If we don’t do that, our actions will come back to haunt us. At the very least, the good name of the company will be besmirched if people discover that we had different standards for overseas operations.”
McDuffee said that his Taiwan assignment made a huge impact on his outlook on life, his awareness and acceptance of other cultures. He met and socialized with top businessmen and government officials, an opportunity he would not have had in America. In terms of contacts made and skills acquired, he compared an overseas assignment to getting an MBA! Double MBA anyone?