Looking South: Beedie teams up with b-schools in Brazil, Mexico and the U.S. to offer Americas MBA

By Remy Scalza

On a Sunday evening in late August, 53 business executives from as far as São Paulo, Brazil, and as near as Delta, B.C., gathered in the Bill Reid Gallery in downtown Vancouver.  In the shadow of totem poles, they bowed their heads for a welcome song and prayer, feasted on traditional barbecued salmon and marveled at masterworks of aboriginal art.

Then, they got down to business: a lecture from a leading legal expert on the ins and outs of economic development on Canada’s First Nations land.

All in a day’s work for the students of a pioneering executive MBA program offered at Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business.  Started last year, the Americas MBA for Executives brings together a cohort of classmates from leading graduate business schools in Canada, Brazil, Mexico and the U.S. for two years of coursework and collaboration.  The goal: Build north-south ties and prepare a new generation of leaders for the challenges and rewards of global business in the Americas.

“There’s tremendous growth potential in the region, and there are really no other programs out there like this one,” says Colleen Collins, program coordinator and associate dean of the Beedie School of Business.  “The Americas MBA for Executives student is someone who’s saying, ‘I’m ready for these global opportunities. I want to lead international teams.  And I need to build my network in these regions.’”

In addition to Simon Fraser University, participating schools include FIA Business School in São Paulo, Brazil, ITAM in Mexico City, Mexico, and Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management in Nashville, Tenn. Students spend one year on their home turf, immersing themselves in a standard executive MBA curriculum. During the second year, they become frequent fliers.

Participants from all four schools organize into international teams for a global capstone project.  Then, every few months, the entire cohort converges on one of the member universities for 10 days of face-to-face collaboration, classes and primers in local business practices.

“That’s the powerful aspect of this program,” Collins says.  “Students really get to know colleagues from other schools in person.  For the rest of their lives, they can pick up the phone and consult somebody halfway around the world.”

First stop: Vancouver

After a year on their respective campuses, the inaugural Americas MBA for Executives class united for the first time this August at Simon Fraser University.  Inside the classroom, coursework focused on the fundamentals of global business strategy, international human resources management and cross-cultural communications.

Outside class, field projects offered students a first-hand look inside Vancouver businesses with international reach, paving the way for future partnerships.  Participating companies included Vision Critical, a global leader in online market research, and Ballard Power Systems, which develops and manufactures zero-emission fuel cells.  “There’s a huge market for sustainable technology in Brazil,” Collins says. “São Paulo, for instance, has one of the most extensive bus systems in the world, which is a great opportunity for companies like Ballard.”

Indeed, Canada’s growing ties with Latin America have proven an important factor in drawing executives to the new program.  In 2010, Canadian trade with Latin America increased 28.8 percent from the previous year, faster than in any other region, with further growth of 13 percent in 2011.  The Latin American economy is projected to expand by 20 percent over the next five years, and British Columbia’s mining, oil and gas, construction and banking industries all have strong connections south of the border.

“We all know China has a growth economy, but so do Brazil, Mexico and Chile,” Collins says.  “We have several students looking to take on senior management roles in Latin America or expand their businesses down there.”

One of them is Vancouver executive Yurij Duda, who turned to the Americas MBA program to help him grow his business in an increasingly global environment.  A veteran provider of industrial project management and sales and marketing services, Duda has major clients in pulp and paper, mining and oil and gas.  For him, the Americas MBA has offered a unique window on the culture of business in Latin America.  “On the face of it, the language barrier looks like the biggest challenge,” Duda writes in an email, “but really it’s the differences in how business gets done.”

Face-to-face contact with executives from other regions has proven invaluable.  “The connections that I’m making with like-minded professionals across several countries is the biggest benefit,” Duda writes.  “Being able to interact personally . . . . allows the relationship to get to a much higher level than only meeting virtually, especially when establishing environmental and risk assessment criteria.”

After a busy week in the city, Duda and his international Americas MBA cohort capped their Canadian experience with an Asia-Pacific dinner inside Vancouver’s Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.  “All of us – Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the U.S. – do tons of business with China,” Collins explains.  “And Vancouver is such a great gateway to that part of the world.”  After a lecture from a Simon Fraser University China expert, new colleagues exchanged a round of goodbyes, ciaos and até logos and made plans for the next phase of their program.  “They’re totally exhausted,” Collins says.  “It’s been a whirlwind.”

Next stop for students was Brazil, where they explored sustainability, social responsibility and emerging markets strategies in October. From there, it’s on to Mexico City in February for a primer on international competitiveness and family-owned businesses.  The final visit takes students to Nashville in April for a look at innovation and entrepreneurial ventures.