The modern reality of global connectivity has allowed me to spend many recent years living and climbing in Switzerland. I fell in love with the mountain village of Engelberg and often rent a flat there, spending the days climbing soaring limestone walls with my Swiss friends and the evenings taking advantage of the time zones to work as the East Coast of the US is just having its morning coffee.
And with the benefit of a different geographic perspective, I found that after 15 years of entrepreneurship, I wanted more: A stronger international network and top-shelf testing on finance, leadership, and business strategy. A little googling led me to IMD in Lausanne Switzerland, the #1 Executive Education program globally according to the Financial Times, and so I spent most of 2015 through 2017 traveling to seven countries on four continents, completing an Executive MBA. I guess the highest praise I can give that experience is to say that I have since become something of an evangelist for mid-life education. It was a brilliant and transformative experience.
Graduation from the IMD Executive MBA program. My colleagues were 55 executives from 26 countries. I was the only member of my class from the United States. I am center, top row
Tech & Venture Capital
With an international team of six, I successfully pitched a Swiss autonomous mobility start-up to Silicon Valley VC. This three-month process bridged many cultural gaps to align a profitable start-up with its future goals, articulate its USP, and to connect it with its first round of American Venture Capital funding.
Swiss tech & US VC in Silicon Valley
Cross-Cultural Communication
I spent countless hours exploring, debating and evolving a global business perspective that has vastly broadened my intellectual horizons, while also reminding me of the importance in attention to detail. In any organization, no matter how big or small, your ability to communicate equals your ability to succeed
With two of my close colleagues in Lausanne, Switzerland
Values
While studying the role of government in multi-national firms in Brazil, I and some of my colleagues mentored college-bound school children. When a student asked “What is most important in my career?” It was profound to find that across all cultures, we answered the children’s question the same way: “Work hard, be honest, and above all, be true to yourself.”
The next generation of leaders in São José dos Campos, Brazil
Culture
Between travels, I lived primarily in Oxford England, satiating my own curiosity with the local culture of knowledge and the ability to attend lectures, debates and panels on topics ranging from business to fake news to micro black holes. It is my belief that, professionally and personally, we are products of the environment we create for ourselves.
The Oxford University Press. Oxford, England
Transformation
I visited many businesses in China learning that indeed, everyone of us and all of our organizations are truly capable of profound growth and change. In every city, from tiny fishing villages to the towers of Shanghai, the evidence is all around. Proving that if you are singularly focused, and willing to work hard enough, all things are truly possible.
Exploring what remains of old Shanghai
And the vast, endless development of new Shanghai
Images from top left: 1) The Engelberg valley. Switzerland. 2) Receiving my Executive MBA from IMD. 3) En route between Shanghai and Suzhou, China. 4) With colleagues post-graduation. 5) Enjoying a study break in Epesses, Switzerland. 6) Shanghai, China on a gray day in January. 7) Copacabana and Ipandema with the Pedrea de Gavea mountain in the background Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 8) I found, quite unexpectedly, that financial modeling is a strength and of great interest to me. Who knew?