| International Business Club Members Tour the Seattle Area
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Don Larson, far right, of Boeing gave current MSU students a tour of the plant.
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Traditionally, the alumni of Montana State University have been a
tremendous resource and inspiration for current students. Past
students of MSU have taken time to offer tours, information about
internships and employment possibilities to our current students.
This experience not only showcases the value and loyalty of MSU
graduates, but also lays the groundwork for the tradition to
continue when these students are asked to share their expertise
to future MSU students.
This past November, MSU-Bozeman College of Business alumnus,
Boeing's Executive Director of Joint Programs, Don Larson, 1985
finance, hosted eleven members of the International Business Club
at the Boeing Company in Renton, Washington. Larson organized
tours and meetings with a variety of executives from Boeing's
Commercial Aircraft Division, including visits with the vice
president of supplier relations and the director of Boeing's
China operations. This opportunity gave the club members insight
of doing business overseas. They were also given a private tour
of one of Boeing's assembly plants.
The purpose of the trip, arranged by club advisor Susan Dana,
assistant professor of management, was to give the students the
opportunity to learn about the challenges of international
business, as well as to explore career options. The contacts and
tours that Larson arranged gave the students an informative
experience. They learned about the opportunities and challenges
Boeing faces in its commercial aircraft division, including
management of thousands of suppliers all over the world.
Students also heard about the enormous changes in the business
environment for commercial aircraft since September 11, 2001 and
Boeing's strategy for competing with Airbus.
In addition to Boeing, the students also visited the Port of
Seattle to learn about the transportation of goods and spent the
afternoon at Amazon.com learning about its expansion into foreign
markets.
Students who were interested in learning more about the
international business environment and associated career
opportunities founded MSU's International Business Club five
years ago. Membership varies by semester, but typically, about 20
students, attend the club meetings. Some of the members are
studying abroad or have just returned from doing so.
The group that went to Seattle consisted of students from all
four options at the College of Business (management, marketing,
accounting and finance) and included students from Ireland,
China, Romania and Kazakhstan. Dana also accompanied the group.
Larson, who has been coming back to MSU to recruit business and
engineering students for Boeing for several years, has been
extremely generous with his time and knowledge. Many MSU-Bozeman
students from many different majors have benefited from his
loyalty to MSU.
Our alumni often open doors for internships, jobs and financial
support for MSU and the College of Business. As an alumnus, you
are encouraged to share your experiences and contacts with our
current students. To find out how you can help and participate,
contact Kathleen Langenheim, Director of Development for the
College of Business, 406-994-6766 or e mail at her at
katlang@montana.edu
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