Johannesburg Global Experience through Sloan lenses

Global Experience provides numerous opportunities to the LBS students, encompassing not only the subject matter related to the functioning of the economy and business in a particular region, but also facilitating cultural exchange, fostering a diverse cohort, and generating innovative ideas. Bryan Goerger, our Sloan 2024 student, selected Johannesburg as his GE destination this year, considering it as one of the most significant aspects of his programme experience. Let’s find out below the reasons that made South Africa such an appealing theme for exploration.

  1. Could you please tell us a little bit about your background and why do you think you needed a programme like Sloan in your career at this point?

Before beginning the Sloan programme, I held commercial roles in several multinational companies. The work was challenging and allowed me to live and work around the world. However, at some point, my career began feeling misaligned with my values. I joined the Sloan programme to reinvent myself. It was the perfect environment, where I received the encouragement and support that I needed to transform my career.

2. What GE location did you choose and what was the most attractive about the theme?

As fate would have it, the Johannesburg GE was the best experience I could have had for this stage in my career. Having worked in a variety of global roles, I have already worked and traveled in many of the cities that the other GEs were visiting.  I felt the most attractive element of this GE was the impact that we would have on the participants and companies that we worked with. We often found ourselves admiring the spirit that the micro-entrepreneurs had, in spite of the dire conditions that surrounded them.

3. What key sessions did you attend that made you see the business world on a different level? 

The highlight of the week was spending time learning about our micro-entrepreneurs’ business. The first few days challenged everything I knew about being an entrepreneur. I was in awe of his determination and mindset, and was left speechless on the final day when the entrepreneurs shared their gratefulness for our support and encouragement.

Throughout the week, we also traveled to visit groups like Lalela, an educational arts programme for at-risk youth to develop creative thinking and an entrepreneurial spirit, and the African Leadership Academy which both showcased the spirit and bright future of Africa.

4. GE is about expanding your expertise within a specific topic as well as being able to experience first-hand talks and tours from the leading companies within that sector. What companies/ stakeholders did you interact with?

I feel the Johannesburg GE is unlike any other. This is because it focuses on creating meaningful individual impact at an individual level. Not only are you helping craft meaningful change for the micro-entrepreneurs that you are supporting, but I discovered that the experience had a profound personal impact on me as well. I left South Africa feeling very grateful for what the experience taught me about entrepreneurship, resilience and positive psychology.

5. Who was the leading faculty and who was part of your cohort?

Rajesh Chandy & Elias Papaioannou led the GE group which consisted of mostly MBAs, with only one EMBA student and two Sloan Fellows. This created somewhat of a multi-generation group where the leadership students were able to get to know MBA students and make campus connections that may not have occurred otherwise. I often felt more like a mentor than a peer when interacting with the other LBS students on the trip, which only enhanced the ‘spirit of giving’ which I felt throughout the week in South Africa.

6. Do you have any piece of advice for upcoming Sloan candidates that wish to choose South Africa as their GE?

The advice that I would give any Sloan is to consider using your GE experience to support the micro-entrepreneurs in Johannesburg. The advice you provide will impact a community and provide a legacy of positive change. In turn, you’ll be left with a spirit of accomplishment and impact that is unlike what any other GE can provide.

For more information on the LBS Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy please visit our website.

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