Omnium Goes to Brazil
Why Brazil? One of the world’s top ten economies and a so-called "BRIC" (Brazil, Russia, India and China) country, Brazil is an emerging giant poised to transform the global economy. It is also home to numerous world-beating companies that managed to survive and thrive in often turbulent economic conditions. Omnium participants hear directly from Brazilian managers about what it takes to weather super inflation and currency fluctuations while still competing successfully in global markets. How did aircraft-maker Embraer outperform Bombardier? How did Brazilian brewer Ambev crush competition from Canadian brewing giant Molson? Brazilian companies have much to teach us about succeeding in turbulent, high-risk markets.
Patience in Brazil
“For the South American module, we were given the task of finding a Brazilian company for an on-site visit. Making contact was the easy part, but fixing a date and actually getting someone to meet with us was another matter. The process as a whole provided us with many valuable insights into Brazilian business culture. Most important: you have to be patient and flexible. When we did finally meet with the COO, it was a surprisingly open and interesting discussion. We talked for three hours about the company’s challenges, risks and growth opportunities. One take-away was that they have to think very much in advance, have to have a good risk-management and growth strategy. They also complained about corruption and the difficulty of good governance. You sensed there is a business culture that wants to evolve but that there are factors holding it back.”
Omnium student Verick Schick
chemical engineer and Production Manager
Gillette (Germany), Berlin, Germany
