Tel Aviv Global Week 2015

Students across the Kellogg Executive MBA Global Network recently convened at Leon Recanati Graduate School of Business Administration in Tel Aviv for an immersive week of networking and learning.

In this global elective week, Kellogg students took courses that focused on venture capital in one of the world’s largest hubs for startups, alongside a diverse mix of students from campuses in Germany, Hong Kong, Beijing and Toronto.

Three students shared their takeaways from the trip.

What was your biggest takeaway?

Diversity of thought and perspective inherent in people of different backgrounds, experiences, and culture is a valuable tool in solving today’s business problems … and that tool is plentiful!

Steven Jeffrey Arquilla ’16
CEO, BMO Asset Management Corp

What was your favorite elective? Why?

The Kellogg Recanati elective week in Tel Aviv was life changing from many perspectives. The week brought together diverse students, great food, spectacular sightseeing and valuable lessons.

One such lesson was provided by Professor James Conley who instructed the Intellectual Capital Management course. While this class covered the basics of patents, copyrights, and trademarks, it centered on the strategy of utilizing these intellectual property rights to protect and prolong your business. As a practicing attorney, I knew the importance of these exclusive property rights, however this course highlighted the frameworks and strategies to better leverage these mechanisms. As Professor Conley demonstrated, intellectual assets dominate a changing world in which intangible assets comprise a majority of a company’s valuation. Tel Aviv offers great example of a thriving tech industry.

This course changed the way in which I view intangible assets, specifically how businesses can proactively manage intellectual capital to great long term value. With the rise of the tech industry worldwide, this enhanced view of intellectual capital is critical in order to create a competitive advantage.

Cynthia Sysol ’16
General Counsel, RecoverCare, LLC

How did your network improve as a result of your time in Tel Aviv?

The best way to truly connect and forge a genuine relationship with an international partner or colleague is to immerse oneself in the local culture and understand the various nuances and subtleties. This formula was evident during the Kellogg-Recanati Global Network Week. The time spent learning, working in integrated teams, and experiencing life in Tel Aviv afforded us the opportunity to form lifelong bonds not only with our Israeli compatriots, but the other professionals with the Global Network.

Elliot Pessis ’15
Vice President, Harrison Street Real Estate Capital