When it comes to business education, firsthand global experiences prove the most impactful. That’s why McIntire’s Global Immersion Experience (GIE) remains an essential staple of its integrated M.S. in Commerce Program. Every spring, the GIE takes students beyond the classroom, immersing them in the multifaceted realities and cultures of business across an ever-changing portfolio of dynamic regions around the globe.
In late May of 2025, McIntire graduate students once again embarked on captivating journeys to five diverse regions, each led by Commerce School faculty members. Professor Jim Burroughs guided students through Southeast Asia, with stops in Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam; Professor Amar Cheema brought students to the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Indonesia, offering a multicultural look at business innovation; Professor Ira Harris led an exploration across Europe and North Africa, visiting Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic, and Morocco. In Latin America, Professor Jeremy Marcel’s students delved into the markets of Peru, Argentina, and Brazil; and Professor Andrea Roberts took her cohort across East Asia, with notable visits in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan.
More than 50 McIntire and UVA alumni and parents make the GIE possible by welcoming students into their companies for briefings and manufacturing visits, hosting events, sharing thought leadership, and generously offering their time and support.
Living the Lessons: Impactful Encounters on the Global Stage
Each track provided a unique lens through which students viewed the nuances of global commerce that will undoubtedly shape their understanding of business, their current mindset, and their future careers.
In each destination, the curriculum came alive in bustling boardrooms, discussions with inspiring companies, and culturally rich environments, giving students tangible examples of what they’d discussed back on Grounds. For many, these experiences were both revelatory and transformative, crystallizing career aspirations and widening their professional horizons.
In the island country of Singapore, students discovered insights from APAC Advisors that set the standard for the entire journey. Samar Guidry (Batten ’24, M.S. in Commerce ’25) recounts, “It was our first company visit, and [APAC Advisors Founder and CEO] Steve Okun (A&S ’88, Law ’91) did a great job on creating a lasting impression amongst the group. He was able to give a lot of background into Singapore’s government and the ideology that Singaporeans and foreign investors have when it comes to doing business there. He also went into depth about how economic policies around the world are changing the face of international relations and the subsequent strategies that different administrations may use to navigate these turbulent times.”
Samar Guidry participated in the Southeast Asia track of this year’s GIE. (Photo courtesy of Samar Guidry)
Students also had impactful visits in the Lion City with Keppel Land, Airbus and Rolls-Royce, Blackstone, and Beyonics, before heading to Bangkok, Thailand, then to Vietnam’s Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. Once there, they met with Saitex Denim, Vinamilk, and VinaCapital.
Guidry appreciated what she gained when meeting with VinaCapital CEO Brook Taylor. “I found him super insightful for some of the same reasons I found Okun so captivating: They both took time to explain how their business works within the specific context of their country, and this allowed us to actively engage in a meaningful way, as we could ask questions that helped us contrast business in the States to these countries,” she says. “Taylor went into depth about the history of Vietnam, and how the country’s relative youth in being a non-occupied state creates a specific set of challenges for the country and also serves as a catalyst in the country’s growth in the near future.”
On the GIE to UAE, Singapore, and Indonesia, Antonia Masias (A&S ’24, M.S. in Commerce ’25) was struck by a meeting with Group CEO of EtonHouse International Education Group Yi-Xian “Yix” Ng (McIntire ’09), in Singapore. “Hearing his story about taking on and transforming his family’s business was incredibly inspiring,” she says. “It showed me the potential of younger generations to not only continue but truly innovate within family enterprises.”
It was one of many significant visits in Singapore that also included PwC, Kind Kones, Meta, Keppel Fund Management, PIMCO Prime Real Estate, ShawKwei, TikTok, Stocktwits, and a meeting with Dayle Carden, Managing Parter at Elliot Barret Group and a US-UAE Business Council Senior Advisor and Scott Carden (Darden ’17), Director of Business Development for the Middle East and Africa at Bombardier.
In Dubai, students also visited with representatives from Citi, Co Chocolat, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Franklin Templeton, Heidrick & Struggles, James Branding, Jones Day, Jumeirah Hotels, Praxis Advertising, The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, Shelf Drilling, the U.S. Consulate Dubai and a meeting with HE Omran Sharaf (Engineering ’05), UAE Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology. In Abu Dhabi, meetings with colleagues from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) was a firsthand learning experience highlight while, days later, company visits in Jakarta, Indonesia, included Superbank, East Ventures, and Emtek.
Meanwhile in Latin America, students on that trek met with both Vale, a large Brazilian mining company, and Ecofactory, an Argentinian plastics enterprise, impressed Rae Reaves (A&S ’23, M.S. in Commerce ’25), an Implementation Consultant with Anaplan in St. Augustine, FL. “What began as a pretty standard presentation at the mining company took a turn when they began discussing a major dam collapse that had devastating consequences for an entire village,” she recalls. “It really opened my eyes to how deeply corporate decisions can affect the communities around them and that these choices really matter.”
Rae Reaves traveled in the Latin America track. (Photo courtesy of Rae Reaves)
Regarding the visit to Buenos Aires-based Ecofactory, their reusable plastic bag alternatives and partnership with the government to get single-use plastics banned in Buenos Aires stood out as a positive example of commerce impacting the common good in practice: “This was just one example of the innovation and creative problem-solving I saw in Argentina and a great illustration of how business and policy can often work together,” says Reaves.
Philip Horton (A&S ’23, M.S. in Commerce ’25) found that one of the most impactful experiences he had was visiting EY in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “Roberto Martorelli, a Managing Partner, gave us a great presentation and covered the political, social, and economic climate of Brazil, which was amazing,” he says. “I learned so much from this visit. It was definitely my favorite.”
Visits also took students to the Central Bank of Peru, Piola Bags, Goodyear, ADEX, and DP World in Lima, Peru, and Argentina’s YPF, PwC, Globant, and La Serenísima. In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, students stopped at EY, Instituto Brasileiro de Petróleo e Gás, and BNDES, the Brazilian Development Bank.
James Whiteley and classmates visited Wan Hai Lines in Taiwan while traveling in the East Asia track. (Photo courtesy of James Whiteley)
James Whiteley (A&S ’24, M.S. in Commerce ’25), who was on Roberts’ East Asia track, shared his reflections on a session that stuck with him. “One of the most unexpectedly impactful and insightful site visits was to Wan Hai Lines in Taipei. We were welcomed by a group of employees who provided an engaging and interactive tour that simulated the challenges and complexities of navigating 120 shipping vessels around the world,” he says, explaining how the visit illuminated the political difficulties Taiwanese companies face. “Wan Hai operates in the Taiwan Strait, one of the most geopolitically tense areas in the world and also relies on service to both China and the United States. As a result, they must balance relationships and maintain flexibility with their routes.
“One of the most memorable parts of the visit was our meeting with the Vice Chairman, who emphasized how soft skills were the most influential tools he learned in school. While classes on organizational behavior and communication sometimes receive less attention, it was meaningful to hear an executive reinforce how central those skills are to everyday work and leadership.”
Roberts’ GIE also offered students visits in Taipei with AppWorks, the Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation (CAPRI, chaired by Syaru Shirley Lin [UVA Parent ’20], Nonresident Faculty Senior Fellow at the UVA Miller Center of Public Affairs), MediaTek, TSMC, Bora Pharmaceuticals, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Giant Bicycles. Instrumental in arranging many of these visits and supporting the program in Taiwan since its first track over a decade ago, Ed Deng (McIntire ’00), Co-Founder and CEO at H2 Inc. (Health2Sync) and a McIntire Global Advisory Board member, also briefed students on his company’s mission and work.
In Seoul, South Korea, students met with PwC, the Green Climate Fund, Merck Ltd. Korea, the Arts Council of Korea, Myriad Partners, Sony Music Entertainment Korea, and Amorepacific. In Tokyo, Japan, the GIE was hosted by SDG Impact Japan, Lone Star Funds, Fujifilm, teamLab Borderless, and Nissan.
Professor Harris’s European and North African GIE provided Gable Braun (A&S ’24, M.S. in Commerce ’25) with fresh perspectives on concepts he learned at McIntire reflected in the trips taken to Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic, and Morocco. After visiting Strassenbräu Brewery in Berlin, Germany, Braun celebrated the spirit of entrepreneurship fostered during adversity. “[Founder and Managing Director] Timo Thoennissen’s honesty about the challenges he faced during the pandemic, along with his choice to pivot and expand rather than pull back, was truly inspiring,” Braun says. “His story, in practice, showed me that the opportunity to succeed as an entrepreneur is the result of an amalgamation of traits and skills, and that the courage to move forward through uncertainty is a key part of that.”
M.S. in Commerce students visit Bloomberg News in Berlin. (Photo courtesy of Ira Harris)
The European and North African GIE spent time in Stockholm, Sweden’s Combiner AB and Agapi Boat Club; Berlin’s AWS, betahaus, and Bloomberg News; and Leipzig, Germany’s BMW factory; as well as had visits in Prague and Terezín, Czech Republic, and Casablanca, Morocco’s stock exchange and Managem Group in Marrakech, Morocco.
Ambitions Elevated with Global Learning
For many students, the GIE laid the groundwork for their emerging professional paths in vibrant cities, allowing them to align personal ambitions with global opportunities.
Mary Kathryn Lamb (A&S ’24, M.S. in Commerce ’25), an Associate Consultant at Bain and Company in Dallas, TX, extolls the high-caliber access Cheema’s GIE granted her. “Before embarking on the GIE, we were told time and again that we would gain access to the highest level of major multinational corporations—access that most entry-level analysts would not see for decades. Day after day, that proved true as we met with C-suite executives who took time out of their busy schedules to teach us about their businesses, answer our burning questions, and give us a firsthand look into a region many of us had never experienced before,” she says.
In one track of the GIE, students traveled to the UAE, Singapore, and Indonesia. (Photo courtesy of Darci Spuck)
“We walked in and out of offices at Meta, PwC, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, and many others,” she adds, noting how each successive visit grew her and her peers’ confidence as they engaged more deeply with representatives from each hosting organization. “We were not just sitting in on presentations; we were learning how global business leaders think, communicate, and operate. We formed relationships we hope will remain part of our professional networks for years to come.” The meetings left her inspired and envisioning a future where she will be ready to mentor the next generation of global business pioneers.
For Horton, an incoming Business Analyst at Deloitte in Washington, DC, seeing how business leaders in Peru, Brazil, and Argentina adapted to uncertainty was one of the most relevant aspects of the GIE in relation to his career goals in consulting. “Watching them navigate inflation, political shifts, and economic volatility while staying focused on long-term strategy was amazing,” he says.
As he seeks opportunities in the real estate capital markets, Braun remains inspired by the direct accounts from professionals and entrepreneurs who shared their stories of perseverance in the face of difficulties. “It connected with what we studied in Strategy about never wasting a crisis and using tough moments as opportunities to grow. This lesson feels especially relevant to my future aspirations because it showed me that building a successful career takes more than just knowledge. It requires flexibility, the ability to learn from challenges, and the mindset to keep pushing forward,” he says.
For Whiteley, the GIE refined essential skills: “Regardless of the country or company we visited, my peers and I were outsiders. That meant we needed to be respectful, observant, and adaptable. Learning how to navigate those differences helped me develop the kind of cultural awareness and professionalism I’ll need when working with global investors or representing a firm to limited partners abroad.” These lessons taught him the nuances of cultural sensitivity, crucial for a career in investor relations and capital raising—roles he is currently recruiting for with investment firms. “Looking ahead, I feel more prepared to step into roles that require cultural competency, executive presence, and strategic communication, all of which were strengthened through the GIE experience.”
Guidry, currently signed as a Defender with professional soccer team Dallas Trinity FC but keeping her eyes open for business opportunities, says the GIE proved relevant, as she hopes to work in public policy, where she can apply her data analytics skills to shape AI policy in government or contribute to the development of platforms used by government agencies.
“During the GIE experience, I was especially struck by how a country like Singapore has achieved such efficiency within its bureaucratic systems—something I believe the U.S. struggles with, particularly in its public institutions,” she says. “I see AI as a powerful tool to improve these systems by streamlining processes that typically take days and helping restore public trust in government agencies that many Americans have grown skeptical of. I also see its altruistic use in being a way to hopefully bring some equality back to the biased systems that many Americans rely on for food, insurance, shelter, and protection.”
Across the five distinct GIE tracks, the M.S. in Commerce students experienced essential business lessons that extend beyond borders. As they launch their professional lives, they carry with them a wealth of understanding and connections that will continue to shape their futures in the global business landscape.
To learn more about opportunities to support and host a briefing for students on a Global Immersion Experience in your city, please contact Darci Spuck, Director of Global Advancement, at dds6w@virginia.edu.
M.S. in Commerce students on the Europe and North Africa track take a camel ride. (Photo courtesy of Ira Harris)
