UF Warrington MBA students explore global business through Global Immersion Experiences to Peru and Denmark

MBA students seeking to immerse themselves in global business and culture had the opportunity to do so this summer through two distinct Global Immersion Experiences. 

MBA students in Warrington’s South Florida Weekend Part-Time MBA cohort traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark, where they worked directly with seven companies on real business challenges, applying concepts from their MBA coursework to develop strategic recommendations.

In Lima, Peru, students from Warrington’s Online MBA and Weekend Part-Time MBA programs participated in an elective Global Immersion Experience that combined international business visits, cultural activities and a consulting project for a Peruvian company.

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Sponsored global consulting projects in Copenhagen

Weekend Part-Time MBA students in Warrington’s South Florida cohort traveled to Copenhagen after several weeks of preparation with seven Danish Companies, including CPH Cooking Class and Ibsen Photonics. Students worked directly with company leaders to analyze business challenges and develop recommendations they could use beyond the GIE.

CPH Cooking Class hosts private functions, special events, team-building activities and hands-on cooking classes designed to immerse guests in Danish and Nordic cuisine.

The company asked MBA students to support its long-term planning, which included identifying new business opportunities to diversify the company’s revenue streams and fully utilize their venue. CPH Cooking Class also sought support developing a structured, resource-efficient marketing strategy to increase bookings for their existing classes.

“By the time we traveled to Copenhagen, we had already met with our sponsor several times and brainstormed multiple ideas for our recommendations,” said Roxangel Padron (BS Economics ’12, MBA ’27).

Padron’s team developed several recommendations that were well-received by the company’s CEO.

“While some of the insights confirmed things [the CEO] already suspected, the most valuable part was that he now had the data to support those decisions rather than relying solely on assumptions or intuition,” Padron said. “Hearing that our recommendations could provide a practical tool he could continue using after the project was especially rewarding for our team.”

Like Padron, Kevin Tarazona (BS Geology ’17, MBA ’27) and Jesus Barea (MBA ’27) developed several recommendations for Ibsen Photonics, a company that specializes in the design, development and production of high-performance spectrometers and transmission gratings for system integration.

The company asked students to develop strategic and operational recommendations that would both modernize and streamline the company’s recruitment processes.

To better understand the company’s hiring process, students spoke directly with the company’s CEO, head of HR, head of IT, hiring managers and a recent hire.

Tarazona’s team recommended a system that would reduce the administrative burden associated with hiring while ensuring hiring managers retained full decision-making control.

“[The client] was exceptionally pleased with our work,” Tarazona said. “They plan to implement most of the recommendations we proposed.”

For Tarazona, the trip was one of the highlights from his time in the MBA program.

“The client project with Ibsen Photonics was far more immersive and impactful than I anticipated, and seeing how invested their leadership team was made the work deeply rewarding,” he said. “Beyond the business component, the level of connection I built with my cohort and the unique culture of Copenhagen made it an unforgettable experience that far surpassed what I had envisioned.”

For Barea, who works as a Principal Consultant at Microsoft, the consulting project expanded his professional skillset.

“I regularly work with organizations to understand business challenges, develop recommendations and help drive strategic outcomes,” Barea explained. “What made this experience particularly valuable was the opportunity to see how business is conducted in Denmark and to learn firsthand about the Danish approach to leadership, decision-making and workplace culture.”

For Padron, the consulting project was eye-opening.

“Working directly with CPH Cooking Class gave us a glimpse into what it is like to immerse ourselves in the day-to-day operations and challenges of a business in another country,” she said. “It also allowed us to apply what we have learned in our MBA program to a real client with real business needs.”

The student team working with CPH Cooking Class also had the opportunity to take a baking class hosted by the company.

“We learned how to make several Danish breads and sweets, including rye bread, teboller, and the infamous cardamom buns,” she said. “For me, that was one of the best parts of the GIE—the opportunity to learn about Danish culture and business while also building stronger connections with my classmates.”

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International consulting and cultural exploration in Lima

MBA students from Warrington’s Online MBA and Weekend Part-Time MBA programs traveled to Lima where they completed a consulting project for Capittana, a Peruvian retail apparel and fashion brand. The elective Global Immersion Experience gave students the opportunity to apply classroom skills in an international business environment while developing a firsthand perspective on Peru’s business and cultural landscape.

To Bobby Ward (BSAc ’23, BSBA Finance ’23, BS Economics ’23, MBA ’26), the GIE allowed students to gain a distinct and firsthand perspective on international business.

“Not every professional can speak with authority on leading an international consulting project,” he said. “The combination of this GIE being a unique program and the uniqueness of Lima [has] certainly made for interesting conversations at networking events.”

On the trip, MBA students consulted with Capittana, a retail apparel and fashion brand that makes swimwear and beachwear. The company sought recommendations to increase brand awareness and drive traffic to its Miami flagship store and website in the U.S. market.

Working directly with Capittana’s founder and CEO, students presented a range of suggestions that focused on building brand awareness, repositioning in the market, improving social media outreach, planning events and reapproaching the sales function. 

“While Capittana is a successful brand with a strong presence in retailers like Revolve, we saw firsthand the complexities of scaling a business and developed recommendations focused on increasing brand awareness,” Lydia Bicknell (BSBA ’21, MBA ’26), who also attended the trip, explained. “The project strengthened my consulting skills by teaching me how to work with limited information, identify underlying business needs and develop actionable recommendations for a growing company.”

Beyond the consulting project, students were exposed to Peru’s business landscape through key company visits.

The group visited AJE Peru, a beverage company operating in 20 countries, where they learned how the company’s sustainability efforts help conserve the Amazon rainforest.

Students also visited an Inclusive Circular Recovery Center operated by Sinba, a recycling company that pioneers in waste management and the implementation of circular economy solutions in Peru. Sinba provides recycling services for 1,500 residential customers and 70 companies, including Starbucks, Nestle and Coca-Cola to offset Peru’s up to 30,000 tons of daily solid waste.

“I learned so much about the country’s culture through our business visits where we got a peek into the economic and political landscape of South America, and how Peru has positioned itself to grow into a global power,” Bicknell said.

For Ward, a senior investment banking analyst with Heritage Capital Group who is also earning his MBA, the trip to the Central Reserve Bank of Peru was especially insightful.

Outside of the consulting project and business visits, students swam with sea lions on the Palomino Islands and dined with local residents to experience Peru’s unique cuisine.

“If you have the opportunity to do a [Global Immersion Experience] with the University of Florida, do it,” Ward said. “It will differentiate you from others and will serve as a unique insight to another culture and economy.”