By Kate Beach
In December, Darden Global Consulting Project teams visited their clients around the world. Four students on the JMATEK, Ltd. team, all Class of 2017, conducted their visit to Hong Kong. Due to the project’s nature, which focused primarily on researching, analyzing, and making recommendations for potential markets in the United States for the company, the students were able to deliver their suggestions to the client in person, as well as learn more about the company itself.
Lauren Bowden, one of the JMATEK team members (second from the right in the photo immediately below) shared, “Working on a global consulting project with the executives from JMATEK offered an authentic and unique business experience where we were able to deliver real tangible insights and recommendations for our client. Additionally, working for a company run by CEO and Darden alum, Naresh Kumra, allowed us to expand our network overseas and experience a new part of the world. This GCP also allowed us to learn new skills and data analytics tools from Professor Laseter, who served as a mentor throughout.”
Gaurav Tejpal, VP of Global Supply Chain and Sales Operations at JMATEK and one of the students’ primary contacts for the project, noted that “the project was well delivered and exceeded expectations.”
The JMATEK project, sourced through Darden’s Center for Global Initiatives, was supported by Naresh Kumra (MBA ’99), President and CEO of JMATEK. Naresh commented, “The Darden Team not only delivered an outstanding product and taught us some new tools, they also had a very positive impact on our team. Our team was impressed with their energy level, curiosity, intellect, drive and collaborative approach. We are looking forward to having another team join us soon.”
