GWSB Podcasts
Created to prepare the business leaders of tomorrow
In the spirit of sharing the expertise of our distinguished alumni and other thought leaders, we've created the GWSB Proud podcast series.
Hosted by Liesl Riddle, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Associate Professor of International Business and International Affairs at the GW School of Business. Special thanks to Michael Ferrier, composer and singer of the GWSB Proud podcast series theme song.
Our Most Recent Guests
GWSB Consulting Community of Practice Alumni Mentors
In this episode, we chat with three alumni mentors from our Consulting Community of Practice (CoP), which equips students with the tools, preparation and network connections needed for industry success by providing industry-specific, career-related experience and mentoring. The Consulting CoP is a rigorous two-year experiential program in which students achieve interview and career readiness through immersive experiences. The CoP offers students:
- Industry-specific skills training led by consultants from top firms, including Deloitte, BCG, EY, IBM, and others
- One-on-one mentorship in case interviewing, job search strategies, personal branding, and networking for consulting jobs
- Experiential learning on pro bono consulting projects with for-profit and nonprofit clients
The CoP model is flexible and recognizes that each student learns differently. With three levels of career preparedness to navigate (Beginner, Accelerated and Advanced), CoP students can customize their learning paths, develop at their own pace, and design their own outcomes.
Serena Kapur graduated from GWSB with a BBA with a concentration in Finance and a minor in Computer Science. She recently completed her first year at Accenture in commercial consulting.
Craig Rowlings graduated from GWSB with an MBA. He is currently a senior manager Riveron, specializing in financial advisory services.
Milinda Balthrop is the associate program director of the Community of Practice (CoP) at the F. David Fowler Career Center and has served in the role of adjunct lecturer at GWSB.
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Does your organization have an “accessibility evangelist?” What is this role, and what impact does it have in organizations? Should business schools like GWSB participate in accessibility evangelizing — and if so, how? In this episode, we gain answers from Microsoft’s accessibility evangelist, Dr. Megan Lawrence.
The term “accessibility evangelist” is a fitting description for the important role Dr. Lawrence plays within her own organization and across many industries. Dr. Lawrence is a futurist, and through her work, she helps Microsoft and other organizations better include those with disabilities in the workplace and better support those struggling with mental illness in their organizations.
GWSB is proud to partner with our Dean’s Corporate Council, a board that consists of representatives from organizations that support the School of Business in various ways. Microsoft is an example of one of these important GWSB partners.
Megan Lawrence, Ph.D. is the Senior Accessibility Technical Evangelist at Microsoft with 15 years of experience working with the disability community. Dr. Lawrence builds trusted relationships with customers, NGOs and assistive technology partners to further Microsoft’s mission of empowering every person and organization to achieve more through the lens of inclusion.
Voted best on-campus musician by GW's student-run campus news organization, Michael Ferrier composed the theme song for the GWSB Proud podcast series. In this episode, he talks about his musical background — starting with his family — and how it has shaped his future. Michael also shares information about GW’s recording studio at the Mount Vernon campus, the various music scenes on and around campus, and his involvement with the Posse Foundation. Connect with Michael on Instagram at plantain_papi_.
Michael Ferrier graduated from the George Washington University in 2020 with a BA in Organizational Sciences. He is also a Posse Foundation scholar.
In this episode, Rachel Goldstein, senior manager for Global Packaging Sustainability at Mars, Inc., walks us through her decision to choose GWSB for her graduate studies. She also discusses her professional life after GW, working in both the public and private sectors, and leading in the field of global sustainability. We also learn about Rachel’s fondest memory from her time at GWSB: creating and participating in the regional Net Impact student organization conference, which convened business school students from throughout the DC-Maryland-Virginia area.
Rachel Goldstein is the global sustainability senior manager for Packaging and External Reporting at Mars, Incorporated. She leads an internal sustainable packaging working group and Mars’ external engagement in key partnerships such the New Plastics Economy, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and the Sustainability Consortium.
John Samuel, chief innovation architect at LCI Tech, and Nicole Samuel, director at Gartner, Inc., met in a macroeconomics class while pursuing a Global MBA degree at the GW School of Business. They married after graduation and now live in North Carolina with their two children. In this episode, we learn about their careers before GWSB and why they both chose the school's MBA program. John and Nicole also share how they met and how they each overcame specific obstacles to succeed personally and professionally.
John G. Samuel is an award-winning business development leader, with over thirteen years of experience transforming organizations around the world. He is currently the chief innovation architect at LCI Tech, one of the largest employers of Americans who are blind.
Nicole Samuel is a strategy consultant in the technology industry with fifteen years of experience in the private, non-profit, and public sectors. Nicole graduated from the GW GMBA program in May 2014, and is an Associate Director in the Consulting unit at Gartner, Inc.
A medical doctor from New Zealand, Gaurav Sharma pursued an MBA at GWSB to combine his interest in healthcare, business, and politics. In this episode, Dr. Sharma stops by the GWSB podcast studio on a visit back to campus to share highlights from his time at the School of Business and discuss how his MBA experience continues to shape his political career in New Zealand, where he is currently a candidate for parliament.
Gaurav Sharma is a New Zealand doctor and politician. He has a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree from the University of Auckland and a Master of Business Administration from George Washington University. He was a candidate for Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party in 2017 from Hamilton West.
Deeply affected by the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, Andrew Seal (MBA '12), strategic account manager at GE Renewables, enlisted in the Marine Corps. During his three military deployments abroad, he decided to dedicate the rest of his professional career to seeking renewable energy solutions. In this episode, he shares how the time he spent at GWSB and its faculty, courses, and student organizations have influenced his career.
Andrew Seal is a commercial leader in General Electric’s Renewable Energy business, and has closed over $3B of orders and commitments with some of the largest domestic and international businesses in the industry. He is the principal owner of all technical, financial, and commercial aspects of sales strategy development and project risk management, successfully enabling 3,000MW+ of Renewable Energy projects while managing a $10.9B+ pipeline.
In our inaugural episode, GWSB Dean Anuj Mehrotra discusses his perspectives on leading a diverse group of stakeholders at the School of Business, including students, faculty, staff and alumni. He also shares his personal story and professional journey, his thoughts on being the parent of a GW student, and his favorite spots on campus.
Anuj Mehrotra, Ph.D., is the dean of the George Washington University School of Business (GWSB). Under Dean Mehrotra’s leadership, GWSB has reimagined graduate business education through its modular and flexible offerings, which allow the school to proactively respond to the shifting demands of business education.
The GW-CIBER Global Careers podcast presents inspiring stories from seasoned professionals who have embraced a global role and reaped the benefits. We offer practical advice and insider tips for a variety of industries about what it's like to work globally. If you love adventure and thrive on taking risks and operating outside your comfort zone, join us as we explore the ins and outs of pursuing an international career!
Hosted by Stacie Nevadomski Berdan, international careers expert and award-winning author on how to succeed in the global marketplace. Special thanks to Benjamin Tissot, composer of the GW-CIBER podcast series theme song, "Creative Minds."
Our Most Recent Guest
Julie Chung, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State
The coronavirus pandemic has exposed just how fragile the international system is, upending the global economy and dramatically affecting international relations. Julie explains how the unpredictable nature of global issues and global relations creates a future of opportunities for intellectually curious job seekers.
Julie Chung is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. As principal deputy assistant secretary of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. State Department, she is responsible for the management and oversight of the bureau’s 52 overseas U.S. diplomatic missions, 18,000 overseas and domestic staff, and a $300 million budget.
Previous Episodes
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Imagine being in the business of insuring AGAINST a pandemic. From cancelled sporting events and global conferences to shuttered businesses due to lockdown, the devil is certainly in the details of the various policies to protect against financial loss. Tracey emphasizes the speed at which the global business world is moving and the need for flexibility and diversity of thought to be able to embrace the changes ahead.
Tracey Gibbons is senior vice president at Third Point Reinsurance, headquartered in Bermuda. She has more than 40 years of experience in insurance, reinsurance, and captive insurance management — including insuring pandemics — and was recently named a global “Woman to Watch” by Business Insurance magazine.
Although the aerospace industry has been hit hard by the pandemic, today’s guest is optimistic about the future of the industry. Colleen advises on how to own your career from the get-go and why focusing on the customer or client is a winning strategy no matter what.
Colleen Pritchett is president of Hexcel Corporation, "America's aerospace and global fibers business." She leads a $1.5B global business and is renowned for spearheading turnarounds, improving profitability, championing the customer’s needs, and motivating teams to deliver significant results.
The coronavirus pandemic has made adaptability the new normal as we all figure out new ways of working. But one industry in particular has had the spotlight on it from the very beginning: Human Resources. As organizations turned to a remote workforce model almost overnight, the need to keep employees engaged, committed, and inspired elevated the importance of HR professionals within their organizations as never before.
Steve Miranda is a global HR executive with almost forty years of experience in the corporate, non-profit, education, and public sectors. He has lived and worked in Hong Kong with responsibility throughout the region, and most recently has witnessed firsthand the effects of the pandemic on the workplace at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
In this episode, GW-CIBER’s faculty director, Professor Anna Helm, introduces the podcast series and interviews its host, Stacie Berdan, an experienced global executive, an international careers expert, and a best-selling and award-winning author on how to succeed in the global marketplace. Have a listen as Stacie shares how the pandemic has impacted her work and what she is hearing from global leaders about changes to globalization and emerging trends in the international business workplace. She also shares tips students can turn to if they are interested in pursuing a global career in a post-COVID-19 world and offers a glimpse into the industries, organizations, and business leaders that listeners will ‘meet’ through this exciting global careers podcast series.
Stacie Nevadomski Berdan is an international careers expert and the award-winning author on how to succeed in the global marketplace.
Anna Helm is an associate teaching professor of international business at the George Washington University School of Business (GWSB) as well as the faculty director of GW’s Center for International Business Education & Research (GW-CIBER), one of 15 CIBERs in the United States funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
