Newsletter June 2008

Interview with Julien Samaha, Class of 2003

"The American Business School was the only school I knew where I could sit in a classroom with 15 or 20 different nationalities"

Why did you join the American Business School?

Julien, class of 2003,Owner and founder of Kemsing International, a consulting firm based in France and in China.

"I knew I was going to work in a global environment, where a Bachelor of Business Administration would have more impact on international employers than a "French business school degree". The American Business School was the only school I knew where I could sit in a classroom with 15 or 20 different nationalities and exchange with people with different backgrounds, ways of thinking, expectations…. and that taught me what cultural differences mean."

I believe you started doing business when you were still at school, could you tell us a little more about your company?

"I started my own business in March 2002, and graduated in June 2003. During spring of 2002, I did the Intercultural Management Semester that brought us around the world to discover cultural differences. I was going to travel to China among other places, and I decided that I had to find a potential customer before leaving. Two months later I opened a company in Hong Kong, and immediately started doing international trade. As a result, I could go to classes during the day and turn the knowledge I was acquiring into practice at night. I could see that everything I had been taught was very useful."

You have been out in the business world some time now. What do you think makes an American Business School graduate different from the graduates of other business schools in France?

"American Business School alumni are open-minded, aware and respectful of cultural difference, and can easily go and mix with local people. Feeling comfortable with local people makes a huge difference in doing business, as it is the only way to create good opportunities. I can see the difference between the average French person in China who lives in the expatriate community and the American Business School graduates in China who tend to integrate much more with the Chinese, which obviously allows them to be more successful."

Interview with Charudatta Shende, class of 2004

Charudatta at his graduation in 2003 at the French Senate

"It was a great experience and I not only got a complete education, but made life long friendships with people from all around the world that I still cherish today"

What did you do when you left the American Business School?

"I first started at AXA Investment Management. Then I got a job at Pioneer Investments where I now work as a Product Research Analyst. Pioneer Investments creates and manages investment funds"

Did you find that what you studied at the school prepared you for the business world?

"Yes, absolutely. Obviously for me the Finance and Investments classes were very beneficial. As a beginner, I was exposed to all the different technical details of investment finance and my finance major in the Bachelor of Business Administration program really helped me grasp all the aspects of my job. I had all the preparation I needed to do the practical work. In fact I went back and bought my text books that I had sold because I realized how relevant they were to my job. Furthermore, the other classes helped me get an overall feel about the business world as well."

Did you enjoy your time at the school?

"The international atmosphere was fantastic. It was a great experience and I not only got a complete education, but made life long friendships with people from all around the world that I still cherish today. The professors were excellent and the program was very complete and the administration was always supportive."

Cyril Mechain, just back from Mexico

“I also traveled a lot during my exchange and discovered amazing countries and amazing cultures. It was definitely a life experience”

Cyril and some Mexican friends at the entrance to the ITESM campus in Mexico city.

Cyril Mechain spent a semester at TEC de Monterey, one of the partner universities of the American Business School, ranked among the best universities, if not the best, in Mexico.

"Thanks to the American Business School, I was able to do an exchange in Mexico in the prestigious TEC de Monterrey University for a semester. It was a great experience for me to learn Spanish directly inside the Mexican culture and in one of the biggest cities in the world: Mexico City. I met wonderful people and some of them are now close friends. I also traveled a lot during my exchange and discovered amazing countries and amazing cultures. It was definitively a life-changing experience."

Alexandre Nguyen spent a year on exchange in South Carolina

Alexandre at the USC campus which is one of the most beautiful campuses in the USA

"Thanks to the American Business School, I was able to enjoy the most exciting year of my life here at the University of South Carolina. Thank you."

Alexandre Nguyen spent a year at the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. The Moore School is ranked number 1 for international business studies in the United States. Alexandre is too modest to say it, so we will say it for him: he got A’s in all his courses. This is exceptional, and even more so for an exchange student who is not a native English-speaker.

"I would say that this year at the University of South Carolina was the experience of a lifetime. I would have never thought, a year ago, that I would have learned so much about foreign cultures in such a short period of time!

This place is a small paradise set up to develop your knowledge as well as your personality. Thanks to the American Business School, I was able to enjoy the most exciting year of my life here at the University of South Carolina. Thank you."

American Business School 12 rue Alexandre Parodi 75010 Paris 01 40 03 15 04