Siemens Hult Business Challenge 2017 Winners interview

Seven months to find the best solution to a global corporation’s challenge, or to bring your own startup idea to market—The Hult Business Challenge encapsulates what learning at Hult is all about. Real, practical, intense, no-limits teamwork. We spoke to the MBA winners of Siemens 2017 corporate challenge from Hult Boston to really understand what’s involved in the challenge and how they found the experience. The winning team Guillermina Sanchez, Argentina Pre-MBA role: originally an Architect but working with marketing for the last 8 years, last position at TEDxSaoPaulo Bharti Mathur, India Pre-MBA role: Senior Operations Manager, Customer Care at American Express Ayushi Goyal, India Pre-MBA role: Assistant Manager, Audit Assurance at Deloitte Haskins Sells Adeboye Oye, Nigeria Pre-MBA role: Sales Manager for National Portfolio at Pfizer, worked for 8 years in the pharma industry Fermin Carrillo, Venezuela Pre-MBA role: Field Engineer at Schlumberger Ltd. (Oil and Gas Industry) Mauricio Alarcon, Mexico Pre-MBA role: Field Service Manager at Schlumberger Ltd. (Oil and Gas Industry) We created a disruptive business model leveraging trends like electric vehicles, the Internet of Things, and smart cities initiative. The interview Tell us a bit about the idea – how did you come up with it and whats the objective? Our solution was to create an innovative, disruptive, and sustainable business model to position Siemens as a provider of infrastructure for wireless power transmission, building a roadmap to leverage the growing need of wireless charging due to trends like electric vehicles, the Internet of Things, and smart cities initiative. The vision was for Siemens to create wirelessly distributed electricity networks for electric vehicles, and then scale them up to serve communities and cities. How did you choose your team?   Ayushi took the lead of bringing people together. The guiding philosophy in building the team was about diversity at its best. We thought that having a diverse team of MBAs in terms of cultural and professional backgrounds, as well as personality styles and gender, would bring unique perspectives to our ideas and how we implement them. Did you have any mentors or advisors? How did they help?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Eric Giler (former Witricitys CEO) and Katie Hall (former Witricitys CTO) were our mentors. Guillermina reached out to Eric through Linkedin and he promptly accepted to advise us in our project. We met three times in order to further understand the technology and get help with the development of the ideas. They provided us basic knowledge about the wireless power transmission technology and the applications it has in different industries. They also provided us feedback about our idea for the business model. The team with their mentors Eric Giler (former Witricitys CEO) and Katie Hall (former Witricitys CTO). The whole idea seemed very futuristic, but they showed us the amazing technology working in front of us and told us real stories about how the technology is actually changing lives in the defense and medical field and the potential of its future. Eric told us how a lot of soldiers are dying more by being out in the field to change batteries of robots that dismantle bombs, rather than in combat. This technology made it possible to wirelessly charge the robots and save a lot of lives. They made our vision possible and ignited our passion. They showed us the amazing technology working in front of us and told us real stories about how the technology is actually changing lives. How did you test the strength of your idea? We sought help from professors and we presented in front of the challengers who try to tear the whole idea down. We received a lot of useful feedback from them, but the most important moment for us was receiving feedback from the other students. Thats when we found out that our idea was the most disruptive and out of the box. What was the biggest challenge you faced throughout the project?   We wanted to propose a business model for a future 20 to 30 years from now. Beyond everybody’s comprehension. The biggest challenge was to make it realistic, to convince them that it was actually happening, even as we speak; that competitors and even Siemens were actually working with similar technologies. Even though people were amazed by our ideas, they still were very skeptical.  There are so many internal and external issues that have the potential to destroy the team, and the team ideals. We learnt that the team must stick together. What was the highlight of the experience? The strong teamwork was the highlight of this experience. Learning to enjoy the small wins after some big lows, and being together through it all. We had our challenges and disagreements, but we were focused and we really believed in our idea. The team stuck together, despite criticism and disagreements. Another highlight was actually going through the process involved in developing new business ideas to create competitive advantage in a disruptive industry – an incredible learning experience. What skill did you develop the most during the Challenge? Guillermina: I learned to deal with a group of different results-driven people. We were very effective even though we had to face a decent amount of stress. Bharti: Being persistent in your belief and seeing an idea through to the end despite a fair amount of criticism. Ayushi: Learning how to say focused and extracting positivity out of negative criticism has been a great learning. Some believed the idea was preposterous (*laughs*). Adeboye: I have pitched business ideas quite a number of times in my years in the pharma industry. Pitching this time for my team was a different ball game. With tremendous support from this very diverse team, I took my pitching skills to a new level. Fermin: The skills I developed the most were team skills, and creating an insightful story to communicate our ideas. Mauricio: Conflict management (*laughs*).   We wanted to propose a business model for a future 20 to 30 years from now. Beyond everybody’s comprehension. What are your plans for the future? Guillermina: After the challenge, I became interested in maybe working for the energy sector, companies like Siemens, GE, Tesla, and developing the marketing strategy. I keep track of Siemens’ operations and I follow the evolution of wireless technology, the Internet of Things, electric vehicles, and smart cities initiatives. It’s really sparked my interest. Bharti: This experience has made me very interested in building business strategies and in marketing. I plan to pursue Dual Degree in marketing from Hult and aim for a job where Im able to add value and brings me satisfaction.. Ayushi: A job focused on the financial viability of business plans and proposals involving its forecasting and budgeting is what interests me the most. Keeping in touch with this extraordinarily talented team and set of friends is a sure checkpoint in my plan. It’s been a pleasure. Adeboye: The pharma industry has been my passion for the last 9 years and I plan to return to same, although to a more strategic function where I can interpret the various ramifications of movements in the business, and how to apply them to maximize value for all stakeholders. Fermin: My plan for the future is to work for a technology company like Witricity as I have developed a keen interest in wireless power transmission technology and its applications in our daily life. Mauricio: Find a job in the energy sector. And keep in contact with this great HBC team. Winners! Its official. The Challenge from Siemans This year, MBA students at the San Francisco and Boston campuses took on this challenge from Siemens: The electric utilities industry is undergoing major disruption. Transitioning to this new marketplace will require incumbents to effect transformative rather than incremental changes in utility business models. Your team is being tasked to advise Siemens on the future vision and the specific plan that will be announced by the CEO, and to develop a business case and justified recommendations backed by insightful analysis, real-data, and a clear strategy. Unilever set the challenge for MBA students at the London and Dubai campuses, which tasked students with finding ways to create social movements that positively impacted society at a global level. Companies and challenges vary according to campus every year. Previous partners and challenges have included how to utilize AI technology from IBM, and how to market pre-emptive health treatments with Johnson Johnson. Find out more about the Hult Business Challenge. To find out  more about Hults global business programs,  download a brochure Next, we talk to the MBA Hult Boston team that won the entrepreneurial challenge†¦ Laura Chung is a staff blogger and Hults Global Head of Copy Editorial. Previously a senior copywriter in PayPals Worldwide Creative Studio, she has also written and designed e-learning courses for many well-known brands including Microsoft, Redbull, KPMG, and BT. Laura believes passionately in the power of storytelling in both marketing and learning and indulges her love of stories by writing creatively in her spare time. Kickstart your career in this education and innovation hotspot by studying at Hults Boston business school. To find out more, take a look at our blog Life in Boston: Introducing Hult House. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself. Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .