The 24 RSM alumni who came to the Middle East from all over the world represented various OneMBA graduation classes. The event was initiated and organised by Kasper Castricum from RSM’s OneMBA Class of 2015, who lives and works in Saudi Arabia.
Economics, history and politics
OneMBA alumnus Alex Schoep was particularly impressed with the event’s content. “There were really knowledgeable speakers about politics, economics and the history of the region blending their expertise with very personal stories about what it means to live in that region,” said the alumnus.
The programme included presentations by Jaap Vaandrager, CEO and entrepreneur and acting consul at the Netherlands’ consulate of Bahrain; Bart de Jong, director Entrepreneurs Organization; Delano Franklin Roosevelt, director new business development Reza investment and advisory committee US – Arab relations (NCUSAR); Jean Nicolai, founder and president of Steppingstone Global and acting consul at the Belgium consulate of Bahrain; and Miles Hansen, political and economical officer at the U.S. consulate of Dhahran. In addition, the event featured visits to a souk, museum and mosque, as well as social parties.
Business opportunities
Schoep said the event “really opened my eyes to the complexity of the region and the many internal conflicts that the various states in the Middle East have to deal with.” The managing partner at Greening Energy Lease Solutions said he had not put a lot of attention to business opportunities in that region before, but plans to do so in the future.
Oilfields
Schoep added that it was also exciting to see some oil-fields for the first time. “Instead of looking at huge industrial complexes, we saw tiny pumps and very small pipelines running crisscross through the desert sand, without any guards, safety fences or barriers.”
Carla Blekkink from RSM’s OneMBA Class of 2015 said the presentations addressed a large variety of subjects ranging from history, royal families, oil prices, and other relevant topics linked to doing business in the Middle East. “Together, the speakers gave a broad picture and helped connect the dots,” she said. “The event gave knowledge and insights we would not have gotten easily otherwise. I also loved the visit to the oilfields as I had never been to an oilfield before.”
Personal successes and failures
“I was amazed by the high quality of the speakers and their openness,” said Blekkink, who is a global account manager at CSi Industries. “They shared their knowledge about doing business in the Middle East but also spoke openly about their own personal successes and failures.”
Another highlight for Blekkink was to be together again as RSM alumni. “I keep track of all events and join whenever possible. I’m involved in the mentor women programme, and regularly active as a panel member on RSM open days or guest at RSM events.”
