Business trip to Germany sets students up for success

Business trip to Germany sets students up for success

There weren't any briefcases, but this was a business trip nevertheless. The day after graduation, eight East Carolina University College of Business students packed their bags, boarded a couple of flights and flew to Germany to network and to learn more about international business opportunities.

"This is an important trip for the College of Business because we are showcasing that we have no boundaries," said triple major (accounting, finance and supply chain management) and rising senior Ella Slate. "Just because our school is in the United States, it does not mean that our opportunities are limited to the United States."

"I got emotional about it because my time at ECU was such a special time… and you guys coming over here is like family coming to me … this means a lot," Doell said. "I think expanding the Pirate network is a great idea because it gives students a great opportunity to come out and show the world, or show Germany - us here - what they can do."

The students were given an overview of the company, including all of its business assets - from construction to real estate. Following the presentation and tour of the Adam Hörnig headquarters, the students visited a major bridge construction project.

"Every day pushed me outside of my comfort zone in the best way possible," said Immersive MBA student Whitley McCoy, who graduated with her bachelor's degree in marketing a day before the trip. "Rather than learning only in a classroom setting, we were able to directly engage with companies, professionals and executives in real-world environments."

After the tour, Doell, his daughters, Hörnig and the ECU crew went to dinner at Gastwirtschaft Schlappeseppel, which dates back to the year 1631. The meals in Germany were about more than just the local cuisine - they were opportunities for the students to not only connect with each other but, more importantly, young professionals from the companies they visited.

"I made tons of connections; we usually would all hang out after the events and talk for many hours over a meal," said rising junior and finance and accounting major Yahir Flores. "I have people wanting to work with me to create a trip back [to Germany] for myself and for the school."

"I connected with four to five professionals in fields I want to go into post-grad, as well as met so many friends who were locals of Munich and Frankfurt," added Josiah Ortiz, a rising junior and entrepreneurship major with a focus on professional selling.

The next day the group toured the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. During the tour/presentation, the group was told the bull and the bear outside of the stock exchange were a year older than the bull outside of the New York City Stock Exchange. It was then off on a high-speed train to München (Munich), where they would experience a guided tour of the BMW Welt. They learned a history of BMW, and then got to get up close and personal with the latest in BMW, Mini Cooper and Rolls-Royce automobiles and motorcycles.

"My favorite part was easily BMW Welt," said rising senior, marketing major and car enthusiast Daniel Hackett. "Seeing both the culture and the business sides of Germany are important to me, as normally business traditions are established within culture, and BMW defined that perfectly."

A big highlight for the students in Munich was the daylong visit to Linde (pronounced Linda). The international gas and engineering company rolled out the red carpet for the ECU students, with several presentations from Linde employees in a variety of fields. Linde is a NASDAQ-traded company, and one presenter talked about how different conflicts around the globe - like the Russia/Ukraine war and the Iran war - are causing challenges they must pivot for. The students were also given a tour of one of Linde's research and development labs. The visit included lunch in the spacious cafeteria and even a late afternoon café experience (which, like the cafeteria, is also in Linde's headquarters).

"The company was very personable, and I had a very good conversation with a member of their HR department about employee retention," said rising junior and management major Madeline Wilson.

The day ended with a presentation on Linde's internships. The trip to Linde was made possible by former German ECU study abroad student Samuel Geib (fall of 2024) and his coworker Lukas Vokuhl. Geib was a process and design engineer for green hydrogen solutions, and Vokuhl was a contract manager for large projects.

"I'm glad to be a part of the experience … I know how important it is for connections between business and colleges are," Geib said. "For us, it's always a dream to come to the U.S., and it makes me proud that ECU students do see potential to work in Europe and to come to Europe to experience our business culture. It's really great to see and of course, makes me proud."

"I think it is great to know there is a budding network of Pirates around the world, and as someone who wants to work in a globe-encompassing industry, it helped put my dreams into perspective as being possible," Hackett said.

The visit to Linde was a hit with the students. Not only did they get in contact with several employees, but at least one of them is looking deeper into the internship possibilities.

"After speaking with their contracting team and AI team, I grew more and more curious about their business model, especially with their resilience to current events," Flores said. "After this trip, I'm aiming to hopefully do some type of internship in Germany next summer. I loved the culture, the people, the connections - I'm eager to come back."

"I thought it was a great opportunity for the students to get to see a global player in action," Vokuhl said. "It's crucial to get into contact with people in the business at different companies and different sectors."

The trip to Germany was supported by 1964 alumnus (accounting and business administration) Sanford Bailey. He already supports a yearly student trip to New York City but wants COB students to experience international business as well. Bailey had been urging the COB to take students to Frankfurt for what he calls the backbone of Europe's economy. To ensure the students got this experience, he made a generous gift during this year's Pirate Nation Gives to support the trip. Over his career, Bailey said he did a lot of business in Europe and Asia, including Germany, Poland and Russia.

"I have seen firsthand what a difference traveling and being exposed to different areas and different people, different ideas - it broadens your horizons. It's important to know how the rest of the world operates … [it helps] us make the best decisions in our marketing and in our planning and in our doing," Bailey said. "It makes me grateful to have the opportunity to make it happen."

"I think this is a very important trip for the COB because it proves that we care about our students and we are always looking to give them the best possible opportunities," said rising senior and business management and entrepreneurship major Quincy McKay.

Other students agreed.

"I am especially grateful that the college and Mr. Bailey chose to invest in me," Wilson said.

"Opportunities like this are life-changing, and I know the lessons, relationships, and experiences from this trip will continue to impact me for years to come," McCoy said.

This trip is the first "business trip" and non-study-abroad trip to Germany. It was an exploratory trip to see if this type of program will succeed on multiple levels for COB students. The goal is to make this a yearly business trip overseas.

"The Pirate network has definitely grown in Europe," McKay said. "I think this is amazing because it gives all of our students more ability to grow our network and continue to expand. As we continue to do this, we will grow and give even more students these amazing opportunities."

Time will tell how these networks will evolve, but in the short term, at least a couple of the students are aiming to make Deutschland a landing spot for the beginning of their careers.

"The company I am interning for this summer is really big in Munich," Ortiz said. "I have already expressed interest in joining their summer team for next year in Germany because of this experience."

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