By Juliana Vasquez | Staff Writer
Baylor hosted International Business Week Monday through Thursday, a week full of events catered towards Baylor students interested in pursuing a career in international business.
One event included a panel of specialists discussing how trade policy has evolved over the years.
The panel moderator Daniel Ogden said the international business environment is challenging right now, and he sought to find panelists who covered a variety of issues within the international business world.
Greg Chalkely, the managing partner of GC Holdings 770 LLC and one of the panelists, works in global trade supply chain consulting. Chalkley said tariffs used to not be an issue when it came to trades throughout the supply chain.
“Executives today are dealing with a lot of issues that are kind of new to the business,” Chalkely said.
The biggest threats Chalkley pointed out, as shown in a graph from McKinsey & Company, were changes in trade policy and volatility in the financial markets.
An advantage Baylor students have, Chalkley said, is unique trade compliance courses.
“I have different corporations that I do consulting with that … need some people for trade compliance, and it’s not something that is taught in universities, except here,” Chalkely said.
Jim Anderson, a Baylor business professor, panelist and owner of EtCetera International Inc., an export management and consulting company, said the goal of international sales is to build long-lasting relationships and never give up.
“No one in this room has not had a negative thing happen to them,” Anderson said. “You wake up, you persevere … you come up with a solution and you attack it.”
In terms of networking and securing deals, Anderson said it’s all about the relationships you make.
“You know, [relationships are] everything,” Anderson said. “Who you hang out with … you have to combine knowledge with your relationships that you develop.”
Mel Drews, the former vice president of global strategic accounts at Scan Global Logistics and a panelist, encouraged students to leverage the youth on their side.
“Be sure to use it, get out there, ask questions, network, meet people, try things,” Drews said. “Don’t be afraid to fail. Everybody’s going to fail. Just get out there and enjoy the ride.”
Waco junior Owen Barnett said the panel inspired him to stop following trends and pursue a business field that felt right to him.
“Pursue what everyone else isn’t pursuing and do what’s hard,” Barnett said.
Drew’s two favorite things about the supply chain are cost and risk, which drive the chain.
“Trust in international business takes time, but as we do it and we’re able to perform it, it’s a lot of fun,” Drew said. “It’s something that we’ve enjoyed doing for a lot of years.”
