OHIO to welcome more than 400 business leaders from Brazil

More than 400 business leaders from Brazil will be visiting Ohio University this summer to participate in a series of classes and seminars organized by the College of Business.

The program is led by the Latin America Institute of Business (LAIOB) which organizes international education opportunities with partners such as Ohio University.

LAIOB has brought business leaders to OHIO several times in previous years but has not visited since February 2020 due to the pandemic.

“We are thrilled to welcome our friends and executive partners from the LAIOB program back to our Athens campus,” College of Business Dean Jackie Rees Ulmer said. “The LAIOB program provides Brazilian executives the opportunity to learn more about various areas of management from our top-rated faculty on this historic and beautiful campus. We have greatly missed our friends from Brazil and are so excited to have them back in Athens.”

The LAIOB business leaders will be visiting Ohio University in two groups.

The first group will have around 170 people and will be on the Athens campus July 10-21. The members of this group will be focusing on either finance or marketing.

The second group will be on the Athens campus July 24 through Aug. 4. These 250 members will be focusing on management and project management during their time at OHIO.

“These classes and seminars provide countless benefits for the business leaders from Brazil and for our own faculty, who love working with the participants,” President Hugh Sherman said. “Ohio University is proud to host the LAIOB participants once again this summer.”

Over 40 OHIO faculty members and several alumni speakers will be involved in the program and working with the LAIOB participants.

“All of the professionals coming to OHIO are mid- to senior-level management,” explained Ashley Metcalf, director of executive education and Robert H. Freeman Associate Professor in the College of Business. “They are looking for advanced educational opportunities, but not necessarily a formal graduate degree.” 

The business leaders will be living on campus and taking classes in Nelson Commons, the Schoonover Center and Baker University Center. They will also be taking part in special events such as the Southern Ohio Copperheads baseball game on July 13.

“There’s a special energy when the Brazilians are on campus for the LAIOB program,” Metcalf said. 

During the first Friday session for each group, the members will take part in an Industry Day which will focus on Athens businesses and the challenges they face. The LAIOB participants will hear from executives in residence at Ohio University, as well as from local business and government leaders.

“Programs like this are a great fit for international executives,” Metcalf said. “They are able to come to a traditional college campus, but they also get to focus on applied learning.” The business leaders will break out of their comfort zones, gain new professional skills and grow their professional network during their stay at OHIO.

Ohio University faculty and staff, meanwhile, will benefit from engaging with international partners, learning about the businesses they lead, and learning from their experiences in Brazil.

“The LAIOB program is very rewarding for our faculty members,” Metcalf said. “It’s a wonderful international education opportunity for everyone involved.”