Julio GiraultAmclean in Argentina
In June 2008 I arrived to Buenos Aires in what was going to be my 10 week internship with Endeavor Argentina. I was assigned to work with Amclean; a marketer, vendor and distributor of hygiene products. My responsibilities involved developing strategic recommendations for the franchise’s expansion targets across South America including: feasibility studies, resources allocation, and marketing strategy, as well as identify improvements among existing business lines.
In my first days at work I was in charge of conducting a company’s diagnostic. During the diagnostic I visited the company’s production facility. The facility was a cleaning products manufacture. There I had the opportunity to meet Humberto, the production and logistics manager. I also spend long hour interviewing the rest of the production crew; Marcos, Matias, Rafael among others. They were very nice people and a good example of what Argentina has to offer to me, very smart, nice and candid people
As the project advance I realized the importance of the job I was doing. Gabriel and Osvaldo, both Amclean’s founders and owners, dedicated an important amount of time in problem solving sessions with me, but finally at the end we were able to narrow a two year strategy for the company expansion. They were so excited with the project that they hired a new manager and a new analyst to execute the strategy we narrowed.
The internship was also an amazing learning experience for me. Coming from a consulting background I learned a lot from Gabriel and Osvaldo, especially from their entrepreneurial mindsets and backgrounds. As an example Gabriel was prosecuted during Argentinean dictatorship and escaped to Israel where he lived for five years in a kibbutz. Listen to their stories was simple priceless and a very good history lesson.
But what I most appreciated of my internship was that it also was a complete life experience, I had the opportunity of knowing a new culture, living historical moments, making very good new friends and visiting incredible places.
Argentina has a fascinating culture. I had the opportunity to assist to soccer games (the main Argentinean passion) which were unique experiences, to take tango classes and to enjoy of the tasty gastronomy. Also, I lived the conflict between the farmers and the government regarding a new tax policy. After weeks of protests the conflict end with an historical decision by the government’s controlled senate which opposed to the reform the president was proposing. After reading the Argentina’s case in my Macro class, nothing better that a life experience of how Argentinean institutions work.
Finally, what rounded my experience was the friendship I develop with Pedro and Ted, the two other Endeavor MBAs who where my flat mates in Argentina. With them and my girlfriend I traveled to amazing places, like Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu Falls, the Argentinean Patagonia and Chile… simply a lifetime experience."
View Photo Album | View A PDF of Girault's Fellowship Experience
