It's Starting to Feel Like Fall

It’s that time of year. The sun is rising and setting sooner, and it’s chilly early in the morning. Even that autumn smell is apparent. For me this means I’m about halfway through my Corporate Residency, which means I need to push even harder to make an impression.

In my last blog post, I told you that Jim and I were going to Burlington, VT to celebrate our mini-moon. The hotel gave us complimentary champagne and chocolate covered strawberries, which were delicious. We also decided to enjoy the sunset and champagne in the lobby, and we got a complimentary slice of cheesecake from the hotel staff!

Sunset on Lake Champlain

Cheesecake

Strawberries and champagne

Work is still amazing! I have been put on some new projects that I am extremely excited about. Over the past few weeks, I have been able to meet some new people in the supply chain department because of a project that I am finishing up. This was great because I previously did not have a good understanding of Ocean Spray’s transportation of products.

This Friday at work, we had a fitness day. This was to encourage people to live healthier lives, and we even got to sample some new products. One of these events was a 5K, which I ran a better time than I had anticipated, and a Northeastern MBA alumna was the first woman to cross the finish line! I also participated in a Crossfit obstacle course and climbed a 25 foot rock wall.  Although I was exhausted that night, I had so much fun during the day.

On Saturday, we visited our friends whose baby is turning one soon. And as per usual in the fall, our Sundays are consumed with Patriots football!

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*

Summer's Almost Over

This Saturday was the date of my much anticipated (by me) wedding. The weather was gorgeous, and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. I spent the entire evening dancing with friends and family and being thankful for the many amazing people in my life.

As promised, here are a few pictures from the event.

Monday morning was back to work and reality, as we will be going on our honeymoon this winter. It was difficult to wake up and go to work after the joy of the weekend, and it was difficult to adjust back to doing more things than just looking pretty! On Wednesday Ocean Spray held a company-wide meeting to discuss important issues within the company. The most amazing part of this meeting was the fact that all employees could ask questions to C-level managers, which you don’t get in many companies.

This week, one of the teams I work with said goodbye to one of its summer interns. We went out to lunch in order to give him a proper goodbye.

After the wedding, I am glad that I had a relatively stress-free week. I welcome Labor Day weekend and a chance to catch up on sleep. Because Jim and I won’t be going on a honeymoon until the winter, we've decided to venture to Vermont for the long weekend just to get away. I’m excited to go kayaking on Lake Champlain and taste some fantastic beers at Vermont’s local breweries. Despite the fact that it’s not a real vacation, I think it’s just what we need.

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*

Summer Blog

Wow, the summer has really flown by! I'm sorry I've been a rather neglectful blogger, but my Corporate Residency is keeping me very busy as well as wedding planning. Yes, that's right! My wedding is now days (that's right, DAYS - not months, not years, but days!) away. Needless to say, it's been a bit crazy over here!

Anyway, I'm two months into my residency absolutely loving it! Not only am I doing challenging, thought provoking work, but also, I am learning a ton about the overall business. Ocean Spray has this amazing intern program where you complete trainings in pretty much every department and more. This summer I've learned about contracts, sustainability, and packaging design, to name a few. I've also seen one of the processing plants as well as met a grower for a bog tour. (FYI, cranberries do not grow in water. Bogs are flooded during the harvest in order to pick the berries easier. A common misconception!)

Despite the long commute, I wake up every morning happy to go to work despite yelling at traffic on I-93. I have to say, I definitely made the right choice.

A few updates in my life.  A few weeks ago, my mother and Jim's mother threw me a beautiful bridal shower at Diamond Hill Winery in Rhode Island. It was very welcome surprise. The generosity of my friends and family was beyond compare. Being true to ourselves, Jim and I brewed beers as wedding favors, 150 of them but who's counting??

I'm certain I will be less neglectful after the wedding, but for now life is extremely eventful. I hope wedding photos will be a small consolation!

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*

Russia Blog

After spending most of my Monday and Tuesday traveling across the pond to Frankfurt then to Moscow, I was finally ready for my Russian adventure. The International Field Study sets Northeastern apart from other programs as it allows all of its students to study business in another country.

Tuesday - I traveled with a group of five Northeastern MBA’s to Russia, so once we are at the airport, we are greeted by our tour guide, Svetlana, and the small bus we will be taking into Moscow. Before we leave, Svetlana prepares us for what is to come - Moscow traffic can be very unpredictable. Right she is! It takes our group about two hours to complete the 30-mile journey to the hotel. Once we arrive at the Holiday Inn Sokolniki, I realize that this is pretty fancy for a Holiday Inn.

I drop my stuff into my room and decide that I am not tired, so I resolve to look around the hotel. My first stop - the fitness room. Judging by the equipment and the number of people there, I start to think that our market entry project may be better than I had anticipated. My group has completed a Russian market entry project for Under Armour.

After my excursion around the hotel, it’s time to get ready for the welcome dinner. The welcome dinner is being held at a Ukrainian restaurant in the heart of Moscow. In this restaurant, there are live animals, which initially worries me. On our way to dinner, we encounter our second incident with Moscow traffic.  After sitting in Moscow’s worst for two hours, the professor and tour guide decide that it is best for us to take the Metro. This proves to be much faster, and we get to the restaurant in no time.

Once we are there, I am identified to the staff as the vegetarian; I guess this is what the rest of my meals will be like. The meal starts off with a Gutsul salad, then potato latkes for me (the rest of the group has pork), and it finishes with pear strudel. After dinner we take some time to look at the animals, which are thankfully behind a wall. By the time dinner ends, it’s almost midnight and time to head back to the hotel.

Wednesday – I wake early today because of jet lag. I always have so much trouble with this. So I head down to breakfast early. Here, I see the largest breakfast buffet I have ever seen: any type of bread you could think of, eggs, pancakes (which are more like crepes), but also salad. I grab some food and find another Northeastern student. Quickly after I eat, I realize that I am still in my pajamas and no one else is. I guess pink snowflake pajama pants are not appropriate breakfast attire. I start to feel self-conscious, so I run upstairs to my room and change into my business casual for the day.

After breakfast we are off for the day’s activities. First, we meet with U.S. Commercial Services to ask them about doing business in Russia. Then, we have lunch at the Metro Restaurant. This lunch includes salad, borsch, potatoes and mushrooms, and vanilla cake. After this hefty lunch, I am more ready for a nap than a walking tour of the Kremlin.

I think pictures will do better justice to the tour of the Kremlin than my words. All I can say is that it was breathtaking.

Thursday – Today might be the longest day of our Moscow tour. I wake up early and go to the gym for a quick run. After, I go downstairs for breakfast in my business clothes determined to not make the same mistake I made yesterday.

Our day starts with lunch at Tchaikovsky Restaurant. This starts with salad and soup like our other meals, but while the others eat chicken, I get to eat a Russian version of macaroni and cheese.

Next we are off to Dewey and LeBoeuf which is an international law firm. The lawyers here talk to us about legal issues with doing business in Russia. Then we are off to Jones Lang and Lasalle, which is an international real estate firm. At this meeting we discuss the exorbitant real estate prices in Moscow.

After these meetings we are off to Moscow State University Business School to make our presentations. We have a quick snack once we are there, which is good because I need the sugar after our exhausting day.

My group is presenting last and waiting is the worst thing for my nerves. However, we give a fantastic presentation, and everyone seems excited about Under Armour’s prospects in Russia.

Most of my team during the presentation.

Following the presentations, we have a reception where we are able to talk to students and faculty of Moscow State. It’s pretty late when we get back to the hotel, so I Skype with my mom then go to sleep.

Friday – This is our last full day in Moscow. I start my day with the amazing breakfast buffet. Then we are off to our meeting with McDonald’s Russia. Here we discuss the success of McDonald’s in Russia and how it will continue its success in the future.

After we head to lunch at GlavPivTorg. For me, this lunch consist of a garden salad, cabbage soup, potatoes and onions, and chocolate cake.

Once we have finished lunch, our tour guide takes us for a walking tour of the Metro. Unlike Boston’s rail system, Moscow’s stations are decorated with art. 

Lenin Mosaic

We also have a boat tour of Moscow scheduled for later tonight, but two friends and I are interested in seeing a sculpture park in Moscow. A few hours before the boat tour, we leave for the sculpture park. But only after we make a stop at the McDonald’s near the hotel, which has been on our mind since the presentation earlier today. Although the sculptures are decorated with umbrellas for a festival, they are still amazing and moving. One downfall of the night is that I chose to wear heels for our entire adventure. By the end, my feet are blistered and throbbing.

Always photogenic - with Stalin

The boat tour of the city was amazing, and we are all very reluctant to say goodbye to Svetlana; but there are so many adventures ahead in Saint Petersburg.

Saturday – After eating a quick breakfast, we are off to the train to Saint Petersburg. We took a high speed train that will bring us to Saint Petersburg in six hours. I decide to sleep for most of the train ride as I still haven’t been able to shake the jet lag. Once we are in Saint Petersburg, we are amazed by how quickly we get through traffic.

That night, a group of us find a bar in order to watch the Champions' Cup. Although I don’t follow European soccer, both of my sisters played in college, so I understand what is going on. The game goes to penalty kicks, which means a late night for all of us.

Sunday – Today starts with another amazing breakfast buffet. Then we take a guided tour of Peter and Paul’s fortress, complete with a musical demonstration by Orthodox monks. The cathedral here houses the tombs of the Romanovs.

After we had lunch at Na Zdorovie. The name of the restaurant is a toast that Russians give for special occasions.

After we took a guided tour of the Hermitage Museum. The pace of the tour was a bit brisk for my taste, but I had to keep in mind that not everyone enjoys art history as much as I do.

That night, two friends and I join the professor for a show at a jazz club. I am completely blown away by the talent of the musicians, especially the vocalist. She even chooses some of her students, who are in the audience, to come up and sing with her. I have to say, she taught them well.

After, I am amazed to find that it is still light out. Because Saint Petersburg is close to the Arctic Circle, the city has extended light hours in the summer and decreased light hours in the winter. We find a pizzeria for dinner. This little taste of home is welcome, as I have been walking on eggshells with what I have been eating.

Monday – Today starts with an early breakfast. Then we are off to the Proctor and Gamble factory in the outskirts of Saint Petersburg. Here we discuss the shaving demands of the Russian market and manufacturing. After, we take a tour of the plant, complete with safety shoes, safety vests, and ear plugs.

Next, we have lunch at Stroganof Steakhouse. Here we dine on salad, vegetables in marinara sauce (meat eaters had beef stroganoff), and ice cream.

After, we visited Data Art. This is an IT company that operates a bit differently than normal companies. The office layout is completely open and it has a game room complete with foosball and an X-Box.

Once we are back from our day’s activities, two friends and I decide that we want to see the Cathedral on Spilled Blood. This is possibly the most ornate cathedral I’ve ever seen.

We also see the Winter Palace on our journey, which ends at a trendy sushi place.

Winter Palace

Tuesday – This was our day to sleep in, and I definitely take advantage of it. After I wake up, the same two friends and I check out the bizarre near the cathedral. Here, we haggle our way to souvenirs.

We run back to the hotel in order to get one the bus for the tour of the Baltika Brewery. Here we talk to the Head of Low Alcohol and Non-alcohol Brands about Russian beer demand. After his presentation, we take a tour of the brewery. The tour culminates in a tasting, which we get to try many of the Baltika brands. 

That night, we have a dinner at an upscale restaurant called Sankt Peterburg. Here we dine on garden salad, crepes, grilled vegetables and rice (omnivores have pork and fried potatoes), and ice cream for dessert. Along with the dinner, we also get a show of traditional Russian dances and songs.

Because this dinner ends late in the evening, many students have a drink in the lobby bar before we have to say goodbye.

Wednesday – I have my final round with the breakfast buffet before I have to pack and hop on the bus to the airport. After a short flight to Frankfurt and a longer flight to Boston, I am greeted by Jim after I go through customs. Although this Russian adventure was amazing, I am so happy to be home.

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*

Easter Weekend

After a busy week at school, it was great to have Easter as an excuse to get together with family.

Monday –  As always, Monday starts with Finance. This week, we had a case write up on Crocs due. After Finance, I met up with a friend to start studying for the Operations quiz on Wednesday. Once I got home, I read a few articles for the professor that I do research for.

Tuesday – On Tuesday, we had a Supply Chain case memo due which was about WalMart in China and environmental sustainability. Instead of starting the discussion on this case right away, the first half of the class we had a guest speaker from Exxon Mobil talk to us about their supply chain. This speaker was a former Northeastern student, and it was a great opportunity to see where Northeastern alumni end up. For the rest of the class we discussed the case and the sustainability summit that WalMart had in China.

After class, I met with the professor to talk about the articles I read the previous night. We are trying to find a good way to wrap up my research before I go on Corporate Residency.

The stats professor held an extra session this week to go over the SPSS outputs for simple linear regression and the homework that is due on Thursday. I’m glad I went. This makes so much more sense now.

After this session, I met up with a few friends to study for the Operations quiz the next day.

Wednesday – Today started with Finance where we talked about mergers and acquisitions. In this class we did a small case from the book.

The Operations class for today started with the quiz, which took up about an hour of the class. After that, we talked about total quality management including Six Sigma.

After class, I went home to complete some research for the upcoming IDP presentation to use my time well before the Mentor Reception. This reception was hosted by the Career Center and allows students to meet the mentors that the Career Center assigned them. Although my mentor was out of town and could not attend, I met some interesting people.

Thursday – In today’s Strategy class, we discussed mergers and acquisitions from a strategic standpoint instead of just a financial standpoint. The case for today was about Newell Company’s acquisition of Rubbermaid. After looking more in depth at the products and strategy of Rubbermaid, it did not seem like a good acquisition for Newell, especially considering how large this acquisition was.

In Stats, we did our final class on simple linear regression. Next class we will start multiple regression, which sounds quite intimidating.

Friday – Friday started early with a 9:00AM meeting with my learning team to refine our IDP. We looked more carefully at our strategy and solidified our reasoning behind our decisions. After meeting for a while, we decided to meet with our Strategy professor to get her thoughts on our proposal. She liked our ideas but warned us that we need to be able to articulate our reasoning because the judges will be looking for gaps during the presentation next week. Now that the most difficult part is over, we can start to write the paper and create the presentation.

After, I went to lunch with a few of my group members. We went to the Yardhouse which just opened by Fenway. The food was fantastic, and there were very reasonably priced lunch combos.

Saturday – As usual, I was up early on Saturday for color guard rehearsal. However, this will be my last rehearsal before they leave for finals. Although this is the first time I have missed WGI finals in 5 years, I know that they will do fine without me, and they are in the best possible hands. I can’t wait to see how they do against the competition.

After rehearsal, Jim and I went up to New Hampshire for Easter dinner with his family.

Sunday – I finally got to sleep in on Sunday. I spent the day with my family to celebrate Easter – we even Skyped with my sister in Montana to make her feel at home. I can’t wait until she is back for good at the end of the semester. Once I got home, I wrote the rough draft for my portion of the IDP paper. I can’t believe how quickly this project’s due date came up, but I am glad that I got to relax for a little while this weekend.

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*

Sick Week

As you can tell from the title of this post, I was a bit under the weather last week. However, I am fortunate because this is the first bad cold I’ve gotten all year. But this may be the worst time to be sick!

Monday –The day started with finance where we talked about derivatives. After class, I went straight home to read the strategy case for the write up due on Thursday. I also completed the case memo for Operations due on Wednesday. Finally, I did some research for the professor that I work for.

Tuesday – In supply chain, we talked about off-shoring and how it is getting more expensive. This may mean that more manufacturing jobs will come back to North America in the long-run. After class, I met with my strategy team to talk about the case write up due on Thursday.

Wednesday – Wednesday started with finance; today’s topic – international finance. We looked at a case where a company was looking for an arbitrage opportunity by finance debt in another currency. In operations, we had a case memo due, and we discussed improvement of manufacturing as well as forecasting.

After class, my strategy team met again to finalize our case write up. Once we finished this case write up, I had my first conversation with my mentor who was appointed to me by the Career Center. This seems like a fantastic match, and I am so excited for how this mentor relationship will unfold.

Thursday – Thursday started bright and early with strategy. In this class we discussed a case about a paper pulp company which was trying to negotiate whether it should vertically integrate into paper products or continue manufacturing pulp. We also discussed the conglomerates and the acquisition strategies used in the history of the US. After, we had stats where we discussed more about linear regression and learned how to use SPSS to complete this analysis. This will certainly make the IDP more manageable.

After grabbing a lunch, my team met to go over our finance case write up that is due on Monday. This analysis is on the stock price and valuation of Crocs. It was interesting to look at a company that we all know about. This meeting took less time than I had anticipated and before I knew it, I was home trying to get some homework done for next week.

Friday – I woke up Friday feeling the effects of the cold I had caught last weekend. However, at this time of the semester I have to push through and make sure I don’t get anyone else sick. My team met early to go over our IDP. This is a strategy project that also includes statistical analysis and financial analysis. Each of us talked about what we had researched as far as competitors or the company was concerned. We split up work and created deliverables for the following week.

After this meeting, I went home and tried to get some homework done. However, I ended up sleeping in hopes that it would help shake my cold.

Saturday – Saturday I got up early because I had rehearsal from 9 to 2. Once I got to rehearsal, one of the women that I teach with felt my forehead and insisted that I had a fever. But this was my last time seeing my group in competition this season, so I pushed through. I’m so glad that I did because they had the best show of the season! However, I left after my group performed because I knew I couldn’t make it through the entire show.

One of the other staff members texted me the scores, and we definitely closed the gap between us and our local competition. We got second place by only two tenths. Although they will face greater completion at nationals in two weeks, this shows that they are ready and hungry.

When I came home, Jim was finishing up the wedding invitations that we had designed! How awesome of him! He also asked local bakeries for a quote for our wedding cake/cupcakes! Our wedding will be here before we know it!

Sunday – Sunday also started with an early wake up, but this time I got up to write my supply chain case write up. I had to teach from 3 to 8, but the other women that I teach with let me leave at 5 because I was so sick the previous day. This allowed me to go to bed early! Hopefully I can shake this cold. The workload is just going to increase until finals.

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*

Regional Weekend

Sorry that it has been a while since my last post! After spring break, I’ve been so busy that I’ve barely found time to do my homework, let alone blog! Anyway, here is a recap of last week.

Monday – Today started off with Finance early in the morning! We discussed the cash conversion cycle and discussed a case about Dell. Directly after this class, I went home in order to write my deliverable due in Supply Chain the next day and get some work done for the professor that I work for.

Tuesday – I’m glad to say I finished my deliverable for Supply Chain just in time! I usually don’t work right up to deadlines, but with everything else going on right now; I’m just impressed that I not only finished it, but I was happy with the quality. In this class, we discussed a contract that was made between Laura Ashley and FedEx, which seemed equitable and ground breaking on the surface, but once you looked further into it, the flaws started to become apparent. It was extremely interesting to hear what actually happened.

After Supply Chain, I met with the professor I work for to go over my research. To my relief, she scheduled our meetings to be bi-weekly. This will help free up some time that I desperately need.

After this meeting, I went home to write my portion of the group deliverable due in Operations tomorrow. My group is completing an analysis on the operations of the Holiday Inn.

Wednesday – Today started with Finance then Operations. In finance we finished a case about dividends and started to discuss a case about the stock price of Crocks. We will have a group analysis on this case due in a week.

Then off to Operations where we discussed forecasting for a toy company. We also talked about the difficulties with forecasting for new products.

Thursday- Thursdays always start with Strategy then we have Stats. In Strategy we discussed Disney and the differentiation of its products. It was extremely interesting to understand what was going on in the company when its many animated blockbusters were released. We also discussed its acquisition of ABC.

In Stats, we started a chapter on linear regression which will come in handy for the group project due in a few weeks.

After Stats, I meet briefly with my team to go over our upcoming interdisciplinary project. At this meeting, we assigned deliverables for each other that are due on Friday. We also discussed when we will meet to discuss and write our analysis for Crocks. So much is coming due, I hope I can keep up!

Finally, I took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather last week and met up with a few friends to enjoy it!

Friday – I let myself sleep in a little bit today. But once I woke up, I was down to business. First, I got a head start on a few things due next week. Then, I packed my bag for my journey down to New Jersey for a color guard regional. Before I knew it, I had to meet up with another instructor to drive down.

We got down to New Jersey in record time and only a few mis-steps, but we had to settle in as soon as we got to the hotel because we had to get up early the next morning for rehearsal.

Saturday – We got up at 8:00am in order to eat breakfast. After breakfast, we had the students warm up and stretch at the hotel. From there, a bus brought the students to our practice site where we had four hours of rehearsal. The students from our older competing guard watched our final run through, and the kids looked ready.

After rehearsal, we took off for the show site, where they had the best run of the season! Once we were done with the show, the other instructors and I had to wait for our scores and critique with the judges. The guard ranked fifth out of sixteen and would be back tomorrow for finals. The judges also had very positive things to say about our performance.

Still at the show site, we watched the older guard have an amazing performance! Then back to the hotel. After a long day, I was exhausted. And tomorrow would be even earlier and longer.

Sunday – On Sunday we had to wake up at 6:00am for rehearsal. We barely had any time for breakfast before we had to be on the bus. Once at the rehearsal site, we only had two hours for rehearsal, and it went by extremely quickly.

Despite having to wake up early, the students had another good run. I finally got to see some other color guards perform at the show, and I have to say, there is going to be some very stiff competition at finals in a few weeks.

After meeting up with a few friends and watching another fantastic performance from the World guard. The other instructor and I took off, even before scores were announced. However, we had another instructor text the score to us – fifth again and the score improved!

Despite hitting some traffic in New York, we made it back earlier than expected. Once home, I was ready for bed and cursing the fact that I had a caffeinated soda with dinner. It was a tiring weekend, but a rewarding weekend. Now I have to find time this week to get my homework done!

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*