Global Luxury Students tap into NYC expertise on study trip

Story reposted with permission from the GLM website.

Global Luxury Management (GLM) students from the NC State University/SKEMA Business School dual-degree graduate management program immersed themselves in luxury during the October 4-6 New York City Study Tour. For many of the 35 students who hail from 7 countries, this was the first time they experienced New York – arguably one of the world’s most vibrant and significant luxury markets.

The GLM program provided students unparalleled and valuable access to executive leaders in the design, development, branding, finance and retail sectors of luxury brands. This is the fourth year that GLM students have experienced New York through a study tour.

A snapshot of the immersive GLM New York Study Tour included:

• Seminar at Wealth-X, global wealth insights and intelligence firm. Hosted by Michael Phillips, director of Public Relations
• Private tour of Kravet Design Studio, maker of luxury fabrics and wall coverings, and presentation by Executive Vice President, Beth K. Greene.
• Private tour of Time Warner MediaLab, state-of-the-art consumer behavior center. Hosted by Lizabeth Bloom, VP Facility Director
• Overview of luxury consulting business and networking reception at Boston Consulting Group. Hosted by GLM Industry Advising Board member Jim Brennan, partner and managing director, BCG
• Tour of Macys’ Corporate Offices. Hosted by Peter Koob, director of College Relations and Paramita Roy, Recruiter
• Networking social at STK Midtown with students, alumni, Board members and luxury industry executives
• Special visits to additional luxury-oriented brands The O Group, EvolveMKD, The Peninsula New York, The Ritz-Carlton New York, and Richline Group, a Berkshire Hathaway Company

The study tour proved to be impactful in other ways, as well:

Students met with the New York-based clients of entrepreneurship consulting projects they are working on through the GLM program’s newest course, “Growth Venture.” The course is taught by Professor Lewis Sheats, director of the NC State Entrepreneurship Clinic. Sheats accompanies the students on the study tour to provide mentorship and guidance for the client meetings.
Time was reserved the last day of the tour for students to engage in internship interviews with New York-based luxury firms. GLM graduates are future luxury industry leaders across the globe within powerhouse brands like Chanel, Tesla, American Express Travel and Waldorf Astoria. They fulfill diverse roles and responsibilities – including titles like customer experience manager, brand strategist, client success manager, business consultant and project manager.

“The New York study tour is an example of what makes the NC State/SKEMA global luxury management program unique — our students experience multiple immersions in major luxury markets, where they network with and learn from key executives with the world’s leading luxury brands,” said Bill Humphries, chair, Global Luxury Management Industry Advisory Board, and President and CEO, Merz North America.

The GLM program received support for the tour from the program’s 19-member GLM Industry Advisory Board. In conjunction with the tour, the board hosted its annual fall meeting on October 5 at Boston Consulting Group, hosted by board member Jim Brennan, partner and managing director, BCG. Chief executive officer of Raleigh-based Merz North America, Bill Humphries, chairs the board.

During this one-year graduate degree program, GLM students will also complete North Carolina-based experiential tours, as well as luxury study tours in Paris and the Netherlands.
About the Global Luxury Management Program

Global Luxury Management (GLM) is a one-year graduate management program offered by NC State University (Raleigh, N.C., USA) in partnership with SKEMA Business School (Paris, France). The Global Luxury Management program prepares passionate professionals to hit the ground running on a career path in global luxury management through a unique blend of U.S. and French teaching styles, core business management skills, global perspective and on-the-ground experience within the global luxury industry. Students earn two master’s degrees, a Master of Global Innovation Management from NC State and a MSc in Luxury Management from SKEMA, during the one-year program.