Alumni Spotlight
Alumni Spotlight
Larry Ossei-Mensah
MBA Student
Les Roches Swiss Hotel School
What year did you graduate? 2002
What did you study at Clark? Majored in Management
What is your hometown? Bronx, New York City
What are you currently studying? I am completing my MBA in Hospitality Management and Marketing at Les Roches Swiss Hotel Management School.
When did you begin your graduate education? July 2005
What are you currently working on in your MBA program? I am completing my Master’s Thesis, which will aim to answer the question, “Why are American multinational organizations within the Hospitality sector experiencing strategic challenges upon entering and developing in emerging markets?”
What did you do between graduating from Clark and entering your MBA program? I worked with Katz/Clearchannel in their Television Sales Department for one year. Afterwards, I made a lateral move to Fox TV Sales/NewCorp for another year. While at Fox I felt the need to seek a new challenge in my career and decided to move to the Agency side of the Advertising Industry. Consequently, I landed a job with Carat Media in their Promotions Department. During my time at Carat I worked with such clients like Vail Resorts, TiVo,Pernod Ricard and helped launch the NYC flagship store for Adidas.
I also worked with the World Economic Forum (WEF) from 2004-2006 as a Web Editor/Content Manager for their Annual Meetings in Davos, Switzerland. This experience provided me with an opportunity to broaden my global network, strengthen my communication skills and reaffirmed the importance of Clark’s motto to “Challenge Convention, Change Our World.”
Why did you decide to go for your MBA in such a specific field?
I selected Hospitality Management and Marketing because traveling is my passion and Marketing/Promotions is a skill which comes naturally to me. I always believed that if I went to grad school it would be in something that I was passionate about and would feed my thirst for knowledge. Secondly, my mom has been working in the industry for over 25 years, so the choice felt like a natural fit. Finally, the travel and tourism industry is the largest industry in the world. It is a competitively durable sector, which will always have a demand for goods and services.
How did your time at Clark prepare you for this position?
Clark prepared me for this point in my life in numerous ways. With respect to coursework, Business Ethics & Organizational Behavior are two courses that stand out in my mind. The group work in both classes prepared me to excel within the group dynamic. These were skill-sets that carried over into my extracurricular activities and professional life. Clark also helped prepare me by teaching me to:
*Challenge convention
*Be open to constructive dialogue with the greater good in mind
*That the greatest education happens outside of the classroom via
interaction with your classmates
*The power of networking
*Embrace leadership opportunities; they will build character
What recommendations/advice do you have for current Clark students? Always maintain constant dialogue with your immediate circle of influence (classmates, professors, friends, administrators, alumni). Seek them out for advice and information. Many of my most enriching experiences have been a result of conversations with friends or family.
Due Diligence…… do as much research as possible. Make sure you know all of the angles and opportunities that are available to you. Moreover, the research will help you narrow down your focus on what you would like to achieve in life. Work with Professors who will challenge you! During my time at Clark Professor Elsass and Professor Boyle challenged me to stretch you mind and I have been forever grateful. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself and take managed risk…
What are your post MBA plans? I am currently applying for an internship in Dubai. I would like to turn this internship into a full-time job and learn about the Dubai business model for tourism and development. Subsequently, I would like to take my Dubai experience and apply it to the tourism and development sector in Ghana (my parent’s home country). In addition to developing tourism in Ghana, I want to open up a few hotels in Ghana and resorts.
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