August 25, 2023
This summer in New York City, students from the four NYU Stern-NYU Shanghai joint Master’s programs visited a diverse set of companies of varying sizes and industries to learn about local business culture. These visits provided students with the opportunity to envision different careers they may step into upon graduation while also getting the chance to network with experts ranging from senior executives to junior-level professionals.
Students visited the following companies based in New York City:
- American Express
- Anomaly
- Bowery Farming
- BNY Mellon
- Deutsche Bank
- Estee Lauder
- Gensler
- Healthfirst
Gensler
Led by Professor Rayn Wang, Capstone Director for the MS in Marketing and Retail Science (MSMRS) program, MSMRS students visited Gensler on June 20. Gensler is known for its exceptional architecture and design, especially in retail and customer experience (CX). Students met with Gensler designers, who asked students to share their own customer experience visiting some of its remarkable retail stores in New York City including Starbucks Roastery, Citibank Global Flagship, JBL Soho, Adidas Fifth Avenue, and Saks Fifth Avenue. The designers explained the design process and unveiled the CX objective and design philosophy. Students also toured the design lab and different working spaces in the Gensler office building. They will continue to explore their discoveries and insights into the retail and customer experience when taking the Retail Technology and Channel Management course taught by Professor Wang this fall at NYU Shanghai.
Gensler’s designers meeting with the MSMRS students.
Estee Lauder
On June 23, MSMRS students met with leaders from Estee Lauder’s global online team, who spoke about their career journeys and job functions. They discussed the company’s online international business, with a focus on the Chinese market and customers. Students gained a better understanding of new trends and best practices in the marketing field. Through an active Q&A session, they learned more about the knowledge and skills that are critical to land a successful marketing career. At the end, students had the chance to visit Estee Lauder’s company store.
MSMRS students at the Estee Lauder office.
Bowery Farming
On June 26, students from the MS in Organizational Management and Strategy (MSOMS) program visited Bowery Farming, an indoor urban farm company that grows delicious produce using innovative techniques. Leaders from the program management, tech product, and agricultural innovation teams gave an overview of their roles and how each connects to Bowery’s larger mission. Students learned the difference between program management and project management; key qualities to be a good product manager; and how Bowery continues to innovate to solve business problems and drive revenue growth in the midst of market change and transition.
MSOMS students at the Bowery Farming office.
BNY Mellon
Led by Professor Jennifer Carpenter, on July 11th students from the MS in Quantitative Finance (MSQF) program visited BNY Mellon, the world’s largest custodian bankThe Chief Investment Officer discussed his job responsibilities and career journey, followed by members of the Engineering team who emphasized the role of technology in the financial industry. Two young professionals who recently joined the bank also discussed their job functions and shared with students helpful advice on how to prepare for job applications and interviews for early career professionals. At the end of the visit, students toured the Cyber Technology Operations center and office space where they learned more about BNY Mellon’s impressive history.
MSQF students at the BNY Mellon office.
Deutsche Bank
On August 1, MSQF students visited Deutsche Bank, where they met with the regional Chief Operating Officer, the Director of the Group Strategic Analytics, and young associates from different teams to learn about the company structure. These experts emphasized the importance of “soft” skills such as presentation and communication skills, and suggested that students leverage their professional networks in and outside of the workplace in order to be successful in their future careers in finance. During the visit, students also toured the newly renovated office overlooking Central Park and visited the bank’s trading room.
MSQF students on the terrace of the Deutsche Bank office building overlooking Central Park and Columbus Circle.
American Express
Students from both the MS in Data Analytics and Business Computing (MSDABC) and MSOMS programs visited American Express (AmEx) on August 1. They learned about the company’s business strategy, extensive use of data, and its joint venture in China. The Chief Audit Executive (a Stern alum) also shared his leadership expertise and advised students to constantly take risks and build relationships in their career. During the Q&A session, students engaged in an insightful discussion about the opportunities and challenges that Amex faces in the China market.
MSDABC and MSOMS students in front of the American Express office building.
Anomaly
On August 2, MSDABC and MSMRS students visited Anomaly, an advertising company that has an innovative model of agency work that differs from many traditional 4A companies. The Global Chief Marketing Officer gave an overview of Anomaly and discussed how the company engages with clients in the client lifecycle to solve business challenges; Members from the data and emerging tech teams shared insight on the role of data analytics and AI in marketing, sharing concrete and detailed examples from their past projects with both small and large scale clients. Bruce Buchanan, Professor of Business Ethics and Marketing at NYU Stern, who teaches Marketing Management for the MSMRS students this summer and joined this visit with the students, commented: “The speakers’ remarks and insights were perfectly keyed to our course, and they validated ideas we have been trying to get across in the classroom.”
A few of the MSDABC and MSMRS students at the Anomaly office.
Healthfirst
On August 9, MSDABC students visited Healthfirst, a nonprofit health insurance provider for New York State residents. The head of the Clinical and Service Operations team (who is a NYU Stern alum) introduced the Healthfirst model of insurance, while the leader of the Data Analytics team discussed how the company uses its wealth of data to improve decision making and outcomes for their customers and stakeholders. Dakota Schley, who works on the Sales and Customer Analytics team and graduated from the MSDABC program in 2022, shared examples of projects he’s worked on and highlighted how the MSDABC program courses, in particular Machine Learning and Marketing Analytics, are relevant to his current role. These experts encouraged students to take advantage of the NYU network to seek mentorship in their career, underlined the importance of applying analytical tools in smart ways, and emphasized that the ability to articulate one’s strengths in a concise way would make one stand out in the interview process.
MSDABC students at the Healthfirst office with Dakota Schley, MSDABC CO’22.
Company visits provide real world and real business context to the teachings and lessons from the classroom. As Xinyao Zhou, MSMRS Class of 2024, remarked: “The opportunities of company visits to Gensler, Estée Lauder, and Anomaly are really precious for me. I got to deeply understand the company culture and network with the core operation and recruitment teams. I was enlightened by these opportunities and had a better sense of my own career goals.” Students will continue to visit local companies in China this fall when they study at NYU Shanghai.