Tune in every quarter to learn how David Simon, a 53-year-old lawyer from the US, navigates the ancient world of Oxford University in pursuit of an MBA. David is a Partner at the law firm Foley and Lardner, who has dedicated his career to white-collar compliance with a heavy international focus. In A Yank in Oxford, David and host Tom Fox will discuss what inspired his decision to pursue an Executive MBA and his hopes for where the journey may lead.
In this Episode 5, David reflects on the one-year mark in his Oxford MBA Program.
- Reflections at the one-year mark.
It has been amazing in so many ways. I love my classmates, and the core value proposition is my interactions with them. I love Oxford and feel lucky to spend time soaking up the atmosphere. Riding the bus into town makes me feel smarter. And I’ve learned so much – about technical business and commercial issues like accounting, finance, and statistics- but also about the macro-level, big-picture issues that drive society and thus drive business.
- Favorite courses so far.
Governance and Ethics.
Global Rules of the Game.
Accounting was surprisingly good.
M&A – mini-MBA in itself.
- The Physical Environment
* Oldest coffee house in the UK is in Oxford. There’s a theory about the coffee house’s importance to the Enlightenment’s emergence. Lots of people with different ideas bouncing around but similar themes. Brilliance of being immersed in an environment of smart, curious, open people.
* Thinking about all kinds of issues in different ways and thinking deeply and reading deeply about big societal issues that massively affect business enterprise – my clients – and government and policy.
* Presentations and Papers on:
- Supply chain and geopolitical risk.
- US/China relations and decoupling.
- ESG – theory, and practice.
- Human Rights – Forced Labor/Child Labor in Supply chains and the ethics and practical compliance challenges.
- The Beatles and the Get Back documentary and leadership lessons learned.
- Techniques for promoting virtue and ethics in organizations.
- CSR is a means to develop a sustainable competitive advantage for a business.
- What’s coming up?
Global Opportunities and Threats Oxford: Apply systems thinking too big complex problems. We’re focusing on food security.
Vietnam – Emerging Markets course
- What has been some fun stuff?
- Rowing
- College dinners
- Wimbledon
- Queen’s funeral – being in the UK
