UF MBA students get exclusive experience at Carnival and Citrix on South Florida City Trek
Students across the UF MBA Full-Time, Professional, Online and South Florida programs had the unique opportunity to get an insider experience at two major corporations based in South Florida as part of UF MBA’s City Trek program. Students met with executives, toured facilities, networked with current employees, and learned more about the operations of both Carnival Corporation and Citrix.
UF MBA’s City Trek program provides students with multiple professional opportunities, including being able to learn more about company culture and day-to-day operations of major corporations.
“At UF MBA, we’re committed to providing our students with a personalized approach to career development and helping them explore new opportunities,” said John Gresley, Assistant Dean and Director of UF MBA. “City Trek is a great way for them to get a first-hand account of what working at these companies would be like, as well as connect them directly with companies that are looking to hire people with exceptional business skills.”
On the second annual South Florida City Trek, students began their day at Carnival Corporation, the Miami-based cruise company. There, UF MBA students met with multiple executives including Carnival Corporation’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, as well as the Chief Information Officer and the Senior Vice President of Port Operations, Guest Care, and International Operations of Carnival Cruise Line.
Executives shared with UF MBA students how they were able to streamline operations and costs across the company’s multiple cruise brands including Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Costa, among many others.
“The visit to Carnival exceeded all my expectations,” said Aline Zentefis, South Florida MBA ’19 and Operations Manager for Omicron Supplies, LLC. “What can be more empowering and inspiring than sharing a room with five of their top executives, hearing about their strategies and visions, and being encouraged to interact?”
Students then made their way to Ft. Lauderdale-based Citrix, a software and cloud computing company. At Citrix, students met with marketing and product management leaders, and learned about how the company develops and sells its products.
For UF MBA students like Michael Dyer and Surya Suravarapu that are interested in the technology industry, the visit to Citrix resonated with them.
“Getting a glimpse of Citrix’s infrastructure and business model was as impressive as it was reassuring,” said Dyer, South Florida MBA ’19 and Business Analyst at First American Title. “Citrix’s priorities have many hallmarks other well-run tech companies I’ve had the good fortune of visiting in the past and working for directly. I was particularly impressed with the evolution of their business model and the final path they are on now.
“Their focus is geared toward a tangible industry need with untapped potential rather than catering to the tech flavor of the week craved by the average consumer. I honestly feel Citrix’s business plan and corporate culture make it an ideal place to work and grow within the tech industry.”
Suravarapu, Professional MBA ’20 and Senior Engineering Services Architect at CA Technologies, added, “The visit to Citrix was very enlightening. We got to understand the technology space in which Citrix operates and the way they transformed their strategy and adapted to changes over the years. [I’m] looking forward to more such visits.”
UF MBA will continue to visit South Florida companies as part of the City Trek program throughout the year, as well as companies in Tampa, like Raymond James and Amgen. Past City Treks to cities such as Atlanta have provided UF MBA students with the chance to visit other Fortune 100 companies like Home Depot and Coca-Cola.
As UF MBA continues to expand its professional development and experiential learning programs, it looks to build its network of cities and companies where it can offer City Treks. If your company is interested in partnering with UF MBA on future opportunities, please email John Gresley, Assistant Dean and Director of UF MBA.
