Charlotte Burrows and Peter Freiwah, AMBA ’26 candidates, recently traveled to Santiago, Chile, for the Ivey Accelerated MBA (AMBA) International Study Trip. In the blog below, they reflect on their experiences.
Our recent AMBA class trip to Santiago, Chile, was an unforgettable experience – one that will stay with us for years to come. Over the course of a week, our cohort had the chance to broaden our perspectives, strengthen our bonds, and connect with Chilean culture and business in ways we never anticipated. From hiking a mountain tucked right within the city limits, to presenting as a group to Enel – Chile’s largest power company – and exploring the dynamic relationship between Canada and Chile, the trip was filled with moments that were both educational and inspiring.
Finding our voice at ENEL
One of the most impactful moments came during our presentation to ENEL, a leading energy company in Chile. After countless lectures and exercises in public presentations, this was an exciting opportunity to challenge ourselves with leaders from a different cultural background and industry. Although our cohort conducted extensive research on the Chilean environment and energy sector, we still felt some nerves going into the presentation, particularly anticipating the Q&A.
To succeed, our cohort focused on intentional listening. We made sure to understand the executives’ feedback and incorporated their analogies – such as treating the Chilean energy transmission as an orchestra – into the presentation. This demonstrated that cross-cultural communication is as much about adaptability and active listening as it is about technical knowledge. Tailoring communication in real time gave us greater confidence to provide value to executives outside our core expertise and across cultural divides.
Discovering the government’s global role in business
Another valuable experience was our meeting with the Canadian trade commissioner in Chile. Before this trip, we had not fully appreciated how actively the government supports Canadian businesses abroad. Learning about both the opportunities and the challenges of global expansion – from compliance requirements to local governance – was eye-opening.
This session showed that international business success depends on alignment with policy, regulation, and diplomacy just as much as it does firm-level strategy. One key takeaway was that cross-cultural effectiveness requires awareness of institutional contexts as much as interpersonal skills.
As we continue our AMBA journey, the lessons from Chile will stay with us – reminding us that real business leadership means bridging borders with both confidence and curiosity.
(Photo above) AMBA students on a group outing.
Related Articles
