Blog #12 — Tying it All Together with IBM Argentina
In the past, the CSC program has received feedback that despite living abroad for an entire month, participants did not have the opportunity to meet local IBMers or learn about our business in the host country. I feel incredibly fortunate that that the new leadership in IBM Corporate Citizenship has acknowledged that feedback starting with my team.
After arriving back in Buenos Aires, we visited the main IBM Argentina office. First, we met with the country general manager Roberto Alexandre to share our experience in his country and to learn about his business. He shared with us that IBM has been in Argentina for 90 years, as it was one of the first countries where the company expanded outside of the United States. We spoke about the impact of Argentina’s frequent economic and political challenges, and I was surprised to learn that in some ways they actually create more opportunity. With frequent hyperinflation and instability, clients are more likely to search for technology solutions to drive efficiency in their businesses. Our delivery centers also become relatively cheaper, which can boost job growth.
We also discussed with Roberto the impact of our CSC program on IBM’s business in Argentina. 80% of our Argentine business is concentrated in Buenos Aires, with the remaining 20% split between Santa Fe and the city of Córdoba. We learned that existing IBM clients had attended our final presentation, and shared positive feedback that they had seen a completely different side of IBM.
After our meeting with Roberto, we had an open session with colleagues from IBM Argentina to discuss CSC. Some participants were interested in applying for the program, while others were CSC alumni eager to hear about our experience in their country. As one participant shared his story about CSC in Australia, I was struck by how similar it was to my own. The challenges his team faced, the solutions they identified, and the relationships he built all sounded as though he could have been describing my project. It made me realize how truly special the CSC experience is, and made me incredibly excited to join the strong alumni community.
Finally, I will always remember the part of the day where we went around the room and shared what had been the most meaningful part of the experience for each of us. It was incredibly moving to hear how each member of our team had grown both personally and professionally. I was skeptical at the beginning of CSC about how significant of an impact we could make in one month. What I failed to ask myself was what the significance of the experience would be to each of us. After yesterday, I can say that for every member of our team, it was truly the experience of a lifetime. We challenged ourselves, learned from one another, and became a family. I am so incredibly grateful for this experience, and to everyone who made it a once in a lifetime opportunity.
