Class is in session at Fonterra
From Victoria’s leafy eastern suburb of Box Hill to the bright lights of Shanghai, 40 Melbourne Business School students went on an immersive research experience as part of this year’s Business in Asia Innovation Challenge.
The students were tasked with a business challenge: to find ways Fonterra can better engage Chinese consumers and create a growth market for Australian dairy-based nutritional powder.
The challenge provided a unique opportunity for students to work with innovation experts at EY on a ‘real life’ business task as part of their Melbourne Business School course.
The initiative took the students across the globe on a two-week research stint to China, immersing themselves in the culture to better understand what might be needed for a business to operate in China. The trip spurred the students’ creativity with innovative ideas and strategies flourishing, with several students gaining the opportunity to present their strategies to Fonterra’s Australian Leadership Team.
Fonterra’s General Manager of Portfolio and Strategic Partnerships Barry Wong commended the students for their hard work and was humbled to be part of the students’ career development.
“The Business in Asia Innovation Challenge has been a fantastic experience for Fonterra, working with EY, and to have been able to offer students at Melbourne Business School,” says Barry.
“It illustrates true collaboration and innovation across the spectrum, and I think the students found the experience invaluable.”