Over the last several months, the Export Development Board has developed a relationship with UCLA Anderson School of Management’s Global Access Program (GAP) with a view to strengthening Sri Lanka’s exports to the United States. The Export Development Board has worked closely with GAP Executive Director Dr. Fredrik Leuhusen, in addition to seeking external reference from agencies in New Zealand and Finland who have been among the most frequent GAP clients.
“We had paid a lot more to engage an independent consultant, but the students delivered five times the results for a much smaller price. We have already started to implement some early recommendations to change the product to cater to the US Market.”
Teow-Hin Ngair, CEO, SecureAge Technology, Singapore
The Global Access Program pairs six mid-level executives in UCLA Anderson’s fully employed MBA program with companies seeking to enter markets in the United States. Over the last 21 years, 778 companies from 25 countries have reaped the benefits of 3,847 GAP Professionals’ work. Student Consultants address strategic business issues to develop comprehensive, international new-market entry plans under the guidance of distinguished Faculty Advisors.
UCLA Anderson School of Management ranks as one of the top public business schools in the world, and attracts some of the world’s most accomplished and talented students. These students are full-time professionals with at least seven years of work experience, possessing a diverse range of skills that include marketing, strategy, finance and operations. Drawing from this base, the Global Access Program matches your company with a team that will collectively contribute more than 2,000 hours – including a minimum of 150 in-person interviews – to your company’s investment-quality business plan (often a cost-prohibitive commission at market consultant rates).
Dr. Leuhusen will be visiting Sri Lanka in February 2019 to meet with companies interested in pursuing their foreign expansion to the United States. Companies are eligible to get benefitted by the program if the company has a technology based product or service and wants to expand globally to the United States market, or an entrepreneurial company with a solid track record and current revenues for a product or service. Eligible companies could be financially assisted under the “Market Access Support program” of the Export Development Board.
