By Renee Graham

Summer has arrived on the campus of Babson College. To some this means the start of summer hours, staff retreats and Babson Summer Kids Camp. For the MBA program it marks the beginning of summer session courses and participation in Summer MCFE Projects.

In June, Global Program Services (GPS) launched three MBA Management Consulting Field Experience (MCFE) Projects with Kelly and Company representing Gosling’s Rum, Fidelity, and NextWorth Solutions. Students who are selected for the projects will work with an adviser and client to conduct research, develop strategy, and provide consultative feedback to the client at the end of the course. Team members are chosen through an application and interview process, after which the team meets with an adviser, and begins work with the client sponsor that will continue through the two-month project. Final presentations will occur at the end of July.

Kelly and Company representing Gosling’s Rum, have provided an opportunity for MBA students Richard Grieser, Flora Hsu, Christian Rubio, Ankit Gupta, and David Osowa to conduct in-depth branding market research on the company’s products and provide distribution and marketing input as the company launches a new product. Executive in Residence Linda Kanner will advise the team through this process.

Fidelity, a longtime MCFE participant, has again agreed to coordinate its business needs with Babson MBA students, this time to develop new technology around the need to improve internship procurement for both paid and unpaid positions. Jaeuk Chu will work with Fidelity this summer to address this business need.

MBA students Christopher Gilbert, Douglas Lindstrom, and Michelle Boucher have signed on to work with NextWorth Solutions, a former Babson MBA Hatchery Business that works with businesses, nonprofits and individuals to facilitate the online and offline sale of previously owned technology and electronic equipment. The students, with the guidance of their faculty adviser Lidija Polutnik will develop their consulting skills in the area of pricing strategy, exploring historical and market data to assist them with their recommendations. For more information about consulting programs offered at Babson College, please go to:

http://www3.babson.edu/Centers/Glavin/gps/Consulting/Students/