Introducing the International Study Trip corporate relations team

Monday, February 6, 2023
by Alan (AFM), Ryan (AFM), Vireshaar (AFM) and Aryaman (CFM)

Hello, fellow students! 

Welcome to the Winter 2023 trip to Singapore! This term, our class has been divided into four teams; corporate relations, meals and logistics, management, and marketing and culture. We are the corporate relations team, coming to you from the International Study Trip classroom! Our team consists of Alan, Aryaman, Ryan, and Vireshaar. We are incredibly excited to have you along with us for this trip.

The team 

My name is Alan, and I am in my third year of Accounting and Financial Management (AFM). Here is a picture of me from when I was shooting a Raptors 905 game with the mascot. I am incredibly excited to go on the international study trip with the team, as we will have the opportunity to meet business professionals in a different part of the world.

My name is Aryaman and I am in my third year of the Computing and Financial Management (CFM) program. I am excited to visit Singapore and check another country off my world travel list! For instance, here is a picture of me crossing Iceland off the same list a couple of months ago! 

My name is Vireshaar and I am in my fourth year of the AFM program. I am extremely excited to go to Singapore with this class and experience what Singapore has to offer. Here is a picture of me in New York this past summer. 

My name is Ryan and I am a fourth-year AFM student. I am extremely excited to experience Singapore’s culture and to meet with executives during the International Study Trip!  

Corporate relations and its process 

The corporate relations team is responsible for setting up meetings with business professionals and organizations so that the trip itself is a great learning opportunity. This includes but is not limited to researching the primary industries in Singapore, shortlisting the companies that could provide unique insights into international business, and reaching out and coordinating meetings directly with experienced individuals. 

Building relationships is a large component of the team’s responsibilities as the ability to make impactful connections, craft a positive reputation, and increase visibility are all important aspects of our development as individuals pursuing careers in accounting, business and finance. 

The team hopes to set up at least two meetings a day to ensure our days are occupied and the trip is filled with learning experiences. The companies that we especially want to meet are companies that are unique to Singapore. We will still reach out to global firms, but on this specific trip to Singapore, we hope to learn about Singapore’s culture and about Singapore itself.  

Our learning goals and what we are excited about 

We have been tasked with connecting to industry leaders, our job will include significant efforts in reaching out to key contacts in Singapore. Whether it’s developing relationships through the alumni database or creating contacts through LinkedIn, we are positive that this experience will help us hone our skills and learn to connect with business professionals. We will also be building our business connections and networking capabilities. 

The corporate relations team is excited by the opportunity to sharpen key professional skills while planning and conducting meetings alongside managing relationships with leading executives. The opportunity to learn about a diverse range of topics spanning from corporate and government leadership to scaling start-ups will be an enriching experience. Regardless of the topic and the speaker, there will be many valuable lessons for the class to take away and apply throughout their careers.