Field Consultancy

"I had a great experience working with the client, the Executive Partners of our team (Bill Lippman & Frank Knuettel), our Faculty Supervisor (Jim Olver), and the student team. My Field Consultancy experience has without a doubt been the highlight of my MBA studies." - Tulika Makharia MBA '08

Nothing builds valuable experience and translates business theory into reality better than Mason's Field Consultancy Program.

Each year, the Mason School contracts with major companies across the mid-Atlantic region. Teams of second-year MBA students work as consultants charged with identifying, researching and proposing a solution for a real business problem faced by their client organization. Each project focuses on different issues, based on the needs of our clients.

Mason School MBAs have confronted challenging assignments in areas such as corporate and operational finance, marketing, strategy, management and organization, logistics and transportation, human resources and information technology. Students with an entrepreneurial interest may choose to work on business start-up projects, under the auspices of the Entrepreneurship Center.

Each project team works under the guidance of a Faculty Supervisor and Executive Partners to address management issues, develop a deeper understanding of the interdependence of functional areas, and polish teamwork and communication skills.

Clients benefit from a fresh, innovative perspective on a business problem and have the opportunity to observe your business savvy in action. In many cases, the Mason School of Business develops long-term working relationships with our Field Consultancy clients that result in post-MBA professional opportunities for our students.

Ferguson Enterprises Testimonial:

"Ferguson recently participated in the College of William and Mary's Field Consultancy Program through the Mason School of Business.  This is the second of two mutually successful years Ferguson has utilized the program.

"It was refreshing to see the student's energy and enthusiasm while working with the team for 'Ferguson Green,' our sustainable building initiative. All of the students did a terrific job identifying strategic opportunities. The data provided by the students is already being utilized in executive team meetings. While many of the student conclusions matched predictions, the data was even more relevant because of the unbiased research of a team that was not predisposed to our industry.

"The Field Consultancy Project was of great benefit to Ferguson, and would also be beneficial to other area employers.

"The diverse mix of students and their backgrounds brought a variety of perspectives to the project and made it incredibly dynamic. All of the students were a pleasure to work with and their attentiveness and diligence was greatly appreciated."

 Thank you,

 Megan McDonald

Spring 2009 Clients:

• Bon Secours
• Cox Communications
• Health Management Corp. (a Wellpoint subsidiary)
• LifeNet Health
• Riverside Health
• Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC)
• Savi Technology (a Lockheed Martin subsidiary)
• VISA

Gannett Newspaper Division

"[Our team of student consultants'] research, findings and recommendations will provide us with additional data needed to make prudent decisions for the Gannett Company ... It is our hope that someday they'll look back at newspapers and see the mark they've made in helping our industry define ways to reach and engage the younger reader." 

Helen S. Hoffman, Director/Circulation Sales, Gannett Newspaper Division