By Jane Shiverick T’15
Jane grew up in Bronxville, NY. She graduated from Trinity College in 2008 with a double major in psychology and Italian studies. Before Tuck, she worked in NYC in wine import and distribution.
It can be quite hard to pull oneself away from the late September foliage that sets the Tuck campus ablaze with color this time of year, but even harder to turn down the opportunity to compete in an MBA sailing regatta in Italy with a group of fellow T’15 classmates. Embarking on this three-day adventure with my fellow classmates seemed like an appropriate way to put my past experience as a sailing instructor and my undergrad Italian major to work.
A team of eight Tuckies traveled to Santa Margherita Ligure (near Portofino), Italy to represent Tuck in the annual Rolex MBA Conference and Regatta hosted by the SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan. This annual event offers a memorable international MBA experience: networking and making friends with students from over 20 international business schools, engaging in good-spirited competition out on the water, and enjoying compelling presentations on innovation and management—set against the backdrop of the sun-drenched Italian Riviera.
The Tuck boat took third place in the A Division. This was a true team effort in every sense. The sailboat racing experience is based on the same principles of leadership and teamwork that we exercise in the academic and work environment. Except with a tan.
Racing a sailboat with a crew of eight is analogous to the work environment in many ways. In the fast-paced environment, teamwork and management skills are key: the crew scrambles to coordinate fine-tuned movements amidst the controlled chaos of tangled lines, an unwieldy twisted spinnaker, or other boats imposing their right-of-way causing a sudden change of course. Each team member had a dedicated role and had to execute their tasks under the skipper’s leadership in ever-shifting conditions. In an exhibit of top-class leadership, our noble skipper Adam Hewson T’15 made sure every team member was attending to their duties, and in moments that required rapid response, he was quick to act and make proper adjustments to keep everyone in sync. Just as in a company work setting, there are many moving parts that need to be coordinated in order to reach a common goal.
This was a unique and unforgettable three days of Tuckie bonding abroad!