1. Executive Masterof Business Administration program provides real-world experience for
students
Trip to South America
By Anna Crabill
Sarah Zibbel, director of human resources for global manufacturing at Owens-Illinois, will
graduate from the BGSU Executive Masters of Business Administration (EMBA) program this
spring. Zibbel has spent the past six years working with the HR talent management team on
related efforts for O-I manufacturing facilities.
Zibbel is able to juggle her demanding career and studying in the EMBA program due to its
unique and flexible structure. The EMBA program meets one weekend per month, for 18 months
with a break over the summer.
“The program is very manageable for a working professional because you start class on Friday
and you’re finished on Sunday. And, you only do this one weekend per month which is very
doable,” Zibbel said.
“In addition to the programs flexibility, I was also intrigued by the global perspective offered to
students in the program,” Zibbel stated. “Students travel to South America and experience how
business is conducted in a different culture which is extremely valuable in today’s global
society.”
Zibbel already spends fifty-percent of her time traveling throughout the world making routine
stops in places like Peru, Brazil, Poland, Switzerland, France and Australia. But, despite Zibbel’s
numerous passport stamps, she still finds immense value in the global emphasis of the EMBA
program.
“It’s always good to get perspective outside of your normal, daily life, especially visiting a
country that is so different than what you’re used to,” Zibbel said. “It’s opened my mind about
how I view the world and people, and how I value diversity.”
Each year, the students participate in an international trip as part of the program’s graduation
requirements. This year’s trip took students to Peru and Panama for ten days and was packed
with meetings and tours.
The program specifically chose South America because trade between the United States and
South America surpasses U.S. trade with Europe. The potential of future expansion of trade with
South America and Latin America adds a valuable perspective for the students.
Sarah, along with her cohort, visited the BDK Corporation, The Lima Stock Exchange, Owens-
Illinois, COMEX, the Tinto Copper Company, the Monastery of Saint Francis, Global Bank, the
Panama Canal, the Panama Ports Company, Archer Daniels Midland and Contadora Island.

2. “I would say my favorite stop was O-I! I would have said this even if I wasn’t already an O-I
employee,” Zibbel laughed. “It was a great stop because we had a chance to not only learn more
about O-I as a company, but to learn more about O-I Peru specifically.”
The students went on a plant tour at O-I to understand how products are made and were given an
overview of the commercial process, how they go to market and how they work with their
customers. “Overall, it was great outline of the whole integrated supply chain process within that
company,” she said.
Traveling with the students was Dr. Hokey Min, global supply chain professor, and David
Chatfield, director of graduate and executive programs in business.
“The EMBA global business trip was a great success,” Chatfield said. “The conversations,
presentations and power point materials from the company visits are then incorporated into the
curriculum of the EMBA class so the students can apply what they learned during the trip.”
Beyond the value of the global educational experience the students receive from the program,
Zibbel finds another added benefit of the program: the value of the cohort. Through the difficulty
of juggling a busy work schedule, the cohort is what kept her going in the program.
“I now have a network connection for life,” Zibbel confessed. “I have a new network of
professionals and friends that will support me throughout my career.”
“You’re stuck on a bus and in a hotel for ten days with the same people, but it’s a great way to
build relationships and trust within the cohort,” Zibbel continued.
BGSU’s EMBA program is designed for mid-career professionals with at least five years of
professional work experience who seek to develop the knowledge and skills required to succeed
in today’s global business environment.
“The EMBA is a unique program at BGSU. In fact, BGSU was the first university in the state of
Ohio to offer the EMBA program and has a strong history of successful relationships with
corporations in northwest Ohio,” Chatfield said. “Managers and executives from the northwest
Ohio region and beyond specifically come to this university for this program.”
The EMBA program has been a benchmark for other universities across the state since its
entrance into the BGSU curriculum in 1979 and continues to bring in students from across the
country.