Mr Peter Ward, Managing Director, Wardy IT Solutions.
Linkage with the industry provides students with first hand insights of how the concepts taught in 1005IBA (Introduction to International Business) are applied in the real world. In a one-hour guest lecture on 23 April, special invited industry speaker, Mr Peter Ward, Managing Director at Wardy IT Solutions, shared his extensive global experience dealing with people around the world and the challenges he faced.
His talk on ‘Developing a global IT solutions company from the ground’ inspired students, giving them an insight into building a new business globally.
Dr Bernard Gan, Senior Lecturer and First Year Coordinator in the Department of International Business and Asian Studies, said
“Linking teaching curriculum with real world industry practice is crucial to students’ active learning particularly for a dynamic discipline like international business.”
1005IBA Nathan Teaching Team (Ms Josie Nan Solorzano, Dr Bernard Gan, and Mr Omid Haass) with Mr Peter Ward.
Peter is a homegrown Brisbane-based exemplar of a proactive, charismatic, and motivated young entrepreneur. Given his achievements at such a young age, Peter was awarded the 2016 and 2017 Brisbane Young IT entrepreneur of the Year award and has been recognised as a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for his technical excellence and commitment to the SQL Server Community.
The Introduction to International Business course focuses on the study of international business in a cross-cultural environment. It provides students with a solid foundation of the key issues and relationships in the field of international business including trade, economics, international marketing and finance, in a dynamic international business environment.
Mr Peter Ward shares his experiences with students.
Peter shared with the class that connecting with clients requires commitment and special touches. As such, his jet-setting life style – not by choice but by necessity – revolves around commuting on a weekly basis (interstate and globally) to meet with clients. Impressively, many of Wardy IT’s first clients are still their loyal customers today.
Many of his stories directly related to the concept taught in 1005IBA. For example, how does geocentric orientation actually apply in the real world? How does a young global company build sustainable competitive advantage in the global platform? What do you do when you enter a business meeting room when everyone is carrying a gun except you?
Photos of the session are available on the course Instagram.
