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Alumna Feature

Syngenta Job Takes Alumna Around the World


John and Ioana Tudor Alumna Ioana Tudor (IMBA ’97) is a perfect embodiment of the international business program. A native of Romania, she entered the IMBA-Vienna program in 1996, studying for seven months in Vienna, Austria, followed by eight months in Columbia. She interned with a small South Carolina movie production company, evaluating opportunities for business expansion in the UK. At graduation, she went to work for the British company Zeneca Agrochemicals, at its USA headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware. When that company merged with Novartis to form Syngenta, the largest agribusiness company in the world, she ended up in Basel, Switzerland, first as Head of Business Strategy and then holding various roles in Plant Science, the biotech unit of Syngenta. Now she has relocated back to the United States, to Minneapolis, and will split her time between there, Basel, and the company’s R&D office in Raleigh, North Carolina as Global Head of Corn, Cotton and Soya Traits. Can you say “international”?

“Switzerland was a fantastic country to live in,” Tudor says. She enjoyed skiing on weekends and taking long European-style vacations in places like Egypt and Mauritius. And, she delighted in the exposure to different cultures offered through her work. “There are people from all over the world working at Syngenta, and English is the common language.” Tudor thinks her graduate education helped prepare her to deal with cultural diversity. “The ability to shift from one culture to another, from one way of doing business to another, that’s one of the things I learned from the business school because the IMBA-Vienna program was so international.”

Tudor also credits her IMBA experience for giving her a good foundation to manage people and work in teams, skills that have served her well through her many roles. “The industry is changing at a very, very fast pace, and I’ve changed jobs several times,” says Tudor. “In the biotech division, where I am now, I’m working with the research and development group, the regulatory people, the patents people, lawyers, the commercial group, and a whole range of other functions... trying to bring genetically modified products to market… it’s a fairly complicated and long research and development process.”

“Working in biotechnology is exciting, challenging, and rewarding,” says Tudor. “This is a source of major controversy between the U.S. and Europe, the subject of several World Trade Organization disputes, and an area where science and consumer perceptions have difficulty harmonizing; many believe biotech will be the next major revolution after information science with even greater impact on global economy, and I am one of these believers.”

If Tudor is an example of the new international citizen, then her husband and three daughters might complete the image of a global family. Husband John owns an import-export business helping U.S. firms that want to do business in Romania, and splits his time between Washington, D.C., and Romania. He was born in Romania, but grew up in the United States. Daughters Alexandra, 7, Ana, 4, and Amalia, 1½, are trilingual – speaking English, Romanian, and Swiss-German. “The family has always lived on a commuting basis... now it’s going to be easier with the move back to the U.S.,” Tudor says. “My oldest daughter is excited about coming back because she remembers the U.S. She was only three when she left.” Tudor jokes she has one regret: “I will be moving from downhill skiing to ice fishing for a winter sport.”

Staying Connected

Each year Tudor has helped arrange for one or more Moore students to be placed in internships at Syngenta. She thinks it’s the best way for alumni to help—“rather than just donate money.”

She has also been a strong supporter within the graduate alumni network. She took on the role of vice president in the MIBS Alumni Europe (MAE) organization soon after she moved to Switzerland and became its president in mid-2003. During her tenure, she was involved with organizing MAE events, and mobilizing alumni participation in the MAE network. Perhaps the most notable event was a four-day Halloween excursion in Romania, touring old castles and sightseeing in Transylvania, which took place in October 2003.

There is no alumni group in Minneapolis where Tudor now lives. She may try to start one, if there is interest and if her job and personal demands will allow her the time. She thinks the recent efforts to broaden the business alumni network led by GAIN (Graduate Alumni International Network) are a good idea, but it will take time. “The more people you have, the better chance for a strong network,” she says.

Tudor and her husband just bought a 100-year-old house in downtown Minneapolis, which they plan to remodel. “It’s going to be quite interesting to live here… it’s very historic and has somehow a European flavor,” Tudor says.

“I really like the area and the company,” she adds. “I think I’m on the right track, career-wise. I’d like to continue to move up in the company… to stay in the U.S. a few years, and then move back to Switzerland possibly.”

From her vantage point, Tudor offers one word of advice for students coming out of the graduate program—“It’s important to choose something that interests you... spend time researching. For me, it was almost by accident when I got selected by Zeneca at an international career fair. But I went through a thorough and long interview process… going through that, I managed to learn about the company and was able to make an informed decision about the industry I was going to join. And I’ve never regretted it. So if there is an opportunity to learn more about the field, it’s worthwhile to take the time—this is as important as the position and salary level.”

—Gail Crouch