Enrique Vasco, Vice President, Barclay Products Ltd., Lake Forest MBA Class of 1994
In the United States, "working abroad" means taking a job in Hong Kong, London, Sao Paolo or some other far flung locale. But for Enrique Vasco, the United States is a foreign country.
A native of Ecuador, Vasco earned his bachelor and master of science degrees in the United States. Though he returned to his native country after graduation, he was looking for, "...anything that meant I would be working abroad." His career path, and quest for international experience, has taken him from a paint company in Ecuador to his current position as vice president of Barclay Products in Gurnee, a marketer of decorative plumbing fixtures. Along the way, he earned his MBA at LFGSM. "I'm an engineer by training and thought it would be helpful to my career to have a more theoretical foundation," he said. "One of my conditions on taking this position was that I be able to finish my MBA. I chose Lake Forest because I was impressed by the level of professionals who teach there."
Vasco's current position has less of an international focus, so he's taking steps to rectify that situation. "Most of the items we sell are imported, and we have developed excellent partnerships with selected international companies. In some cases we are so close it's almost as if we were one company," he said. "In my efforts to find new sources of revenue, I've found that we can use this company as a base and become a source for anything American for our partners abroad."
Vasco recently located a source for bulk purchases of a specific chemical and was able to secure a better price for his customer, even after Barclay's commission. When he isn't negotiating an international sale, Vasco and his family enjoy bicyling, camping and, "...anything outdoors after the long winters."
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