Peter Gates (1999 US student)
Project Manager, Information Technology, Mattel, Inc.
The ESAN program in Lima, Peru, provides a unique learning atmosphere. Most top MBA programs offer similar language opportunities, but they are located in heavily "Americanized" areas. ESAN is off the beaten path yet still central to the Latin American Business world. The facility is world class, the professors are the top business and political leaders in the country, and the students are very intelligent and worldly.



Mary Anne Harmon (2002 US Student)
Senior Consultant, The Trium Group, San Francisco, CA USA
Upon starting my MBA at UCLA Anderson, I had a personal goal of becoming a more “seasoned” international executive. I hoped to leave the MBA program with the ability to not only manage business transactions in Spanish, but also to approach cross-border business situations with critical cultural insight. I also hoped to find a way to apply my skills in investment banking to the developing world. At ESAN in Lima, Perú, I not only achieved those goals, but I also gained so much more. I had not planned on the deep camaraderie that I would form with my Anderson peers and the impressive caliber of staff and experiential coursework at ESAN. I became truly enamored with the Peruvian people, landscape, history, and cuisine. I left the homestay experience with a lifelong relationship with my host family. After the Spanish for Business experience in Peru, I feel equipped to approach the global world of business with a competitive advantage of valuable cultural perspective. All in all, it was one of the greatest experiences in my lifetime.

Jürgen Heilmann (2002 German Student)
Consultant, Bain & Company Germany, Inc.
The language and cultural immersion program at ESAN in Lima, Peru was the perfect way to start two of the most interesting and rewarding years of my life. The people at ESAN have put together a fantastic program with intense language studies, talks by renowned professors including Peru's Controller General, and short field studies that exposed students to economic characteristics of Latin America. I did not only become fluent in Spanish and experience the fascinating culture of the Incas, I also had the chance to travel in the country and explore the nightlife of Lima together with a great group of classmates.



Dr. Robert Paterson, (2001 UK Student)
Physician, International Committee of the Red Cross
I attended ESAN's summer program, just before starting my MBA at UCLA Anderson. At this point I had very little knowledge of Spanish - and no "business school" knowledge at all - so I "hit the ground" at a sprinting pace: this was no holiday in Peru. I was one of 6 foreign students enrolled for the program. The course work was fairly intensive and focused on improving our language skills and our knowledge of Latin American culture and business practices. The language classes were tailored to our respective linguistic levels. The standard of teaching was excellent and the staff was both motivated and friendly. The school organized housing for us, and we were placed in local families, to ensure that we continue speaking Spanish "at home". My experience was extremely positive since my Spanish improved dramatically and I really liked the people I met there. Also, the course offered my first introduction to business school topics, which I found very useful before starting the MBA. I now work for the International Committee of the Red Cross, where the language skills and cultural insights gained at ESAN have been very useful to me.



Bonny Kim (2000 US Student)
Manager, UCLA Global Access Program
The language program at ESAN was great! I participated in the program to improve my Spanish and develop a better understanding of the issues and challenges of doing business in Latin America. The ESAN faculty and administration were very involved in students' learning and put together a comprehensive series of language classes, management seminars and field activities in and around Lima, Peru. As a result, I'm now able to communicate and work more effectively with Spanish-speaking business owners and entrepreneurs.