Announcing the Broad College’s inaugural International Executive-in-Residence

By Chelsea Stein

Thursday, March 9, 2023

Cultivating a global mindset — an approach that allows tomorrow’s business leaders to operate in a world that transcends borders and geographies — is a key element of the Broad College experience. We seek to provide both undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities to extend classroom learnings to an international setting.

Kaori Koide holds a mocktail glass while seated at a professional networking event.

Kaori Koide (B.A. Marketing ’06), specialist lead at Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting in Tokyo, will be the Broad College’s inaugural International Executive-in-Residence.

Helping to guide these efforts is the college’s International Advisory Board, which brings together a diverse set of Michigan State and Broad alumni from various disciplines, industries and countries to enrich the ways we foster a global mindset for Broad Spartans.

This semester, board member Kaori Koide (B.A. Marketing ’06) will deepen her engagement and become the college’s inaugural International Executive-in-Residence.

She’ll venture to East Lansing from Tokyo the week of March 20, engaging with student organizations, speaking to classes and connecting with campus leaders on topics such as global mindset, entrepreneurship and women’s leadership.

“I’m humbled to be part of the program and being able to give back to the community,” Koide, specialist lead at Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting in Tokyo, said. “Looking back when I was studying at MSU from 2002 to 2006, I wanted to be a person who can give back to the school in some form, and I never thought I’d be contributing as a business professional bringing my knowledge, experience and capability as business consultant. This is way better than I ever imagined.”

Koide has been serving on the International Advisory Board since its inception in 2020, with a sincere dedication for helping current students. From judging the Best of Broad Abroad student video competition to helping develop a global mindset digital badge, Koide has taken on many notable projects. Although she is Japanese, Koide spent her childhood and portions of her career in Malaysia, and she has also enjoyed sharing those experiences with students through virtual presentations.

“[Kaori’s] energy and enthusiasm for her work, and the work of forging global mindset more generally, is contagious.”

In her role as the inaugural International EIR, she’s eager to connect with faculty and staff from the college’s International Business Center, Russell Palmer Career Management Center and Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and MSU’s Japanese Studies program. In addition, she’s excited to share how she makes an impact at one of the “Big Four” international accounting and consulting firms.

“I’m leading a number of initiatives in and out of my role at Deloitte to advocate for the importance of global, social and digital in order to make the world a better place,” she said. “Also, I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts and curious to hear what the MSU community thinks!”

Funding for the International EIR program was made possible through the International Advisory Board, donor support and the International Business Center’s CIBER grant renewal in 2022. And for Koide’s appointment specifically, additional funding came from MSU’s Japan Council within the Asian Studies Center.

“I’m thrilled Kaori is able to join us as our inaugural International Executive-in-Residence,” Sarah Scott, Walters Family Director of Education Abroad, said. “Her energy and enthusiasm for her work, and the work of forging global mindset more generally, is contagious. This will be a great opportunity not only for our students to see global business ‘up close’ but also for our faculty to leverage Kaori’s time here to further engagement around global mindset.”

Richard Spreng, associate dean for undergraduate programs, added, “Her years of significant experience as a consultant will be of great interest to our students. She will be an outstanding inaugural International Executive-in-Residence.”

After Koide’s visit this month, the International EIR program is set to continue each semester, with executives largely drawn from the advisory board. These efforts also build upon the college’s domestic Executive-in-Residence program, launched in 2018, which brings local experts and alumni to offer their leadership and business expertise to mentor and advise students.

Passionate about advancing the college’s strategic initiatives, Michigan native Paul Balas has been the college’s EIR for the Global Mindset Initiative for the past five years after retiring from PwC. He has provided strategic direction for Broad’s education abroad programs and has been a key partner in furthering international education efforts overall. He has championed the development of pre-departure course modules for education abroad programs and the completion of the International Student Experiences report, which aims to understand and enhance the international students experience in the Broad College, among other initiatives.

“The International Executive-in-Residence program provides a great opportunity for intensive faculty and student interactions with individuals who are emerging and proven leaders in their fields,” Balas said. “EIRs can provide insights into the importance and positive impact of building and fostering global relationships — both at a business and personal level.”

Through both the International EIR and EIR programs — and with the ongoing help of dedicated partners and alumni — we are doubling down on our commitment to fostering a global mindset for Broad Spartans. Koide’s visit to East Lansing this month is an intentional next step to incorporate valuable insights and expertise from our international alumni network.