Anyone who has traveled outside of the country before knows that going to a foreign land is a unique experience. Chances are, if you have met Dr. Sam Wilson, Assistant Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship here at Buena Vista, you may have heard about his unique experiences in foreign countries. Dr. Wilson spent time in South Africa, Thailand, and China. But how does a guy with nearly 10 years of experience working with overseas businesses make his way to Storm Lake, Iowa?
Wilson is from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, a city outside of Minneapolis which nearly 65,000 people call home. Following his high school graduation, Wilson attended the University of Colorado Boulder, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Social Policy. While attending school, Wilson got the opportunity to study in South Africa at the University of Cape Town for six months, as well as work at the front desk of a hotel in England. This was the beginning of his international professional career.
Wilson applied to work at the brand-new Disney Park in Shanghai, China after graduation, and he got the job. However, right before his departure, China changed the rules of the work visa. Wilson would now be required to have work experience in Asia before he would be allowed to work in China. Determined to not give up on his dream of working for Disney in China, Wilson moved to Thailand, where his first job out of college became teaching English to Buddhist monks in the jungles of Thailand. While in Thailand, Wilson attended Mahidol University where he received his master’s degree in business administration. Finally, Wilson was allowed to enter the country of China to work at Disney in Shanghai.
While Disney was preparing for the opening of the Shanghai theme park, Wilson’s job was promotion and marketing for the new location. He would spend about 14 months working in Shanghai, before moving to the job he had spent the longest at; Disney in Hong Kong, China. Wilson said: “While working at Disney in Hong Kong, my job was promotion and marketing. I promoted new Marvel, Disney, Pixar, and Star Wars movies. I also spent time managing a YouTube page.” Wilson also shared that he worked with the public to organize photo shoots and wedding opportunities. He also collaborated with outside corporations for special events and was the coordinator for the events. Wilson also served as the global representative for the “Iron Man Experience” — a new attraction built at Hong Kong Disney while he was there. Wilson traveled around Asia promoting this attraction, which he said was a “very wonderful experience” he “enjoyed thoroughly.”
After eight long years in Asia, Wilson would return to the United States. He would go right to Old Dominion University (ODU) where he would receive his Ph.D. in Strategic Management. As a part of the Ph.D. program, Wilson wrote a book titled “The Real Rules of Business Success in China” where he was able to write about his career experience and the economy in China. After graduation from ODU, he would take a job closer to his home state of Minnesota in 2023 at Buena Vista University. “I was excited to come back to the Midwest after a long time away, and I was very excited to work at a school like Buena Vista,” Wilson said.
Dr. Richard Riner, Criminology Professor at Buena Vista, was one of five professors to attend a trip this last Summer to Hong Kong with Wilson. Riner said that he was “very impressed with how well Sam planned and guided the trip.”
Riner and the other four professors were given the chance to go on this trip because of the McCorkle fund. The McCorkle Fellowship was funded in 2006 as a way for faculty and students to bring international experiences back to share with the BVU community. Wilson suggested a trip be planned for students to visit Hong Kong, and his trip was approved, so the staff took the trip first. There will be an opportunity for students to attend next year, as well. Wilson said that it would be “a great experience for students” and that it would give them the chance to “expand their knowledge of the Chinese culture.” Wilson noted how it’s “a city like you have never seen before.”
Wilson stated; “I am very honored to be selected for the McCorkle fund, and I am excited to give students the opportunity to gain experience in a foreign place like Hong Kong.”
