Martin Banjo (MBA 2013-14) sums up his recent Global Consulting Project experience-consulting for Twitter. The Global Consulting Project sees MBAs form high calibre teams to tackle real issues faced by global clients.

Pre-MBA role: Management Consulting

Global Consulting Project: Twitter

Global Consulting Project location: Cambridge/London

Sum up your Global Consulting Project aims in a sentence:
A Brit, a Brazilian, and a Nigerian sitting with an ex-diamond trader and a tech entrepreneur trying to work out how a business improves the way it reaches its customers.

How did you apply what you’ve learnt on the MBA course so far to the GCP?
A cultural awareness, an ability to communicate across our different world views, and disagree while remaining fully committed were key learnings from our Management Practice course and essential in what was a successful group dynamic…those and a good sense of humour.

What is your stand out moment from the GCP?
Every time food and a hug resolved a disagreement, there were several.

What is the view from your window on GCP?
What window? Nobody told us we could have cubicles with windows.

Any funny moments?

After eight hours of a detailed review of a 75+ page presentation, the team was starting to flag and the ever energised and driven Bruna was using coercion, volume, questions, annoyance, grace, and everything in her arsenal to stir up some energy and push us to the end.

In a burst of energy she stood up to make a point and smashed her knee painfully into the corner of the desk. She fell back in agony, writhing, and grasping her knee as a concerned team rose to check on her. As she lay there rocking back and forth in pain, through gritted teeth she whispered: “Fooooocus, don’t worry about me” and the room erupted in laughter.

Sum up your team members’ strengths in three words?
Caring, driven, funny.

What makes a good consultant?
Thoughtfulness, persistence and adaptability.

What makes a good traveller?
Coffee and the ability to sleep on trains, planes, cars, etc.

Who would you invite to your dream global diner party?Where would it take place?
My team, Lionel Richie, and Jerry Seinfeld and we would be in a kosher Brazilian steakhouse – why? We listened to a lot of Lionel and watched Seinfeld together during the project, and Eytan only eats kosher food.

What is your most treasured item of luggage?
Socks – everybody needs good socks…and underwear.