Our team agrees that the Global Consulting Project (GCP) was one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences thus far in our shared Cambridge MBA journey. The GCP was in collaboration with Inditex, a leading Spanish multinational apparel retailer and parent company to some of the world’s most iconic fashion brands – including Zara, Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, and Zara Home.
The objective of this project was to conduct market research on sustainability-oriented supplier engagement strategies and financing programmes, and to determine which of these strategies Inditex should consider implementing throughout its own supply chain. The company’s highly fragmented supply chain serves as a key obstacle in accomplishing its corporate goal to attain net zero emissions by 2040. Therefore, developing ways to incentivise its suppliers to adopt more sustainable practices is critical for Inditex to achieve its sustainability goals. Ultimately, our research findings and analysis led to the development of four recommendations for improved supplier engagement and financing.
The highlight of our project took place when we visited Inditex’s headquarters in A Coruña, Spain. During our week-long visit, Inditex showed us great hospitality and provided deep insights into the company. The visit began with a company tour and was followed by scheduled meetings with various departments, including sustainability, risk management, and transport. At the end of the visit, our GCP team presented findings and recommendations around supplier engagement programmes to senior members of Inditex’s Sustainability and Risk Management departments and received positive feedback.
The most rewarding and interesting aspect of the project stems from the diverse backgrounds of our GCP team. Our team of five MBAs hail from four countries across three continents, speaks four different native tongues, and our professional backgrounds range from finance and strategy to fine arts and government. Each member brought their own unique perspectives, experiences, work styles, and skill sets to the project, making it a meaningful journey for us all. The camaraderie we built throughout the project underpinned our ability to work through the tenuous final days at Inditex and deliver nuanced recommendations to the client that incorporated each of our respective strengths and opinions.
Thank you to the Cambridge MBA team – Tong Sun, Liana Sherman, Sanelisiwe Memela, Andrew Erskine and Kenichiro Kaneko.
For more on consulting projects available during the MBA year at Cambridge, visit our website >