Embassy Press Release

Remarks of Ambassador Nicholas F. Taubman on the Occasion of the ASEBUSS Graduation Ceremony

Ambassador Nicholas Taubman participated on September 25 at the ASEBUSS graduation ceremony, in which 71 graduates of the 2006-2008 academic program received their EMBA (Executive MBA program) diplomas. The graduates are managers and entrepreneurs from all fields.

Since 2003, ASEBUSS developed a partnership with Kennesaw State University, Atlanta – Georgia.

Grand Hotel Marriott, Bucharest
September 25, 2008

Rector Duhaneanu,
Distinguished faculty,
Honored graduates,
Ladies and gentlemen.

Ambassador Taubman (L) speaks at the ASEBUSS Graduation Ceremony. Bucharest, September 25, 2008 (Lucian Crusoveanu / Public Diplomacy Office). More photos

Today we have come together to celebrate your successful completion of the prestigious ASEBUSS Executive MBA program. This joint program with Kennesaw State University highlights the cooperation between the United States and Romania, especially in the area of private enterprise, and is representative of how international business will be conducted in the future. It will know no barriers or borders, but will require you to prove yourselves against the very best and brightest people in the world. Many of your colleagues and competitors will be American, and it is my sincere hope that in pursuing this degree you have developed relationships with your American counterparts which will be useful to you throughout your careers. One of the most important things I hope you have learned in the course of your studies is how to communicate effectively across cultures.

Today we live in a world which is increasingly linked together. Businesses may exist physically or virtually in many different countries at once. Companies may have an executive office in one country, with distribution networks in a second country and sales offices in a third. Corporations have a voracious demand for skilled professionals able to navigate across cultures and across regions. The fact that your employers, all savvy businesspeople, have been willing to support your study here is testament to the fact that they see a need to have trained professionals able to easily work in a globalized business environment.

This is what makes cooperative programs, such as the one you are graduating from today, so important. You have studied here in Romania, but have worked, both virtually and in person, with your American counterparts. You have had to learn how to communicate effectively, often at a great distance, to accomplish your academic tasks. This is great preparation for your future. The business world is not insular; it is diverse, multinational, multiethnic, and highly competitive. Being able to leverage communications tools to collaborate on a virtual basis is one of the keys to building a successful business in the future.

I come from the business world, and have spent many years competing against some of the best. Believe me, competition was fierce and the stakes were often substantial. What I have found is that, while numbers and statistics are important, success is really driven by the caliber of the people involved. As a businessman I had to make sure that I not only looked at the economics of a particular transaction, but also considered my organization's ability to implement the task and the capabilities of the people sitting across the table. You have demonstrated that you can communicate across language and cultural barriers – a vital skill. My experience in the diplomatic and business worlds is similar; both demand effective negotiation and communications skills.

Many major American companies are already committed for the long term to the Romanian market. They recognize that to grow and succeed here they must continue to attract well-qualified Romanian workers. I have been impressed that of the "American" companies present in Romania, many, if not most, are actually managed by Romanians. This is evidence of the executive and managerial skills present in this country. Programs such as ASEBUSS are creating the types of leaders -- graduates such as you -- that businesses want to attract and keep.

As you return now to the workplace and apply what you have learned, you will strengthen Romania's position as an attractive partner for American and other foreign investors. I trust that your demonstrated skills and knowledge have qualified you not only to receive this degree, but to legitimately aspire to leadership in the business world. Work hard. Demonstrate to your employers that their substantial investment in sending you to this program has been money well spent. As you do, I am confident you will be given ever-greater responsibility as well as opportunities to move across borders and cultures to take on important jobs for your companies. Your presence here today proves that you have the skills to succeed in a global economy. It is up to you now to apply them. If you do, you have a bright future, full of challenges and wonderful opportunities.

I salute you, the 2008 graduates of ASEBUSS, for your accomplishments. Congratulations!

For more information: http://www.asebuss.ro/

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