Alumni Stories: Rodney Fernandes

I studied for my MBA at Warwick Business School, starting in September 2016. During my time there, I took part in the Working in Multicultural Teams and Intercultural Competence workshops.

Having grown up in Goa, India, and travelled extensively, I was already exposed to different cultures. However, the workshops helped me go beyond awareness and really reflect on how cultural differences influence communication, teamwork, and decision-making in practice.

The Working in Multicultural Teams session, in particular, highlighted how easily misunderstandings can arise even when everyone has good intentions, and how important it is to actively adapt your approach when working with others from different backgrounds. The Intercultural Competence workshop also helped me better articulate these skills, which has been valuable in professional settings.

I now manage and oversee operations in our family business in Goa, which specialises in construction contracting and property development, including infrastructure and real estate projects. In this role, I regularly work with a wide range of stakeholders, from local teams to external partners, and the ability to navigate different communication styles and expectations is essential.

The workshops gave me a more structured way of understanding and applying intercultural skills, which I continue to use in my day-to-day work. Looking back, these are not just useful skills for university group work, but critical for managing teams and projects effectively in a global and multicultural environment.