This article originally appeared on Fuqua’s Daytime MBA student blog and is shared here with permission.
by Karen Vanderpuye, Daytime MBA ’25, Mercedes Jones, Daytime MBA ’25, Mikhala Nelson, Daytime MBA ’25, Reilly Shew, Daytime MBA ’25, Shany Vinokur, Daytime MBA ’25
When we began our journey at Fuqua last August, some of us were discovering the world of consulting for the first time. Some had an interest in the field’s focus on teamwork to solve complex business problems while others wished to learn about various industries and make an impact on business decisions. Fueled by enthusiasm and a desire to make a difference, we eagerly seized the opportunity to dip our toes in consulting and embrace the ‘Team Fuqua‘ spirit by signing up for the Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum, more commonly known as FCCP.
Over Fuqua’s two spring terms, FCCP pairs teams of students with participating organizations to develop insights and recommendations for current business challenges, akin to a consulting project. A cornerstone of Fuqua’s experiential learning offerings, FCCP is an opportunity for students to learn more about a chosen industry sector, hone their leadership and collaborative skills and implement what they have learned at Fuqua.
Working With Our Client, Together
For our FCCP project, our team of five worked with Duke Integrative Medicine, specifically the executive team for the Leadership Program in Health & Well-Being. The program aims to teach health care leaders about creating a culture of health and well-being and why it is essential to shaping the industry’s future. We were unfamiliar with the integrative medicine space at the onset of the project, but the client team provided us with background information and other resources to help us get up to speed on the workings of the industry.
Due to the client’s proximity to Fuqua, we even had the opportunity to visit Duke Integrative Medicine’s facility to present our final recommendations in person. Learning how to develop a strong team-client relationship is a key element of FCCP that will serve us well in the professional world.
For us, the highlight of our FCCP experience was undeniably the strong collaboration and mutual support that empowered us to tackle complex business challenges as a unified team. The ‘Team Fuqua’ spirit of collaboration and teamwork resonates throughout Fuqua, and participating in FCCP offered an exceptional opportunity to embrace this essence of Fuqua.
Teaming Up for Greater Impact
Our team included individuals with unique talents and backgrounds, each with their own specialized expertise from fields such as finance, technology, and marketing. This diversity didn’t just enrich our collective knowledge — it also significantly strengthened the impact of our project. The various experiences of our team members enabled each of us to take the lead on different aspects of the project.
We conducted in-depth customer interviews, completed comprehensive competitor analyses, and analyzed customer survey data. We divided these workstreams to leverage our individual strengths, which enabled personal development and enhanced our ability to support each other. Despite the demanding nature of the work, our strength as a team ensured that we met our goals with precision and efficiency.
Overall, our time working with the Leadership Program in Health & Well-Being in FCCP this year proved to be quite a valuable experience for us as we each pursue our professional aspirations. We became stronger leaders and collaborators and learned how to synthesize our findings into actionable insights for business leaders. We look forward to seeing what happens next for the program!