The Power of AIESEC Experience

After being the alumni coordinator for the past one year, I have been greatly inspired by the passion that our AIESEC alumni have for this organization. Here I want to share with you the amazing story of Lars, ex-President of AIESEC Germany in 2001/2002.

AIESEC Experience:

Various projects / Organizing Committee President 1995-1997

Vice President Marketing in AIESEC in Hannover University 1997/1998

President , AIESEC in Hannover 1998/1999

Regional Chair “Star Region” 1999/2000

President of AIESEC in Germany 2001/2002

Member of the global “Steering Committee”, Global Leadership Award 2001/2002

Chair/Facilitator at conferences in China, Czech Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Germany, India, Poland,

When I first joined AIESEC in Hannover, I repeatedly was confronted with the slogan AIESEC is people. – and those experienced members told me that the network they were building was one of the great advantages of being a member. Though I couldn’t really grasp the meaning of this, I found it a compelling idea: having friends and contacts all around the world. But how?

Basically, I joined AIESEC within the first weeks when I started university – and luckily I directly got involved in organizing projects like the national leadership development seminar or an international training seminar – involving not only enthusiastic AIESEC members and trainees, but also inspiring alumni and supportive external partners from some of the most renowned companies.

Frankly speaking, I was quite impressed not only by the caliber of companies supporting AIESEC’s idea, but even more how convinced those partners were of the support they were providing.

In 1997 I finally went on an AIESEC traineeship myself – for two months to Croatia, working at the Ekonomski Institut Zagreb, getting involved in labor market study and analysis. What was really impressive, was the fact that only 1,000 kilometers away from my hometown, I met people in my age, who had only recently witnessed war through their country’s fight for independency just a few years earlier. And while driving past destroyed villages in the middle of Europe, only ten hours drive away from home, I deeply understood that cultural understanding and AIESEC’s vision of peace and fulfillment of humankind’s potential wasn’t just a noble slogan, but had its justification even today.

Inspired by my experiences in Croatia and the great people and friends I met during my stay there, I decided to and become president of AIESEC’s chapter (local committee) and my university – and my horizon just widened tenfold: national and international meetings, benefiting from a trainer education, involvement in strategic workshops together with some of the best firms.

Further leadership positions, mind-blowing events and fascinating personalities accompanied my further path parallel to finishing my studies.

One of the most challenging roles was the one as president of AIESEC in Germany, a full-time position, leading not only the national board and being in charge of other full-time employees, but also taking charge for the strategic planning and coordinating the national board of advisors. It also meant representing AIESEC German chapter with around 1,500 members on the international level. This included arranging bilateral agreements, making decisions in AIESEC’s international assembly and as member of the International Steering Committee I had the chance to actively work on a global organizational change management program.

Throughout my active time in AIESEC, I had the unique opportunity to attend events nearly all around the world: from Armenia to Bosnia, Czech Republic to China, Egypt to El Salvador, Finland to Guatemala, India to Ivory Coast, Malta or Switzerland. Going those place meant to become a delegate, facilitator, trainer, speaker – and most importantly a trusted friend of many great people around the world.

While I was sad to finally leave the organization as an active member, I realized that the vast experience I had gained, were actually just setting the scene for my further professional journey.

When DHL started an internal management trainee program in Asia Pacific coincidentally about the time I had finished active AIESEC time, it took not long and I found myself in Hong Kong, working for DHL’s regional Corporate Affairs office on a nine months contract. I thought this would be a kind of last journey before the ‘normal’ life would start. Luckily I was proven wrong, as in over 6 years with the company in Asia, I moved to Singapore, was involved in exciting projects like brand campaigns, crisis management, sponsorship arrangements, meeting politicians, sports idols, giving trainings in countries like Japan or Thailand or leading a 450 people delegation to DHL/Deutsche Post’s internal world cup in Germany in 2006. Having moved on to a PR consultancy and now Dow Jones, I still feel the power of the AIESEC community. E.g. as I just spent a few days for business in Tokyo, I connected with my Japanese President from 2002… The journey never ends.

But most importantly, I saw my personal network of good friends, colleagues and business acquaintances expanding even further - many of them connected through AIESEC. So a normal weekend for me could include having lunch with my wife's Singapore family, playing football with a bunch of local and international guys, coming from Australia, Morocco or the US - and finally dinner with close friends from Argentina, Hungary or Kenya.