Careers Crossing Borders

Careers Crossing Borders is a series of opportunities of the Center for Global Business intended to help students explore and navigate career paths in international business, gain perspective from professionals about their career experiences, and leverage their global mindset. The Careers Crossing Borders series can include:

  • The Keynote and Speaker Series
  • A Case Interview Competition
  • A Dinner Networking Conversation
  • The Trek

Upcoming Event

Careers Crossing Borders: The Trek

Friday, April 25, 2025
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Register to attend

As part of the Careers Crossing Borders series, the Center for Global Business presents The Trek. Discover exciting career opportunities during a day of site visits to explore global careers at dynamic international companies and organizations in Maryland. Agenda is forthcoming.

Transportation to/from Van Munching Hall and lunch will be provided.

Recently Concluded Event

Careers Crossing Borders: A Dinner Networking Conversation

April 3, 2025

An evening of global career exploration and networking over dinner.

Students connected with Smith School alumni from companies such as Dell Technologies, Johnson Controls, Bayer Crop Science, and more to learn about international career paths and how to leverage a global mindset. Alumni and friends of the Center for Global Business shared their experiences with students interested in global careers.

Speaker Bios

Mukul AnandMukul Anand
Senior Director of Application Engineering
Nortek Data Center Cooling Solutions

Mukul Anand has 27 years of HVAC industry experience, including 15 years in data center infrastructure design. He is the Senior Director of Application Engineering at Nortek Data Center Cooling Solutions. Previously, he served as the Global Director of Business Development, Innovation, and Strategy at Johnson Controls.

Anand specializes in data center cooling, sustainability, product management, energy management and applied HVAC. He collaborates with customers, provides strategic guidance and helps launch specialized products for evolving data center infrastructure.

He holds a B. Tech degree in mechanical engineering from IIT Mumbai, an MS degree in thermal and fluid sciences, and an MBA in finance and strategy, both from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Anand is a voting member of ASHRAE SSPC 90.4 (Energy Standard for Data Centers) and ASHRAE SSPC 127 (Method of Testing for Rating Cooling Equipment Serving Data Centers and Other IT Spaces). He is also a member of the IT Subcommittee at ASHRAE TC 9.9 (Mission Critical Facilities, Data Centers, Technology Spaces and Electronic Equipment).

He is a frequent speaker at the Department of Energy, ASHRAE, and global data center conferences on topics including data center cooling, economization, sustainability, and high-density multistory data center design.

Scott KuschmiderScott Kuschmider
Vice President, Agricultural Affairs and Policy
Bayer U.S. – Crop Science, Washington, D.C.

Scott Kuschmider directs global public policy engagement strategies for Bayer’s Crop Science division, a global life sciences company. He leads the development and implementation of advocacy strategies for key business priorities in agricultural biotechnology innovation, including large-scale commercial seed and biotech trait approvals and registrations for major markets.

He has also led U.S. government relations efforts, first for Monsanto and then for Bayer following its acquisition of Monsanto in 2018. He designed and executed public policy initiatives in the U.S. to support the launch of seed and crop protection systems marketed to farmers, as well as the establishment of a national standard for disclosing the use of biotechnology in packaged food.

Before joining Monsanto, Kuschmider was a professional staff member for the House Agriculture Committee under then-Chairman Collin Peterson of Minnesota from 2007 to 2011. He worked in media relations during the passage of the 2008 Farm Bill and the committee’s contribution to derivatives regulation in the Dodd-Frank financial law. He later served as staff director for the subcommittee overseeing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s biotechnology, foreign agriculture and rural development programs.

Earlier in his career, he was press secretary and legislative assistant to U.S. Rep. Dale E. Kildee of Michigan (2005–2007) and U.S. Rep. Ken Lucas of Kentucky (2001–2004).

Kuschmider earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Kansas in 2001 and an Executive MBA from the University of Maryland in 2021.

He and his wife, Rebekah, a writer, have two children and live in Kensington, Maryland.

Margarita SaringulyanMargarita Saringulyan
Sr Director, NORAM Transformation
Sodexo

Margarita Saringulyan is the senior director of North American transformation at Sodexo. She has a wealth of experience in project and program management and a strong knowledge of hospitality and procurement. Saringulyan joined Sodexo in 2008 and held multiple roles on the supply management team. She then led the PMO for strategic sales and led global innovation projects for a large strategic client account for five years. Saringulyan is a certified project manager with more than 15 years of experience. She graduated from Smith Business School with a part-time MBA in 2007.

Saringulyan immigrated from Armenia, speaks four languages, has three children, loves to travel, and is always positive, resilient and an extrovert.

Ethan ShapirEthan Shapir
Global Marketing Strategy Lead
Alienware, Dell Technologies

Ethan Shapir is the global marketing strategy lead for Alienware, the gaming division of Dell Technologies. His core responsibilities include developing and implementing brand and product creative for all Alienware campaigns globally, leading Alienware’s media strategy, and analyzing the behavior of potential target markets and audiences.

Since joining Dell, Shapir has won a Shorty Award, authored thought leadership decks for the gaming category, and reoriented Alienware’s brand positioning to capitalize on the growing gaming market.

Shapir began his career at Mediavest, a media agency specializing in media planning and strategy. Over his 12-year career, he has worked at several agencies, servicing clients such as Mercedes-Benz, Luxottica, and Bristol Myers Squibb. Before leaving agency marketing, he served as the North America associate media director for the Dell account at Mediacom before being asked to join Dell directly as the global creative strategist for the gaming category.

Shapir graduated from the University of Maryland in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in marketing. During his time at Maryland, he was a member of the Quest Honors Program and the university's club water polo team.

Abisola UdeAbisola Ude
Program Manager, Maryland Global Gateway
Maryland Department of Commerce

Abisola Ude serves as the program manager of the Maryland Global Gateway soft landing program, a pioneering initiative that supports foreign companies aiming to expand into the U.S. market. Under her leadership, this unique program—one of its kind in the nation—has successfully integrated more than two dozen companies within its first year, earning significant acclaim, including praise from Gov. Wes Moore.

Ude’s career is marked by her expertise in leading impactful programs and her commitment to economic development. Her extensive experience includes managing national and global programs that drive economic advancement and job creation, primarily focusing on Maryland’s growth. Her achievements extend to her role as a business owner; she operates a higher education consulting firm that has saved families millions of dollars on college education, further demonstrating her dedication to economic empowerment.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Ude has contributed to her community through two terms on the City of Laurel Education Advisory Board, reflecting her commitment to educational advancement. Her passion for nurturing the next generation is also evident in her volunteer work, where she provides leadership development training and mentors students through Bethel Campus Fellowship.

A proud Nigerian American, Ude shares her life and passions with her supportive husband. Her multifaceted career and community involvement underscore her unwavering dedication to economic development, educational empowerment, and leadership.