Post: #1

My brother currently works for a Large International Cosmetics company based in NYC. He has the oppurtunity to work overseas for two years and has narrowed down his choices to the following locations.

EUROPE
SPAIN
Madrid

EUROPE
PORTUGAL
LISBON

LATIN AMERICA
COLOMBIA
Bogota

LATIN AMERICA
BRAZIL
Rio De Janeiro

LATIN AMERICA
MEXICO
México City

LATIN AMERICA
ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires

Right now he is building his rationale as to why it’s good from a business perspective. There are lots of reasons and here are some

- His company is really pushing for US employees to leave
- Brazil is growing and US strategies are more advanced – He could take those learning and apply them there.
- US companies like Wal-Mart have expanded to these markets – under different retail names. He has in-depth experience with working on those accounts on his company' behalf which would be priceless in those markets.

I told him that the benefit of working in a smaller country (Colombia/Argentina/Venezuela) is that he might have the opportunity to become a department head (i.e. head of sales) or something close to it. And I don’t think he could do that in Brazil.

His company is pushing for US employees to leave for a few reasons. The main reason is that many people come there(from other International Offices) to work but they have very few who are willing to leave and work in another country. The ratio of those who come vs. those who leave is lopsided.

The other reason is that His companies USA base is a monstrous business – 277 million people in one market. It’s a complex, big scale, efficient business that reaches many different types of consumers. The assumption is that you can take those learning’s to a smaller country and make it stronger. Also, in a general sense, his company is pushing high potential employees from all countries to travel everywhere to expand learning. But the US is a specific focus being that no one leaves.

So there you have it...with that being said which country do you think would be most solid for two years of professional business development to grow his companies business & his own advancement, stacking & most importantly saving $$$ to utilize when he returns back stateside to be flush in case and spanish immersion and a overall good time with women and social life of course.

Post: #2

$125 doesn't really go very far these days. You're brother might be disappointed in the countries listed. Hmmm. He might wanna consider Haiti and dirt cookies to help stretch that salary over a year.

Post: #3

(03-29-2011 02:14 PM)Aliblahba Wrote:  $125 doesn't really go very far these days. You're brother might be disappointed in the countries listed. Hmmm. He might wanna consider Haiti and dirt cookies to help stretch that salary over a year.

LOL. I'm assuming he meant $125k.. with that kind of money you can live pretty much anywhere he wants.

Post: #4

Sorry he will be making over $125,000 USD per year but will have to pay for his own housing expenses as of now.

Post: #5

Quote:& most importantly saving $$$

Colombia, only because their women are easier to deal with than Argentines.

Post: #6

What does he do? Is he in sales? If he is, he might find his selling skills might not be applicable right away in another country. Is he in operations? He has to consider his grasp of the local language to be effective.

It really depends on what function he does and what he wants to get away from the experience. International workers usually come to the US because it is a better deal for them.

I wouldn't go for the less lucrative countries (colombia) just so he can be in a higher post. I would rather go to a more competitive market like Brazil and earn my stripes in the trenches then be promoted to a regional post.

In terms of choosing a location: what is the level of international presence of his company and what growth strategies are expected per region? It boils down to what his function is and how he fits into the company's strategic vision for the region.

If I were in cosmetics (feminine products right?) I would go to Brazil for the high growth consumer market.

Post: #7

1a. Brazil



2b. Columbia
3c. Madrid


Everybody else is worthless

Brazil economy hasn't been this hot since the 1960's...you have a new president who follows the ideology of LuLa and believes in education/entrepreneurship is the key to defeat poverty. They will also hold the olympics and world cup so you have a ton of construction, excitement, and foreign investment coming in....Plus he can fly to the other countries with ease and spend time in arg/col if he's curious...

Post: #8

For what its worth, I have only spent any time in one of the places listed (Bogota); but I am currently in a situation that has me studying geopolitics and economics. I pay a good deal of attention to Latin America.

Looking at it strictly business, I have agree with the others who said Brazil is the best option. About the only thing it doesnt have going for it is ultra-cheap living.

Spain and Portugal are has beens.

Mexico is on a downward trend until there are some radical policy changes in the US.

Argentina's economy is not going anywhere special.

Colombia is the runner up, its a fucking awsome place, great people and Santos is in there so things should continue to improve...but its still walking on eggshells and it is sandwiched between two hostile neighbors that also have their own internal complications brewing.

Also, Obama seems to be really giving Colombia the cold shoulder right now for whatever reasons. He wont do the same free trade agreement he did with Korea (even though it would benefit the US more) and he didn't even go there on his recent Latin American trip.

However, Obama did go to Brazil. If I was in your brother's shoes, I probably would too.

Post: #9

Rio or Bogota hands down.

Post: #10

Argentina, hands down.
Brazil is more expensive and they speak portuguese, that only works there, in Portugal and in some african countries.
Colombia is kind of a small market.
Mexico City is chaotic.

Buenos Aires, good food, good wine, good looking girls.

Post: #11

Your brother is a lucky guy making his own pick of country to work. I have lived in Brasil and as much as I love the country I propably would go for Columbia (haven't been there but have been told it is a nice place to live with beautifull women) - mainly because housing is on the rise in Brasil - especially in areas like SP and Rio where I suppose he would live if Brasil was the choosen country.

If it weren't for the budget I would say 1. Brasil, 2. Columbia 3- Argentina - from various motives.
a) Brasil is the powerhouse in Latin America (I know Mexico propably still has a higher GDP per capita - but it is at present somewhat more instable)
b) I guess this is the place where you will find the flirt most embedded in the culture - and it really reaches beyond the great variety of races and mixtures as well as of class differences
c) In Sao Paulo (the financial center of Brasil) the variety of high class restaurants and discotecques is good - and you are in striking distance of aswell Rio and Buenos Aires - only short flights away.


Admitted - I am propably biazed, having lived in a country it gets part of your heart. No doubt your brother is up for an adventure no matter what he chooses

NB: (Word of advice - when I was living in Brasil I bought an air-pass for domestic travel within Brasil, at the time it was around 500 USD for 5 destinations of my own choice, but it could only be bought outside Brasil, it saved me more than 50% of the airfare - don't know if it still exists)

Post: #12

Regarding your presumption that he is more likely to be a department head in a small country I guess it is a reasonable assumption.

I don't know if the consumption in cosmetics is as sensitive to crisis as is high fashion, because if it is he should stear clear of Lisbon and Madrid - where comsumption is way down due to the fiscal crisis of these economies. My point is - as a department head he will have to put all his skills to work and maybe still settling for a poor result. It might turn out to be an urias post, and up-hill.

In Brazil the consumers in general are inquisitive - willingly to try something new, and at the same time the middle class and upper middle class has grown with (I guess I heard 25-30 millions people mentioned) representing increased purching power. And the consumption and GDP is still on the rise, so the likelyhood of success is propably better, even as a manager at a lower level where he might be responsible for creating more value in USD. Indeed the infrastructure, the distribution and the outlets selling are developed in the many huge cities in Brasil - there are huge malls in the cities (that brazillian women love to go to) - and chains like French Carrefour have been in the market for two decades. He might not be able to be bring as many new techniques and knowledge to the plate in Rio as in Bogota -but the other side of the coin is that he might be able to use the excisting structures to create sales quicker in Rio.

Sorry if this message got a little long

Post: #13

brazil is a no brainer! rest of latin america sucks. colombia is nice, but not anywhere close to brazil in terms of business opportunities

Post: #14

The rest of Latin America doesn't 'suck', it's full of incredible countries.