For the co-founder and CEO of Booster Juice, Canada’s largest chain of juice and smoothie bars, international expansion was integral to the firm’s strategy, especially as the Canadian market matured. However, working with business cultures and practices in different countries was a major challenge. Booster Juice had been opening three stores per month through the end of 2013, and the CEO was re-examining Booster Juice’s international operations, including .....more

Teaching note for product 9B15A048.

Teaching note for product 9B14A013.

An immigrant entrepreneur created Hi-Bridge Consulting Corporation, a company that imported and distributed alcoholic products in Canada, among other activities. In 2009, the entrepreneur brought Yanjing beer to Canada from China, even though the Chinese brewery did not have an articulated international expansion strategy in Canada at the time. Despite numerous challenges in the Canadian beer market, the entrepreneur made significant headway. However, .....more

A wealth management company in Chile that provided financial advisory services to high net worth individuals and pension funds was at a crossroads. After 15 years in business, the company had become very successful. To increase its value without incurring undue corporate financial risk, the owner, who has invested most of his personal wealth in the company, has the opportunity to make an investment in a similar wealth management company in Colombia. .....more

Teaching note for product 9B13N008.

Teaching note for product 9B12M041.

The president of I-Star America, Inc. and vice-president of I-Star Corporation reflected on the success of I-Star in the Chinese and Japanese IT markets and the challenges of increasing market share in North America, one of the largest markets in the world. I-Star was expected to grow about 30 per cent in the next few years, and the president considered whether the strategy used in Japan could be applied to North America.<br><br><br><br>Many .....more

Teaching note for product 9B09M062.

When Yves Saint Laurent died in June 2008, his estate passed to his business partner, Pierre Berge. Berge decided to auction several items from Laurent's estate at Christie's international auction house, including two antique bronzes from China. The general feeling in China was that these artifacts had been looted and should be repatriated rather than auctioned. The case highlights issues of ethics, corporate governance and corporate resp .....more