Brice Fodouop
Home Region

Douala, Cameroon

Undergrad Education

Georgia Institute of Technology

Previous Experience

W.R. Grace

HBS Activities

Africa Business Club, Private Equity, General Management Club

“The HBS ecosystem has been critical in my first few months here.”

The son of a food and beverage importer based in Cameroon, Brice Fodouop is keenly aware of his nation’s struggle to develop its own consumer goods manufacturing sector. “Many of the food and beverage products in Cameroon are imported from developed countries,” Brice notes. “I saw how tariffs made products more expensive.”

With a goal of establishing a food & beverage company in his home continent, Brice has pursued a career path that prepares him for leadership in manufacturing. “That’s why I studied engineering, then joined W.R. Grace,” says Brice. Through Grace’s rotational program, Brice acquired operational experience in the company’s facilities in Albany (Oregon), Baltimore, and Chicago. “I wanted to know: what are the best practices in manufacturing?”

From manufacturing to management

After obtaining an engineering degree and nearly five years of experience with Grace, Brice felt he had established a foundation “for understanding day-to-day manufacturing. But I eventually want to run my own company, and I need a leader’s understanding of business fundamentals such as strategy, financial modeling, and the impact of macro-economic factors on business.”

Brice chose HBS to advance his communication skills and find a network that shared his interests in Africa. “I was looking for a program where I could voice my opinions in front of a group of people,” he says. “How do you present ideas? How do you persuade people? The case method develops those skills. And HBS has a strong impact on Africa. The Africa Business Conference attracts a thousand people a year; the alumni base on the continent is important to me.”

“The HBS ecosystem has been critical in my first few months here,” Brice says. “There’s always someone in my class who knows someone who knows someone who can help me in the food and beverage industry. They’ve helped me understand what it takes to set up a manufacturing plant. Career & Professional Development has introduced me to alumni in Africa, allowing me to talk to people who’ve already run businesses on the continent. They help me learn from their experiences: what challenges did they face? How can I overcome them?”

Brice will intern with the Boston Consulting Group in Atlanta where he hopes to gain more exposure to the food and beverage industry. “I plan on doing full-time consulting in the United States for a few years to understand what it really takes to run an organization. When I’m ready with the skills I need, I’ll return to Africa to establish my own business.”