My first week at Clausen

It is about time that I write about the work that I am doing in Uruguay, the whole purpose of my trip. As described in an earlier entry, I am part of an Ernst & Young program called the Corporate Responsibility Fellows Program. Each Fellow is assigned to an entrepreneur in a South American country to assist them in developing and growing.

The street view outside Clausen

I was assigned to Gabriel, one of the founders of the modern Clausen Laboratorios. Clausen is a pharmaceutical manufacturer and distributor based in Montevideo, Uruguay. Gabriel purchased Clausen in 1995 with a partner and has been modernizing and growing the business since that time. Clausen has recently constructed a manufacturing facility and is now starting to export products outside of Uruguay. They expect within the next few years to reach the EU and perhaps eventually the United States.

The new Clausen company headquarters.

As with any small business, rapid growth is forcing changes in the internal operations of the company. Life is hard for any small business, even harder for a small business based in a place like Uruguay. Raw materials, supplies, machinery, and technical know-how are all in short supply and often must be imported. On the other hand, they have an educated and motivated work force, support of the government, and a state of the art facility.

My fancy office at Clausen, it is so nice I may just decide to stay

Of course there are lots of the usual problems you would expect from a company going through this sort of transition. Decision making is still by consensus and usually filtered to the head of the company. Many people miss the old, family style of the company and are afraid of what it is coming. There is not enough transparency and insufficient internal reporting. Order deadlines are tough to meet.

Overall, the company is a place full of happy employees. There is a serious dedication to quality that starts with a new facility that is the most advanced in Uruguay and perhaps equal to the best in South America. This tiny little company from a country most people can’t locate on a map is getting ready to play in the big leagues.

There are many challenges but it is great to feel like I can offer them some solutions. They treat me like a rock star. For me personally it has already been an incredible learning experience. I feel like if I can make this work, I can get through pretty much anything. Add in culture, new city, and language barriers and it makes things very interesting.

Cultural Learnings of Uruguay for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of America – Episode 1: Stray Dogs

Upon landing in Uruguay, there are several things you immediately notice. The palm trees, the ever-present ocean, the battered antique cars, people actually walking, and the stray dogs. The stray dogs are a new phenomenon for me, though from what I am told it is not unusual at all in this part of the world. The dogs are generally friendly and their main interest in people is to see if they may hand over some food. Come to think of it, really not all that different from pet dogs in the US. The dogs are not dangerous and keep to themselves; I guess having learned long ago that being hostile to humans is a quick ticket to the grave.

The dogs of course have no collars. They tend to be tan with curled tails and of a medium to large size. It is sometimes hard to tell the difference between a pet and a stray because many pet dogs are also out wandering the streets, often without collars. This is especially the case once you get out of the city. It is interesting to be sitting outdoors at a café and have a stray dog come and sit next to you hoping for a scrap of food. Reminds me of home. I have been asking a number of strays if they would like to come home with me, but there are language issues as they only speak Spanish.

You have to put the hook in the water to catch the fish

On Wednesday, I was invited along with the entrepreneur I am working with from Clausen to attend a welcome lunch hosted by Gabriel Rozman. Gabriel R. is a retired EY Partner who worked in over a dozen offices through the course of his career with the firm. After retiring from EY, he accepted a position with Tata Consulting as the Executive VP of Emerging Markets. Gabriel has contacts everywhere and he runs in very interesting and powerful circles. He is the President of Endeavor Uruguay, which is why we were invited to lunch with him. The lunch was at the upscale Restaurant Olivia in the local free zone.

The driveway for Restaurant Olivia, Montevideo. The resturant is the brown building on the right side.

Also attending the lunch was the Office Managing Partner of the local Montevideo EY office, the other two Fellows and their entrepreneurs, some of the staff of the local Endeavor office, and Gabriels charming wife. The meal was excellent and Gabriel is such an interesting person. The two hour lunch was not nearly long enough and was great fun.

The Fellows with Montevideo EY Office Managing Partner Ricardo Villarmarzo



The best part of the day though was once we left. As my entrepreneur (another Garbriel) was driving back to Clausen, we had a great conversation about the barriers that entrepreneurs face in a poor, non-entrepreneurial country like Uruguay. It is clear that Gabriel has been fighting an uphill battle for a very long time, but he remains enthusiastic and keeps on fighting. As with every entrepreneur, he chases many opportunities, most of which do not pan out. About that he very astutely stated "You have to put the hook in the water to catch the fish". It was a great chance to start to get to know Gabriel and I feel like he is getting more comfortable with me.

Sunrise over Montevideo

Each morning when I wake up I see the most glorious sunrise over the ocean. I leave the curtains in my room open so I can see the sunrise right from my bed. Such a nice way to start the day.

Famous! I would like to thank all the little people

I was featured this week in the Ernst & Young Daily Connection, the daily newsmagazine for the Americas. Not quite the Wall Street Journal, but still fun.

My daily audience with the Pope

Each day to get back and forth from my hotel to Clausen, I take Radio Taxi 141. This is the largest taxi company in Uruguay with many taxis on the street day and night. The taxis are a variety of models of battered, dirty cars that leak exhaust and usually have non-functioning seat belts. A thick, smudged plexiglass separates you from the driver and likely is the place your head hits first in an accident. Long ropes of rosarys, uruguay kitsch, and assorted junk hang from the rearview mirrors. The drivers never can speak english and can barely hear through the glass.

I usually get in a slowly recite the address. They stare at me and they briefly consider letting me out so they don't have to suffer through my pigeon Spanish. Then they remember that Americanos are good for fat tips because they do not know any better - the mood changes. Suddenly I am a friend and a valued customer. I do not fail to disappoint as a big tip is about $0.50 USD, and I can not bring myself to tip any lower.

The drivers careen through the traffic like bats out of hell. They swerve all over the road, ignoring lanes, trucks in the way, other cars, and pedestrians. I am thrown all over the place as the driver jockeys for lane position and slams on the breaks. We cover vast distances very quickly.

About half the time the drivers know where Laboratorios Clausen is and I get there without needing to butcher any more Spanish. We silently driver through the traffic ignoring the pollution and noise. Other days are a little harder as the driver strains to see house numbers and I do not yet know enough Spanish to tell him "Still five miles ahead". Then we get to Clausen and the driver usually zooms right past. The people I work with helped me out and I now know to yell "Pade!!!" which mean stop.

A fun part of my commute to and from work is that we always pass by a life size statue of Pope John Paul II. Uruguayans are very proud that Pope John Paul visited twice and each time spoke in this large open area. As Uruguay is a very Catholic country, this is very meaningful to them. I like having my audience with the Pope each morning and night, it is as though my sins are washed away and replaced with horns honking, heavy diesel exhaust, and the ever present poor on the sidewalks scrabbling to eat.

Tan Enfermo

We have been exploring some of the local restaurants in the area of our hotel. The food is not at all like Mexican food, if that is what you expected. It is much closer to a combination of Italian, Grilled, and Steakhouse. I have not had a bad meal yet and I have had luck with finding healthier dishes, despite the occasional gorging on Chivitos. The restaurants are about half the price of what you would pay in a US restaurant, especially with the recent strengthening of the dollar.

Monday was my first day at Clausen. I will write more about Clausen later in the week. I will say that it was not a good day as I was ill the entire day and I needed to leave early. I tried very hard to put on my game face and make it a productive day, but it was hard as I had to vomit every half hour or so. The HR Manager was great and brought me some medicine that helped quite a bit. I don’t know what it is, but Sertal is some fantastic stuff. Eventually, the staff gently suggested that I go back to my hotel. I went back and collapsed into bed in pain. All of my travel, lack of sleep and the excitement of the first few days has caught up with me.

On Monday, Trusha and I visited “La Perdiz” or The Famous Grouse. I was not really in the mood for food after having spent most of the day sick as a dog. I figured it would be good to eat something that day and since I skipped breakfast and lunch, I had some black pasta for dinner. The cost was about $8, $11 if you include a diet coke and a tip.

Tuesday we found a nice Italian restaurant right on the coast named “El Veijo Y El Mar” or The Old Man and the Sea. It was quiet, relaxed, and made a mean mushroom broccoli risotto. I have been craving rice and broccoli, two common parts of my diet at home, and they are hard to find here. As I was starting to get my appetite back, it was a joy to see this dish on the menu. I only ate about half of what I normally eat, but it felt good and speeded my recovery.

A quick unrelated note about the weather as a couple people have been asking. The weather is cool and only warm in the middle of the day. At night I need to wear a jacket to dinner and I wish I had a heavier coat for when the sun goes down. My understanding is that it is going to get increasingly hot and this hot, balmy weather is rapidly approaching. So, if you are planning to visit I advise waiting a month or so if you want to enjoy the beach.

Ode to the Chivitos

Sunday was my first big step to becoming a Uruguayan – I had my first Chivito. The Chivito is the national dish of Uruguay and is beloved by the people here. It serves the role of nachos, the Big Mac, Philly Cheesesteak, cotton candy, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As described by Wikipedia “Chivito is the name of a high-calorie national dish in Uruguay, and consists primarily of churrasco beef, bacon, mayonnaise, black or green olives, mozzarella and tomatoes, served in a bun with a side of french fries. Other ingredients might be added into the sandwich such as fried and/or hard eggs, red beets, grilled or pan fried red peppers, pickles and ham.”

On Sunday night we were invited by the staff of Endeavor (the non-profit hosting us in Uruguay) to the house of Fernandos, the Director. We had a traditional Uruguayan get together involving lots of local wine and fresh made Chivitos. The key ingredient in the Chivito is a slice of beef that is pounded thin. The beef is grilled along with bacon and eggs. Add in a thick layer of mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes, several kinds of cheese, and thick break. The resulting sandwich is excellent, it melts in your mouth and the flavors work together very well. I am convinced that McDonalds got the idea for the Big Mac from the Chivito.

Uruguayan wine is excellent and very cheap. They grow the usual varieties like cabernet, merlot, and the usual whites. In addition, the local grape is the Tannat, a strong, red grape that makes a powerful wine. It is heavy and has a pleasant leather and orange peel taste. Very nice!

Enjoying some of the fine Uruguayan wines

It can not be overstated how friendly the people here are. They have welcomed us with open arms and they are fun to spend time with. I got talked into showing off my moon walk (high five!). Some highlights of the night were listening to Lee sing his Uruguayan love songs, realizing that we drank a whole lot of wine, seeing the biggest bag of mayonnaise I have ever seen in my life, and realizing that even after all the excitement we have had we still had eleven weeks to go.

some photos courtesy of Laura B.

Uruguay, the next vacation hot spot

I have now had a couple days to settle in to Montevideo. It has been much busier and exciting than I thought it would be. The armloads of books and movies I brought seem a little silly now. Uruguayans are very friendly and they have gone out of their way to welcome me. There are not many Americans who visit Uruguay and everyone wants to try out their English. All conversations start with an apology that their English is poor, than they astound me with how good it is. I really do need to work on my Spanish though, as I am having trouble communicating with cab drivers, waitresses, and cashiers.

The Uruguayan flag on one side of Plaza Independencia.

After arriving in Uruguay, I dropped my bags in my hotel room and joined mi amigos Trusha and Laura for a look around. Trusha and Laura are the other two EY CR Fellows based in Montevideo. We are all working on separate companies, but we are all living in the same hotel so we will be seeing a lot of each other.

We first checked out the Punta Carretas shopping mall, which is the largest mall in Uruguay and was surprisingly nice. It has all the necessities including a full American-size grocery store, two electronics stores, a food court, a billion clothing stores, two movie theatres, etc. In general, prepared food prices are less than half the cost in the US and the grocery store is about one quarter the price. Clothing is a little cheaper. My understanding though is that the mall is very expensive for Uruguay. I will post a separate entry at another time with some pictures of the mall.

The street near my hotel. The Sheraton I am staying in is in the background, the main entrance to the shopping mall is the grey building on the right.

We then travelled to Plaza Independencia in the old colonial part of the city for the annual Uruguay Heritage Festival. The plaza is dominated by a large statue of the hero of Uruguay, General Jose Artigas. Around the year 1811, General Artigas led the uprising against Spanish rule, then Brazilian rule. Though he did not live to see independence, Uruguayans revere him as the one who started it all. The statue is impressive and is on top of Artigas’s mausoleum, complete with a smartly dressed honor guard carrying automatic weapons.

Plaza Independencia is a large, European-style square surrounded by impressive buildings. There are not many tourists, which is refreshing. There were a couple popcorn vendors with carts that were heated by wood. As everywhere here, friendly stray dogs looking for a hand-out. From there we headed down the Avenue 18 de Julio, which was crowded with street vendors hawking mate bowls, clothing, and art. We found a great art cooperative with beautiful, interesting art at bargain basement prices. I hope everyone is expecting Uruguayan Christmas gifts this year!

After a short lunch at the outdoor café La Principa (grilled cheese, Pilsen beer), we headed into the heart of the festival. That was where I had my first experience watching flamenco dancers. They were intense and fun, keeping beat with a well played guitar and a singer. It was exactly the sort of thing I would expect to see here, it fit nearly every stereotype in my head. We ended the night by heading over El Pony Pisador, “The Stomping Pony”. There I tried my first Chivito (see tomorrow’s entry for a description) and watched two flamenco dancers who were incredible. They wore flowing dresses and danced in sync, stomping to the beat of the guitar, clapping their hands, and wowing the crowd. It was great fun and I would highly recommend it for your next trip to Montevideo.

above two photos courtesy of Laura B.

The eagle has landed

I have finally arrived in Montevideo tired and thirsty, but in good spirits. I managed to sleep on the plane and my luggage all got here in good shape (sign of relief!). The plane landed at Aeropeurto Nacional de Carracaso and I braced myself for what I might find. Did the toilet swirl in the opposite direction (yes), was the sky still blue (more grey than blue), and how was I going to manage to get to my hotel not knowing any words in Spanish other than hello and good morning. No matter how creative you are, it is pretty much impossible to communicate with just those three words.

The airport was a bit different. It was painted battleship grey and actually reminded me of the naval ships I used to see in the Philadelphia Naval Yard as a kid. We climbed down a staircase right onto the runway and were whisked by bus to the terminal. A short wait to get through customs and I was in.

The company that I will be working with down here was nice enough to send a driver to pick me up. I was relieved to see him waiting for me with a Laboratorios Clausen sign. A short 30 minute ride along the beautiful Rambla and he deposited me to my room.

I am staying at the Sheraton Montevideo Hotel in the Punta Carretas neighborhood. It is a very nice part of the city bordered by miles of beaches and populated by many stores and restaurants. The hotel is connected to the largest shopping mall in Uruguay which I am told is expensive but very convenient.

I was given a fantastic room in the Sheraton. It is a corner room overlooking the ocean. As I wake up in the morning I can watch the sun rise over the water. It is beautiful and I feel very lucky. The room is just what you would expect from a Sheraton in the US – comfortable bed, high speed internet, good desk to work on, comfortable recliner in the corner. I even have 40 channels on my TV, three of which are in English.

Can you tell me how to get to Montevideo?

Today is my last day in the United States, I am leaving tomorrow for Montevideo, Uruguay. My total travel time is about 16 hours if you include the layovers. I hop from Columbus to Chicago to Miami. From Miami, I have an overnight flight directly to Montevideo with an anticipated landing time right around 9am. Clausen, the company I am working with in Uruguay, has arranged for a Taxi to pick me up which is really appreciated as I am sure I will be tired and confused.

A few facts from Wikipedia about Uruguay for my US friends. Uruguay is a country located in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to 3.46 million people, of whom 1.7 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area. It is bordered by Brazil to the north, by Argentina across the bank of both the Uruguay River to the west and the estuary of Río de la Plata to the southwest, and the South Atlantic Ocean to the southeast. Montevideo was founded by the Spanish in the early 18th century as a military stronghold. The economy is largely based on agriculture (making up 10% of GDP and the most substantial export) and the state sector, Uruguay's economy is on the whole more stable than in its surrounding states, and it maintains a solid reputation with investors.


According to Transparency International, Uruguay is the least corrupt country in Latin America (with Chile), with its political and labor conditions being among the freest on the continent. In November 2007 it became the first Latin American country and the second in all of the Americas (after Canada) to recognize same-sex civil unions at the national level. 94.6% of the population are of European descent. 47,1% of Uruguayans are declared Roman Catholics, 11,1% Protestant and 0,3% Jewish. 40,4% do not attend church. Uruguay is South America's most secular country, where there is no official religion, and in which church and state are separate.

The day of many fond farewells

I am in the final scramble to pack and get ready for leaving this Friday. It all came so quickly and it is hard to not feel unprepared. There are so many things to do, and yet all I really need to do it get on the plane and go.

This week the folks I work with at Hexion were nice enough to through me a surprise good-bye party. Even my buds from the kickball team attended. The theme of the party was banana sundaes, and it was quite tasty. If do not normally eat ice cream, so it was an even bigger treat. Big props to JZ for doing the work to pull the party together.

You really best appreciate the people you work with when you are leaving. Many of the people I work with I have been seeing day in and day out for two years. I have always appreciated them and it is hard to say good-bye. From this side (the start), three months away seems like a very long time. I even did those functional things like clean out my office and change my voicemail to refer callers to someone else. In today’s corporate world, it is likely that some of those people I said good-bye to will not still be there and it really was a final parting of ways.

We closed out my last day in the office in true bohemian style by heading over to Bodega. Bodega is located in the Short North area of Columbus, on High Street not far from the Ohio State Campus. Bodega is known for their great Mexican food, excellent selection of microbrews on tap, and funky atmosphere. I counted 50 beers on tap and the selection was highly impressive. Best of all, from 4-8pm they are all half off for happy hour. A hardy group accompanied me in trying many of them and in the end sending me into the night pushed in the direction of Uruguay.