Shorting the Market While
Longing for Adventure
In today's difficult economy, many have watched their portfolios dip. Others have
searched for employment. David Borowich, MBA'98, took the time to pursue a dream.
Prompted by the tragic events of September 11, including the loss of a close friend and the resultant sale of his
company in November 2001, Borowich decided to take a sabbatical.
"Apart from school, I had been working most of my adult life," Borowich reasoned. "But following
9/11, I realized, like many others, how tenuous and unpredictable life is. In my heart, I wanted to do something
that would help me to appreciate life more. Something that would help me to live my life to its fullest."
And why not? Professors typically take a sabbatical every seven years. It allows them time to focus on research,
refresh their thinking, visit a different location and find new inspiration. Extending this to the business world,
Borowich added, "I believe companies, assuming they can afford it, should encourage employees to take time
away. In the long run, it will benefit the company by increasing the employee's loyalty to the company and bring
him/her back refreshed, recharged and more productive."
But unlike most sabbaticals, David's travels were more of an odyssey. "In life, we are sometimes given small
windows of opportunity to pursue our dreams and passions. When this opportunity presented itself, I enthusiastically
embraced it."
Beginning a seven-month journey that spanned 14 countries, Borowich departed New York in January 2002 for South
America. While there, he trekked the Inca trail to the Machu Pichu ruins in Peru, climbed Mt. Aconcagua (at 22,900+
feet, the world's tallest mountain outside of the Himalayas) in Argentina, explored the stunning Iguazu Falls,
danced the samba in Brazil's Carnaval along with fellow alum David Gardner, MBA '98, hang-glided in Rio and cruised
down the Rio Negro through the Amazon jungle.
Along the way,
Borowich was reunited with other Stern classmates. "Meeting friends from Stern on the road helped me to realize
just how small the world has become and how far-reaching my business school experience has been." In one instance,
David traveled to Caracas to visit fellow alumni from the MBA Class of '98: Pedro Berroteran, Manuel Leal and Patricia
Santibanez.
Despite how good it was to see old friends, David's timing to visit Venezuela could not have been much worse. In
February 2002, the devaluation of the Bolivar and the accompanying inflation were being blamed on either perceived
political corruption or incompetence. The economic destabilization had triggered riots in the streets and a rumored
coup d'état was in the offing. Landing in the midst of Venezuela's minor crisis, David was concerned, but
was comforted by his friends' assurances. Borowich said, "Pedro could not have been more gracious with his
help and insight guiding me through a sometimes chaotic environment."
From South America, David traveled to South East Asia where he submerged in scuba diving off the islands of Thailand,
visited the famous temples at Angkor Wat in Cambodia, trekked and climbed for a month along the Anapurna circuit
in Nepal, white water rafted down the raging Bhote Khosi river and studied Kung Fu and Mandarin Chinese for 2 months
at the Shaolin monastery in Central China.
After visiting Hong Kong, David flew to Cancun, Mexico, to attend the wedding of fellow classmate, Hannelore Schmidt.
"I was so happy to celebrate Hannelore's wedding and see other friends from school. Many people talk about
the value of the network that we form in business school," Borowich reflected, "but to me, these are
more than just contacts, they are true friends for life."
David's sabbatical will expire in November, at which point he will begin looking at future career opportunities.
In the meantime, this former strategy consultant at Cap Gemini and recent Vice President of Business Development
and Marketing at an International software company, is off to Capetown, South Africa, and then to the Middle East.
We wish David safe travels.
