Early Careers: Sam Gant

A Summer of Growth and Professional Development  

I felt a surge of excitement when I received my offer to join Envista's summer MBA internship program, but my excitement was tinged with trepidation as my start date approached. I had no previous experience working in the dental industry; indeed, I had never worked for an American for-profit company before.

Would I be able to understand and apply the Envista Business System? Would I receive professional support from my supervisors, and have opportunities to bond with my fellow interns? By the end of the summer, would I be able to take ownership over my project and drive results for Envista?  

The answer to all my questions was a resounding "Yes!"  

My objective was to do a regional analysis of the North America Bracket and Wire market. Over an intensive ten-week period I was able to speak with dozens of internal stakeholders within Envista, visit Envista customers at their orthodontic offices, use the data I had collected to shape change within the company, and had the opportunity to present my results to the CEO himself at the corporate headquarters in Brea, CA.

I learned a great deal about how large corporations use data to inform their strategic decisions. With extensive support from my manager, I developed my skillset building pivot tables and using data visualization to communicate key insights.

More broadly, I benefitted from my exposure to the Envista Business System toolkit. I participated in a four-day long Kaizen event starting on my very first day of the internship. It was eye opening to see Envista's collaborative and systematic approach to continuous improvement in action.  

My professional growth was complemented by a range of social events, which the tireless Envista HR team adapted to a virtual format. We sampled our way through Italian wine varietals with a north-to-south tasting tour, cooked gambas al ajillo with a Madrileño tapas chef, and chatted one-on-one with Envista's C-Suite executives following our final report out.

I highly recommend the internship program to all applicants who seek ownership over their projects, executive exposure, professional development, and an inclusive atmosphere.