Spears Business senior takes red-eye flight to London, returns with global perspective, job offer
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Media Contact: Stephen Howard | Director of Marketing & Communications | 405-744-4363 | stephen.howard@okstate.edu
Hudson McGee stepped off a red-eye flight at London’s Heathrow Airport on a Monday morning in late July, jet-lagged and running on adrenaline.
Instead of heading to the Tower of London or Big Ben, or even a hotel to recover, the Spears School of Business senior went straight to ISN's London office, where he would spend the next week immersed in international business operations.
It was exactly the kind of intensive, real-world experience that the Center for Advanced Global Leadership and Engagement (CAGLE) at Oklahoma State University had envisioned when it partnered with the Dallas-based data and software company to create a new model for student international exposure.
Through the initiative of ISN Executive Vice President Brittany Surine, who serves on the CAGLE Advisory Board, ISN and CAGLE designed an experience that combined a traditional internship with meaningful international exposure.
The result was a week that challenged McGee's assumptions about business practices, relationship building and his own adaptability.
"It was an incredible experience," McGee said. "That's international business for you — sometimes you have some jet lag, but you go straight from the airport to the office and dive right in.”
McGee, a marketing and management double major from Richardson, Texas, had already spent most of the summer as an intern for the Latin America team at ISN’s Dallas headquarters before boarding the flight to London.
During his week abroad, McGee maintained a full schedule from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in ISN's office, participating in new business meetings, regularly scheduled client check-ins and completing various project work alongside the European team. The experience provided him with a comprehensive view of international business operations while contributing to real client initiatives.
What struck him most during his time in London was observing how ISN's European team navigated cultural differences with clients from across the continent.
During back-to-back prospect meetings, McGee watched the team adjust their communication styles depending on their audience. A meeting with German clients was straightforward and business-focused, while a subsequent call with Dutch prospects included more social conversation and relationship-building.
The team included employees from the Netherlands, Germany and England, creating a family-like environment where cultural diversity strengthened their work. McGee observed how the London team had to be creative in reframing their value proposition, taking time to understand each prospect's unique business needs and working around objections related to ISN's smaller European presence.
For McGee, who had previously traveled to Singapore and Malaysia as part of a CAGLE study abroad program, the London experience built on lessons about cultural adaptation and international relationship building.
"The experience that you gain from these trips really cannot be replicated,” McGee said. “You can learn about what it's like to be in these different contexts, but until you're really there, I think there's just a piece that you just can't fully grasp. I would highly encourage anyone who's even remotely interested in it to step out and take the leap and go on a CAGLE study abroad trip.”
The ISN internship has transformed how McGee thinks about his career. ISN's hybrid model, where client development teams handle both account management and sales, appealed to McGee's interest in relationship-oriented work. Now, rather than pursuing a traditional sales role, he found himself drawn to the company's approach of building long-term partnerships while continuing to prospect for new business.
McGee is already seeing the dividends. He has accepted a full-time offer to join ISN after graduation in the spring.
“Hudson was the perfect guinea pig for this program, and we couldn’t be happier for how this experience turned out for him,” said Caitlin Kelley, director of CAGLE. "In the beginning, we started talking about what internships could look like for a CAGLE student, and this domestic/international hybrid model is a great fit for so many at OSU. We look forward to growing this program with ISN and other companies in the future.”
The program represents CAGLE's mission to prepare Spears Business students for leadership positions in a dynamic global business environment. By combining domestic internship experience with international exposure, students gain practical skills in cultural agility, problem-solving and relationship building that can't be replicated in a classroom.
Visit the CAGLE website for more information on their life-changing study abroad programs.