Student Story: At IMC Krems I found my "export family"

A look behind the scenes of our bachelor degree programme Export-oriented Management

Export-oriented Management graudate Kurt Reimann currently lives in Vienna. That was not necessarily always the case, since he set himself up in business after graduating in 2012 and relocated to Lebanon. He speaks “fluent Arabic, English, French and German, as well as passable Spanish” and is one of the most colourful characters in the IMC Krems alumni community.

Kurt particularly appreciates that the IMC community reflects tolerance and respect.

This is how I found my "export family"

I am half-Syrian, half-Austrian and was born in Iran. So, you could say that I have experienced a great deal from a very young age. I have lived in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey – and in between in Austria – where I played basketball. In 2006 we were evacuated from Lebanon because of the war. I then spent two years at the Lycee Francais de Vienne where I completed my school leaver’s certificate, had a brief stint at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, which I didn’t like, and then moved directly to what I think of as my “export family” at IMC Krems. The incredibly cosmopolitan and fantastic community is the best thing about this international uni. And another thing: imagine tens of thousands of students in Krems and only a handful of bars ;) Good times...

Entrepreneurial spirit

During my degree programme I met Daniel Marischka who convinced me to get on board and help found Flatout Technology, which at the time was a start-up for smart homes. It was brilliant, and the most important experience of my life so far. IMC Krems made it all possible. After the years I spent at Flatout, I returned to Lebanon to set up an import-export company. I wanted to bridge the gap between Europe and the Middle East, particularly for the construction sector. I have been back in Vienna since October 2017 and am providing business development and marketing support for some friends of mine at their company CANNHELP – while deciding on what to do next as an entrepreneur. I would say that my main area of expertise is marketing, but what I do enjoy most is analysing future market trends and taking advantage of them.

My studies changed the way I think

When I look back over my time as a student, I often think about the changes that I and the people around me went through in terms of becoming more open to new things, as well as respect and tolerance.