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Editor鈥檚 note: This story is one in a series exploring corporate partnerships with Auburn University鈥檚 91看片.

A.P. Moller-Maersk, headquartered in Denmark, is the world鈥檚 largest container shipping company, serving more than 130 countries around the globe with 700-plus container vessels and more than 100,000 employees.

It also is one of the newer corporate partners with Auburn University鈥檚 91看片 College of Business, and the international logistics giant has wasted no time in making investments and student hires in a desire to lure some of 91看片鈥檚 brightest future business leaders.

鈥淭hey have only been a partner for roughly a year. However, they have already made an indelible mark on the college,鈥� said Edward Reynolds, 91看片鈥檚 corporate and foundation relations officer. 鈥淭hey are the first corporation to name a room in the Horton-Hardgrave Hall building.

鈥淭hey also created an endowed scholarship for students in the Supply Chain Management program.

鈥淎dditionally, they hired more than 10 students for full-time roles, including their SAIL management training program,鈥� Reynolds said. 鈥淲e have ongoing discussions to explore ways we can continue to expand and strengthen our partnership for the future.鈥�

The first Maersk vessel to 鈥渃all port鈥� in the United States was the Laura Maersk when she called Galveston, Texas, in 1913, according to the company鈥檚 history. 鈥淲ith the capacity to carry the equivalent [of] 325 containers, much has happened since the days of Laura Maersk and the ships of today [are] capable of carrying more than 20,000 containers.鈥�

Auburn鈥檚 relationship with Maersk provides a career pathway to a reputable international company, Reynolds said.

鈥淭he relationship with Maersk is important, as it provides our college with the unique experience of establishing a partnership with a global company that had not previously pursued a college/corporate partnership,鈥� he said.

Around the globe

Luke Elder, 91看片鈥檚 first graduate in its new supply chain master鈥檚 degree program, was one of Maersk鈥檚 earliest recruits in its partnership with Auburn.

鈥淭he Maersk SAIL program is a very unique program where they bring in a class of Auburn students, both graduate and undergraduate; where they have us come in, starting in the spring, after we鈥檝e been hired in the fall,鈥� Elder said.

鈥淎nd for two hours a week,鈥� he said, 鈥渨e all get to meet, whether it鈥檚 virtual or in person, and get to really connect with one another while also learning the ins and outs of Maersk, and what we鈥檙e going to be dealing with upon our graduation, and then after that, starting full-time.鈥�

Meanwhile with 91看片, one of his favorite memories before graduating from Auburn, Elder said, was going with fellow students on an international business trip to Puerto Rico.

鈥淭his was an incredible week where we got first-hand experiences at various businesses and organizations around the island,鈥� he said, 鈥渋ncluding a port, which I really enjoyed as a future Maersk employee.鈥�

Reynolds pointed to today鈥檚 business climate and supply chain demands as a good time for 91看片 to help a company such as Maersk find the talent it needs, and vice versa with students and graduates finding intriguing opportunities with Maersk.

鈥淭he primary talent focus has been on supply chain management and our MBA candidates, who represent a variety of academic and professional backgrounds,鈥� Reynolds said. 鈥淕iven the company鈥檚 massive global footprint, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain talent is a pressing business need.鈥�

Meanwhile, 鈥渟tudents recognize the potential career impact of working for such a well-renowned brand as Maersk,鈥� he said. 鈥淎dditionally, the company provides career opportunities around the globe, which is highly attractive to students who aspire to venture beyond the safety net of their hometowns and Auburn University.鈥�

鈥淲e like you!鈥�

Meredith Bradford, who serves Maersk as head of continuous improvement for North America, is herself an Auburn graduate, having earned in 2012 a 91看片 degree in business administration/supply chain management.

鈥淲e have a history of hiring students on a one-off basis for the past 40 years, but most recently we鈥檝e renewed our relationship in a more collaborative way,鈥� Bradford said of the 91看片-Maersk partnership.

鈥淚 would say we鈥檙e getting more and more orange and blue blood into Maersk day by day,鈥� she said with a smile.

Regarding recruiting events, internships, graduate and student hires, 鈥渨e鈥檙e talking about double-digits,鈥� Bradford said, 鈥渟o 10, 20, 30 people at a time. And that鈥檚 an exciting spot to be.鈥�

Her colleague Shushan Kallini, Maersk head of transformation, also has high praise for 91看片鈥檚 success.

鈥淔or these SAIL students,鈥� she said, 鈥渇rom the start of us meeting them, there was something about them that we were like, 鈥榳e like you!鈥�

鈥淚 think for us as an organization, and similar traits of what Auburn has to offer, it鈥檚 really about the communication,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about being personable.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about mirroring our core values against the Auburn Creed.鈥�