#430: SPOTLIGHT: Mike Cahill

#430: Mike Cahill

June 17, 2025

A Backbeat of Community

Question for Mike: 

Does one particular travel experience come to mind (whether travel for work or vacation) that had a substantial and LASTING impact on your life?
 

Mike's Response: 

In October 2023, I was at my business school’s 30th reunion when a section mate, Sung Park, invited everyone to Korea. As is typical, no one took it seriously. After the reunion, I arranged a meeting at Morgan Stanley and a dinner in New York City for Sung. During the meeting, Sung showed videos of his family’s business, including several beautiful hotels, which got me thinking—maybe I should go to Korea. At dinner, I had him show the videos again, and momentum started building.

Initially, we hoped to convince maybe 8 people to join. Perhaps I was too convincing in my emails, but over the next few months, real enthusiasm grew for a 10-day trip to South Korea in late October and early November 2024.

As interest grew, so did the logistical challenges. Ultimately, 35 classmates and spouses came from Germany, France, the UK, Ireland, Pakistan, and 14 U.S. states. The group’s size meant every event and meal required planning. Sung and I organized a packed agenda: a trip to the DMZ on the North Korean border, a tour of one of the world’s most advanced semiconductor fabs, a side trip to Jeju Island, a lecture by a top Korean economist, and visits to museums and galleries.

It became a special trip for me, highlighting two things I deeply value—life-long learning and life-long friendships. We learned about South Korea’s rise from war and occupation, saw cutting-edge automation, and observed the eerie “fake” town in North Korea, complete with propaganda broadcasts blaring across the border. We also rekindled friendships from 30 years ago.

I was a bit nervous, knowing some attendees hadn’t spent time together in decades and a few had big personalities. At the start of the trip, I told the group I’d consider it a success if we left better friends than when we arrived. In the end, everyone had such a great time, there’s already talk of another trip to Europe this fall—though I’ve said someone else can plan that one.