Meet IE Business School’s MBA Class of 2019 - Poets&Quants

Entrepreneurship isn’t for the faint of heart. And it isn’t just a gig to pay the bills, either.

For many, starting a venture takes on an artistic – even spiritual – dimension. It is the culmination of a life’s journey, the labored lessons and deferred dreams that spark passion and steel commitment. It begins with a vision, a world where opportunities are seized and possibilities realized. Beyond that, entrepreneurship demands the courage to cast aside comfort and hedging, to go all in with the knowledge that the sacrifices are all-consuming and the future is hazy at best.

THE DIVERSE AND UNCONVENTIONAL ARE THE SOUL OF IE

Entrepreneurship may be a way of life, but it’s also a way of being. It is a mindset – a compulsion, even – to pose questions and collect ideas from every corner, breaking rules and upending conventions along the way. An entrepreneur’s means may be to create and disrupt, but ultimately their goal is to serve and transform.

You’ll find plenty of these difference makers at IE Business School, a one-year MBA program based in Madrid. In fact, a quarter of their graduates launch startups right after graduation, 50 a year on average. What’s more, the school was launched in the 1970s by entrepreneurs, who believed raw business fundamentals should be tempered by design thinking, experiential learning, liberal arts dissection, and entrepreneurial bravado. It was a radical notion for the time, one now embraced by the establishment.   True to its nature, IE continues to push the boundaries, seeding technological innovation alongside its entrepreneurial roots.

“If you have ever had an entrepreneurial spark in life, IE will ensure that the spark turns into a roaring flame and that you follow your passion, transforming yourself from an employee to an employer,” says Sonia Sahnia, a 2018 graduate and a member of Poets & Quants’ Best & Brightest MBAs. “I had heard that the IE IMBA is for those who think outside the box and challenge conventional ways. It’s true – IE has students that are out of the ordinary, who aspire to create value in the world and are not blinded mere by monetary goals. Diversity and unconventional thinking truly is the soul of the institution.”

IE Business School in Spain

FROM LEGAL TO BANKING TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP

IE Business School is unquestionably diverse, with the international student population consistently clocking in at 90% or above. However, the program truly prides itself on producing a diversity of backgrounds and thought in their classrooms. This philosophy is encompassed in its tagline: “An MBA out of the ordinary.” Think of IE as a forward-thinking creative hub that relishes doing things a little different. Aside from molding change-makers who apply entrepreneurial thinking and technological savvy to everyday issues, IE also fosters a global community: one where a collision of differences stir creative juices and spur graduates to open themselves up to new approaches.

“I am looking forward to occupying leadership roles in business development projects,” says Jeremias Garcia Seoane, a 2019 MBA student and Argentinian industrial engineer who hopes to lead his own consulting firm. “Therefore, IE is undoubtedly the perfect school for my IMBA experience: learning in a collaborative environment, immersed in an international culture with an entrepreneurship mindset, engaging with a broad network of incredible people and taking amazing classes that will help me think out of the box.”

You won’t find the Class of 2019 just thinking outside the box. In true IE fashion, you’ll find them testing out new materials and designs to make that box even more sturdy and useful. Take Canada’s Béatrice Méthé, who comes to Madrid after serving as a corporate attorney for McMillan. Her trial-by-fire came in 2011, when she left law to work as an M&A analyst for a leading investment bank in London. Just one issue: Méthé had no background in finance.

“Thankfully, I ended up learning the ropes of finance and proving myself,” she explains. “I got the chance to work on major corporate transaction shaping the European technology landscape as well as the opportunity to meet leaders and high-level decision makers, even as a junior analyst. I decided to return to the law industry after my time in investment banking. The skills I gained in London, especially combined with my legal experience, have helped me develop a rounded and commercial approach to legal and business issues.”

LEARNING TO SELL BY GOING DOOR-TO-DOOR

Now, Méthé plans to make a similar leap into the realm of startups and social impact and believes IE is the perfect school to help the transition. “I have definitely had my fair share of exposure to technical subject matters. IE’s focus on softer skills, innovation and critical thinking was a key factor for me as I felt it would successfully shape my profile on my quest to becoming a successful entrepreneur.”

IE doesn’t just cater to entrepreneurs, however. It also attracts intrapreneurs, executives looking to unleash their creativity to proactively launch new strategies, innovations, and even ventures within established organizations. That label would certainly apply to Niels Huybrechts, a “psychologist with a passion for multicultural leadership.” As a senior consultant at PwC, he spearheaded a year-long “transformational” initiative designed to transform the “group dynamics, culture, power and politics, and decision-making processes” across a major multinational firm.

IE Business School Classroom

“The program was not only important because of its strategic impact, but it held a personal significance as I developed it together with the client in an autonomous way, from its inception to its execution,” Huybrechts says. “During this year, sweat, tears, and laughs abounded…All in all, it felt like my little baby and seeing it all come together was one of my most rewarding professional experiences.”

Looking for a 2019 class member who has paid his dues? Look no further than Chandler Chapman. To pay for college in America, she sold books door-to-door. “Nothing builds character and work-ethic like 80-hour weeks on the book field,” she jokes. She certainly learn how to sell from the experience, a skill she used to land her last employer’s biggest account…which grew to 15% of the firm’s overall users in just three months.

THE MONK WHO BECAME AN MBA

Not to be outdone, Turkey’s Sevak Isik hired a team and launched a business unit at her last job, one that quickly generated $2 million dollars in revenue. Na’ama Shamir Kenan, who loves to dance – ballet, tap, and hip hop included – rose to being the brand manager for one of Israel’s biggest food companies. In just three years, Juan Pablo Arizaleta snagged two promotions at an asset management firm in Mexico – and become a mentor to the people around him in the process.

Outside work, the class brings a certain zest for life to the proceedings. The Ukraine’s Krystyna Liakh considers off-piste skiing to be her passion. “[I] have been down some of the steepest slopes in Europe,” she writes. Koma Okubo majored in marine biology in college and considers scuba driving to be his hobby. You can bet that Niv Fonea, a category sales manager at Nestle, will quickly acclimate himself to IE, home to over 130 nationalities across the entire school.

“I was a monk for two months in a Kong Fu temple in china, training 10 hours a day, no common language and away from 2010 civilization,” he shares.

“NEVER A DULL DAY”

Think that’s a great story. Just wait until you get a load of this one from Sevak Isik.

“I was once interrogated by the police department of Georgia for the possibility of terrorist attack because I was tired of carrying my luggage and just wanted to get rid of it for couple of hours,” she explains. “[I] came up with a brilliant idea to hide it in the most central hotel’s lobby although I wasn’t staying there and the luggage was thought as a bomb package because video recs showed that the suspicious girl (myself in that case) just left a pink luggage and went away without telling anybody from the staff.”

Halfway through the program, what does the Class of 2019 think of the IE MBA so far? Juan Pablo Arizaleta lauds his classmates’ intelligence and motivation. “The energy in the classroom is like nothing I’ve seen before,” he writes. While Béatrice Méthé was struck by the differences in the class – 30 different nationalities for one – she was equally impressed by what brings the class together.

IE business School

“We all share an intellectual curiosity and emotional intelligence which translates into a great mix of camaraderie, healthy competition and support towards a common goal.”

For Niels Huybrechts, there is “never a dull day” when he is hanging out with his Section 1 classmates. “The group contains an astonishing amount of diversity in terms of professional backgrounds and personal styles,” he observes. “My classmates are an amazing bunch of people that combine insights across numerous industries, razor-sharp wit and a whole bunch of heart. Just when you think you have both the group and its individuals figured out, they do or say something amazing to surprise you. Whether it’s coming up with a completely radical way to solve a business case, cracking (in)appropriate jokes, or showing authentic vulnerability and humanity. I’ve experienced some truly magical moments since I’ve gotten to know them.”

AVERAGE GMATS RISE 7 POINTS      

The Class of 2019 profile is remarkably similar to past classes…with two exceptions. For one, the acceptance rate at the school rose six points to 38%, meaning it was easier to get into the program than years past. Despite this, the class’ average GMAT jumped seven points to 677 (though the median GMAT held steady at 680).

Otherwise, the 395 member class closely mirrored its predecessors. The percentage of international students remained fixed at 91%, with students hailing from 65 different nations. The percentage of women in the class also climbed a point to 31%.

Academically, 31% of the class holds undergraduate degrees in business. The second-largest segment featured engineering majors at 21%, followed by economics (13%), sciences (12%). social sciences and humanities (9%), law (3%), and information technology (3%). In terms of professional backgrounds, the largest segment of the class – 22% – worked in the nebulous industry, energy and construction category. Financial services make up another 16% of the class, with consulting and consumer goods chipping in another 13% each. Government, NGOs and education (9%), technology and telecom (9%), pharmaceuticals and health (4%), law, auditing, and tax (4%) and media entertainment (3%) rounding out the rest of the class.

• To read 10 in-depth profiles of Class of 2019 members, go to the next page. 

IE Business School campus in Madrid. IE photo

A $50 MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

Not surprisingly, the IE Business School, a program devoted to innovation, is not content to rest on its laurels. According to Tino Elgner, senior associate director of admission for full-time programs at IE, it is near impossible to focus on just one development over the past year. Among the biggest developments, Elgner cites enlightED, an event that connected innovators from Southern Europe and Latin America with potential investors and mentors. In June, the school also held its IE Global Alumni Weekend 2018. This event culminated with the EPIC Awards (Extraordinary People Inspiring the IE Community), with the business impact award going to the alumni CEO of the Prudential Uganda insurance company. The school even kicked off a new event, IE Humanities Week. Drawing 650 people, the event celebrated the humanities – a core part of the IE MBA experience – as a path towards personal and professional development.

The program also made impressive strides on the academic side too, Elgner says. “Around 90 of our IMBA students had the chance to learn from Oracle about blockchain technology as part of our TechLab, by means of what we call tech bites focused on fields like artificial intelligence, big data, Internet of Things, quantum computing and robotics among others., We were pleased to announce that two of our professors, Margarita Mayo and Kriti Jain, have been included in the 2017 Thinkers50 Radar, which annually features the top 30 emerging thinkers with the potential to make lasting contributions to management theory and practice.”

Tino Engler of IE Business School

In the coming years, IE will also be pouring heavy resources into technological immersion as well. “We will be investing further €50 million over the next five years to strengthen this commitment and train students in areas such as artificial intelligence applied to businesses, blockchain, coding, fintech and cryptocurrencies like #IEToken, based on new teaching methods,” Elgner adds. “[That also includes] immersion in new work scenarios using virtual and augmented reality. The IE Learning Innovation team has, for example, prototyped an interactive and collaborative platform, a space designed with VR technology, where students and professors could meet and work together.”

CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WELL UNDERWAY

At the same time, the program will continue expanding and refurbishing its campuses in Madrid and Segovia. “This year for example, we already expanded our technology campus with the incorporation of a property located at Velázquez Street, an 11-story building with a floor space of 7,800 square meters,” Elgner notes. “It is equipped with cutting edge technological resources, classrooms, multidisciplinary work areas and a plant dedicated to the development of bootcamps, in addition to technological immersion programs.”

That’s just the first phase of this ambitious construction project, he adds. “We will keep focusing on creating more “common spaces” around the campus, where natural interaction among students, faculty and staff can happen. We are talking about music corners, cozy areas for co-working and relaxing, spaces where you can create and innovate. This biggest change will come in 2020 when the current campus will double in size with Campus IE, a 160-meter high disruptive architectural project with 50,000 square meters of floor space in the north of Madrid, is inaugurated to host IE University’s degree programs.”

While the program’s entrepreneurial spirit, innovation orientation, and tech focus grab the headlines, Elgner believes the most under-the-radar part of the IE International MBA experience is undoubtedly its clubs and extracurriculars that organically promotes community and builds networks.

CLUBS AMONG THE MOST UNDERRATED PART OF THE EXPERIENCE

“The life “beyond” the classroom is as important as the life “in” the classroom,” Elgner asserts. “Hence, participating in student clubs and the activities they organize is an impactful aspect of our IMBA that might not be as obvious to one as it is to another. Participating in extracurricular activities on campus provides students with opportunities to get to know and network with the IE Community as a whole, including 6,000+ students of the 5 IE Schools (both graduate and undergraduate), 1,500+ faculty members, 60,000+ alumni, 100+ startups, 30 international IE offices, in addition to 200+ external companies, brands and experts. In other words, it creates a network which, as a whole, does not only strive on long lasting relationships but also creates career opportunities.”

This robust student life was a major draw for the Class of 2019. Koba Okubo, for one, joined the Entrepreneurial Club, which brought the CEO of SpaceX to campus during the first week of class. Béatrice Méthé is supplementing her business classes by learning Spanish – the third most-spoken language in the world. Overall, the school sponsors over 100 student clubs, which range from big data to sailing. Among those, Niels Huybrechts found one that was close to his heart.

“Madrid is an absolutely amazing city, but finding a good beer has proven a difficult endeavor,” he points out. “So color me surprised when I found out that IE Business School has a craft beer (brewing) club! With their help I’m hoping to enrich my knowledge and taste of Spanish beer culture.”

CORE COURSES START WITH ENTREPRENEURSHIP

IE Business School in Madrid, Spain. File photo

The clubs aren’t the school’s main attraction, however. It is the curriculum, with the Class of 2019 touting its offerings in tech, entrepreneurship, social impact, and soft skill development. What’s more, the program’s diversity makes it a living laboratory for managing international teams and conducting business across various cultural boundaries.

“From the curriculum to the labs and to the overall spirit, there is a true effort to keep the program updated, to adapt quickly to changes, to challenge traditional concepts and offer the graduates the best tools to deal with today’s ever-changing business world,” says Na’ama Shamir Kenan.

The programming itself is what makes IE Business School such an outlier. The six-month core curriculum opens with a major statement: Entrepreneurial Mindset and Entrepreneurial Venturing are the first two courses on the docket – a clear indication that strategic decision-making, resourcefulness, flexibility, risk-taking, and innovation will also be fundamental to all coursework. What’s more, the core closes with a mix of futuristic aspiration and gritty reality, as the programming addresses areas like digital disruption and regulatory compliance.

A PROFESSIONAL FITNESS REGIMEN

Following the core, students complete a Lab Period. Lasting two months, this is the hands-on, project-driven portion of the curriculum. Here, students choose a specific lab based on their interest, such as corporate, startup, technology and social impact – with students able to opt for a traditional internship as well. Afterwards, students spend the remaining four months – which encompass nearly half of the programming – choosing from over 120 electives. In other words, they are able to follow their passions and customize their learning in the process.

In other words, the programming mirrors the fluid nature of students and their ambitions. “It was important for me not to end up in an environment where there is pressure to conform to a certain “cookie cutter” ideal profile,” says Krystyna Liakh, “where everyone was already set on one career path and headed for a certain sector.”

Outside the standard curriculum, IE is also known for its fitness programming. Forget calisthenics and jogging. At IE, fitness involves intensive reflection, coaching, and workshops in areas like career development strategy and professional behaviors. Like any regimen, IE fitness involves consistent, daily repetition, with programming designed to push students to set goals and adopt habits that raise their performance.

IESE Business School campus in Barcelona, Spain

A BUSINESS SCHOOL WITH A SOUL

For entrepreneurs, IE maintains Area 31, an incubator that houses up to 100 startups. Aside from providing co-working space, shared resources, and mentoring, Area 31 also acts a community, where entrepreneurs can share ideas and collaborate. In addition, it hosts a weekly Venture Network. Here, students make their pitches to their peers, taking in feedback to make their presentations more substantive, sharp, and succinct. That preparation comes in handy for International Venture Days, where students deliver pitches to alumni investors in locales as different as Shanghai, Berlin, Sao Paulo, London, and Miami.

Juan Pablo Arizaleta, for one, considers such eclectic programming to be a way to “kickstart” his creativity. However, Niels Huybrechts takes a more philosophical view, where the execution is more a reflection of “authenticity” if not a window into the school’s “soul.”

“[It is] a business school who has its values figured out, carries humanity at the heart of it, and actually behaves according to their leaflet,” he explains. “Whenever I exchanged emails with IE’s faculty staff, talked to current students during campus visits, or casually stalked its alumni on LinkedIn, I was reminded of their innovative mindset and their focus and respect for diversity. They matched very closely with the values I hold in my own life, and after a while it just clicked. I had to be there.”

What led these professionals to enter business schools? Which programs did they also consider? What strategies did they use to choose their MBA program? What was the major event that defined them? Find the answers to these questions and many more in the in-depth profiles of these incoming MBA candidates.

Name	Hometown	Alma Mater	Employer
Juan Pablo Arizaleta	Mexico City, Mexico	Universidad Anahuac	HSBC Asset Management
Chandler Chapman	Zionsville, IN	Taylor University	Appirio
Niv Fonea	Tel Aviv, Israel	Tel Aviv University	Nestle
Jeremias Garcia Seoane	Buenos Aires, Argentina	Universidad Católica Argentina	Techint Group
Niels Huybrechts	Brussels, Belgium	KU Leuven (Belgium)	PricewaterhouseCoopers
Sevak Isik	Istanbul, Turkey	Koc University	Döhler
Na’ama Shamir Kenan	Jerusalem, Israel	Hebrew University	ScaleAbout
Krystyna Liakh	Kiev, Ukraine	University of Nottingham	UBS Wealth Management
Béatrice Méthé	Montréal, Québec	Université de Montréal	McMillan
Koma Okubo	Yokohama, Japan	Yokohama City University	Yokohama City University

Juan Pablo Arizaleta

IE Business School

“A curious and pragmatic person who puts people first.”

Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have a hard time distinguishing some colors, but that hasn’t been a real problem for me so far.

Undergraduate School and Major: Finance and Accounting from Universidad Anahuac

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: HSBC Asset Management – Credit Analyst

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I started as a trainee and worked my way to be promoted twice in my first 3 years, reaching a senior role within my local department and being able to mentor junior analysts.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? They are all highly motivated and intelligent. The energy in the classroom is like nothing I’ve seen before.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? IE is synonymous to Entrepreneurship. After working several years for a global company, I wanted to explore different options, such as entrepreneurship. From the moment I started applying to IE, I could tell this was a different kind of school and they would help me kickstart my creativity.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Public Speaking Club. That is one skill I think is very important for an MBA graduate and I would like to improve at it.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I’m 32 years old. For me, it was as much of a personal decision as it was a professional one. I needed a different experience, to zoom out and see what else is out there.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I have never met a single person who has regretted doing his or her MBA.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Imperial College, Cambridge, and Oxford

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Preparation was key. I started researching schools and doing short-lists two years in advance. I wanted a one-year program with the right mix of reputation, content, networking opportunities, and location. For that, I used rankings (and the methodology behind them), school’s websites, Linked-in, and reaching out to alumni.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I became a CFA Charterholder at the age of 26, one of the most respected credentials in the global financial industry. It was a great reward after countless hours of study and personal sacrifices during three years. The satisfaction of successfully completing a project I had put so much time and effort into was enormous. This experience exposed me to the world of financial markets and allowed me to gain skills I used to start a career in that sector.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I am still considering different options. Whether it is getting involved with a start-up or joining an established company, IE has a great program for students like me who want to use this year to decide.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I would like to be involved in both corporate and entrepreneurial activities. I don’t think building a career in a company and having your own business are mutually exclusive. Some of the sectors I would like to explore are fintech or clean energy.

Chandler Chapman

IE Business School

“Analytically minded problem-solver with effective communication. Combining corporate and start-up experience for innovative solutions.”

Hometown: Zionsville, IN (United States  )

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am the middle child of eight siblings.

Undergraduate School and Major: Taylor University, Physics and Math Bachelor’s of Science

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Consultant at Appirio, a Wipro Company – Digital Technology Consulting division of an Indian Consulting Company

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Primary point of contact for my previous company’s largest account as they grew from 1% – 15% of our overall users in three months.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Diverse, humble, exceptionally brilliant, welcoming and already family.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? My city in the US, Indianapolis, is quickly becoming one of the top tech cities in the US and there are many international companies moving to Indianapolis. In effort to increase my skills in international business and leadership, I chose to get my MBA at IE.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Women in Business Club!

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? As I was looking for new jobs, it became apparent there are more job opportunities for people who have an MBA (in the areas I was looking).

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Nelson Mandela puts it best “Education is the most powerful tool to change the world”.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? IE was my top choice. Once I got accepted I didn’t apply anywhere else.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I read a lot about the school on various sites on the internet and realized it was very entrepreneurial-minded, innovation-focused, diverse, international, thought-leaders and I resonated with those aspects.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? Selling books door-to-door in college; nothing builds character and work-ethic like 80-hour weeks on the book field.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I am leaning towards strategy and management consulting or business development in the technology sector.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Managing a team of smart individuals who are solving challenging problems.

Niv Fonea

IE Business School

“Israeli, married, Navy background with a career FMCG marketing, super curious, derived by passion.”

Hometown: Tel Aviv, Israel

Fun Fact About Yourself: I was a monk for 2 months in a Kong Fu temple in china, training 10 hours a day, no common language and away from 2010 civilization.

Undergraduate School and Major: Economics and Business administration Tel Aviv University

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: CCSD Manager at Nestle

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:

I believe that my biggest accomplishment in my career by now, is that I manage to find in every role the opportunity and the employers’ support to make a change. Of course, this is what makes a job so interesting, fulfilling, and fun, so I see it as I great accomplishment for myself.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Modest and genuine, no matter what they did before or where are they from. Most of them are modest. I was afraid that most people will try too much to prove themselves. But by now, people are being modest.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Top-ranked school with great reputation and best value for money. It was also a one-year programs (which was very important for me, since my resources were limited). I found it was the best school for the tuition, location, and cost of living. It’s a high-ranked school and it offers scholarships. Other than that, you got a lot on less time. It’s intensive, but it’s worth it!

 What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I’m looking forward to the Tech Lab. As for myself, I want to change path in my career, from FMCG to tech. The Tech Lab can really prepare myself to this kind of challenge and provide me with a first-hand insight about the industry.

I’m also looking forward to the marketing and entrepreneurship clubs. I want to meet different backgrounds and learn from others about their careers. I believe this the best learning we can do in this MBA. Looking forward to hearing fresh and new ideas and meet interesting people.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I wanted to upgrade my career, be better business-wise, do my best to reach my goals, learn about other industries, and have the chance to be exposed to international markets and knowledge.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I spoke with MBA alumni and by investigating the different MBAs online. I searched rankings, opinions, salary tables. But most of all I wanted to something big with my life, and it is pretty big

What other MBA programs did you apply to?

London Business school

IESE

How did you determine your fit at various schools?

The first factor was value for money. In other words, I checked recruiters, ranking, feedbacks and costs.

Tools: Articles, GMAT Club, constants, and schools websites.

The main tool to understand the culture of a school is finding alumni who could give me honest feedback.

Career goal: Checked top recruiters from the school and the school’s focus. For me, I wanted to find a school that teach corporate innovation.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My defining moment was finishing was finishing the Navy training. It showed me that hard work worthwhile.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I still don’t know. I haven’t decided on my exact career path, but definitely want to stay in Europe and in the field of marketing and sales (either tech or FMCG).

Where do you see yourself in five years? I see myself as a marketing director of a large company, or general manager in medium one. But definitely in a high management position in a place that will allow me to make an impact.

Jeremias Garcia Seoane

IE Business School

“Generalist engineer specialized in “making things happen” driving enduring impact both in society and business.”

Hometown: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Fun Fact About Yourself: Passionate fan of Rosario Central soccer club.

Undergraduate School and Major: Industrial Engineer at Universidad Católica Argentina

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Business Developer in Techint Group

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: During the past four years, I have led many projects and teams not only at work, but also in my free time, in both soccer and voluntary teams. I have always focused my energy on achieving the goals of each team I have been part of, but what I am most proud of is having led the Improvement Process of an important business unit in the company. This has allowed me to create a lasting impact within an important company by applying most of the leadership skills that characterize me.

In my first years, I developed and periodically monitored the KPI of the different telecommunications projects of the company. This job helped me detect various flaws that, once fixed, resulted in a considerable improvement of the projects’ performance.

I noticed several gaps in terms of communication, environment, service quality, logistics and information management. The members of each project knew neither the function of the other members nor the goals of the project. The relationship between the white-collar and blue-collar employees was unbearable, and this contributed to a general lack of motivation and an unpleasant work environment. Furthermore, the projects did not have accurate planning, the information was not centralized and easily accessible, and the amount of rework was incredibly large.

Given this situation, I met with many of the members of the business unit, devised a plan to close these gaps, and presented it to the management team. They resolved that I should lead the implementation of the proposed plan, which included 4 main pillars, namely: (1) Development of an online platform: the members of each project could manage information of the sites from any device. (2) Planning meetings: the members of each project would meet twice a week to discuss the provision of supplies and plan the construction of the sites. This planning would be shared with the whole team. (3) Feedback meetings: twice a month, the PM would communicate the frequent flaws to the blue-collar employees and explain how to avoid them. (4) Social events: the members of each project would meet once a month outside the office. These meetings would include a presentation of the project status and goals for the future, as well as different bonding activities.

This plan was implemented, and it proved to be successful. All the employees involved in the process committed to the plan and the results were amazing: costs were reduced by 18% in just six months! I am especially proud of having been recognized as a motivational, proactive and team-building leader able to involve all the stakeholders and to manage teams with people more experienced than me.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Just one word comes to my mind: Family. Before beginning the MBA, I knew I was joining an incredible global community, but I didn´t expect to make such incredible long-lasting friends from all over the world. I am amazed of the diversity and fellowship of my classmates: always willing to help and share their international experiences and knowledge from diversified backgrounds.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you?  I am looking forward to occupying leadership roles in business development projects. Therefore, IE is undoubtedly the perfect school for my IMBA experience: learning in a collaborative environment, immersed in an international culture with an entrepreneurship mindset, engaging with a broad network of incredible people and taking amazing classes that will help me think “out of the box”.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am looking forward to becoming an Ambassador of IE representing IE in the Global Network for Advanced Management as well as meeting with international candidates interested in the iMBA.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career?

I believe that this is the perfect time for me to pursue an MBA for three reasons:

• Inflexion point: I have grown in Techint working in different roles. Although I feel comfortable in this role and my performance evaluations have been high, I think I have arrived an inflexion point in my carrier. I have maximized my learning opportunities in my roles so far, and now I need to jump from implementer and problem-solver position to the real strategist.
• My future roles will require more complex skills that by doing an MBA I will acquire.
• I have the experience enough to be a valuable contributor to the program.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Doing an MBA in a top-ranked Business School based in such a lively city as Madrid is the best investment I could have done not only for my professional but also for my personal growth.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Babson College, USC Marshall School of Business, Harvard Business School, London Business School, Kellogg School of Management

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Considering my post-MBA goals of becoming a global business developer in a multinational company, I prioritized four main factors:

• International prestige in rankings and companies
• The diversity of students and professors
• The program’s specific contents
• The possibility for exchanges or international trips

During the past two years, I have done a very deep research to evaluate the infinite number of business schools by looking on internet, analyzing each program, and consulting alumni from each institution.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My defining moment was in December 2017, while volunteering in TECHO’s entrepreneurship program.

After one year of helping Gisella, a humble entrepreneur from Agustoni shanty town develop her own kiosk, we succeeded in making her business sustainably profitable by teaching her management and marketing techniques, as well as explaining her how to follow the business sales and costs.

In that moment I realized that we can have lasting impact on society by providing needed people with the skills required to develop sustainable businesses. I believe that it is the best way to fight poverty and what shaped me as a person.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? My post-MBA goal is becoming a global business developer in a multinational company.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years, I can picture myself running a Consulting company specialized in developing businesses of diverse industries.

Niels Huybrechts

IE Business School

“Psychologist with a passion for multicultural leadership stuck in a businessman’s body.”

Hometown: Brussels, Belgium

Fun Fact About Yourself: I can quote The Simpsons to an almost encyclopedic degree.

Undergraduate School and Major:  KU Leuven (Belgium) – Master in Science (Industrial & Organizational Psychology)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: PricewaterhouseCoopers – Senior Consultant (People & Organization)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: As a consultant, I helped a major multinational company transform its HR strategy and organization. This translated itself into a year-long transformation program that involved dealing with group dynamics, culture, power and politics, and decision-making processes across the organization. The program was not only important because of its strategic impact, but it held a personal significance as I developed it together with the client in an autonomous way, from its inception to its execution. During this year, sweat, tears, and laughs abounded… All in all, it felt like my little baby and seeing it all come together was one of my most rewarding professional experiences.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Surprising. It’s never a dull day with Section 1. The group contains an astonishing amount of diversity in terms of professional backgrounds and personal styles. My classmates are an amazing bunch of people that combine insights across numerous industries, razor-sharp wit and a whole bunch of heart. Just when you think you have both the group and its individuals figured out, they do or say something amazing to surprise you. Whether it’s coming up with a completely radical way to solve a business case, cracking (in)appropriate jokes, or showing authentic vulnerability and humanity. I’ve experienced some truly magical moments since I’ve gotten to know them.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? There’s a lot I could say here about academic curriculum, networking in compelling industries, opportunity for internships or exchange programs…But the factor that really set IE Business School apart for me, were its authenticity and its soul. I can hear you thinking, a corporation with a soul? With this, I mean a business school who has its values figured out, carries humanity at the heart of it, and actually behaves according to their leaflet. Whenever I exchanged emails with IE’s faculty staff, talked to current students during campus visits, or casually stalked its alumni on LinkedIn, I was reminded of their innovative mindset and their focus and respect for diversity. They matched very closely with the values I hold in my own life, and after a while it just clicked. I knew I had to be there.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? That is a difficult one to answer as IE sports over a 100 student clubs that you can join. Both professionally and personally, a great number of clubs appeal to me: technology, Big Data, consulting, China, gastronomy, sailing. However, as a Belgian, we can get particularly passionate (some say rowdy) about our beers (tripels, geuze, pils). At the risk of alienating some of my colleagues, Madrid is an absolutely amazing city, but finding a good beer has proven a difficult endeavor. So color me surprised when I found out that IE Business School has a craft beer (brewing) club! With their help I’m hoping to enrich my knowledge and taste of Spanish beer culture.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? A combination of drivers spurred me to pursue an MBA. Professionally, as a consultant for PwC, I regularly worked with and presented to senior leadership positions about a variety of organizational issues.  These experiences, made me realize that (eventually) I wanted to be in a similar position of strategizing, decision-making and managing people as they were. While I could have certainly attained this through industry experience or further consulting, I wanted to fast-forward my career a bit. Patience has never been my strong suit.

A second aspect is more related to my personal background. I have a multinational heritage, with Belgian and Chinese roots and consider both cultures as part of my identity. To integrate both parts in my career as well, I realized I needed a way to bridge these continents in a professional way. As such, I started looking into European MBA’s with long exchange programs to quality Asian business schools (or vice versa).

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? In the end, an MBA forms you to be a leader. That is not to say you need an MBA to lead. God knows there are many titans of industry or successful entrepreneurs without MBA’s. But an MBA – at the right school, and with the right focus – will open doors, provide you with a general management background, and broaden your understanding of professional diversity. Or that’s what I’m hoping to get out of it anyway.

You can only decide if an MBA is worth it by setting targets. You need to know why you want to move industries, sectors, or locations and how an MBA will help you to do that. It doesn’t have to be a meticulous five-year plan, but you should have a general idea. From there, it’s a question of doing your financial due diligence (Google search: MBA *business school* ROI industry position) and seeing how what works for you. Whether it’s through grants or loans, you can almost always make it work. Don’t get me wrong though, it’s an expensive endeavor after all is said-and-done, especially including all the travels and parties that your section will organize (budgeting will be a key skill).

While everyone’s experience will be different, I did all the above, and so far it’s been more than worth it.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I applied to most top-ranked European Business Schools that provided long exchange programs to Asia and matched on a high-level with my personal values: HEC, INSEAD, London Business School, Judge, and obviously IE Business School.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? My major learnings from the process were the following: be honest with yourself and don’t follow the rankings too precisely.

Personally, I first went to MBA discovery events to get a lay of the land: what business schools were out there, what type of programs did they utilize, and which exchange programs or internships did they offer. After that, I did some serious soul-searching and introspection on what I wanted to attain through such a program. I had to go to the drawing table multiple times. Often, the answers that first came to mind were the ones drilled into my head by years of professional experience and socializing. To really figure out what I was after, I had to scrap these and go for the second, or even third ideas.

The deep-dive research and campus visits came next. Business school websites & brochures often present convincing sales pitches on their values, program, alumni, … But the only way of testing it is by experiencing it yourself. In the end, what convinced me about IE was the personal touch, conviction and spirit of the replies I received of their current student, as well as the helpfulness of their alumni. Many, way more than I expected, wrote me back and were interested in helping me succeed in my search.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I can still remember coming out of a terribly frustrating and disappointing meeting after a 14 hour ‘shift’. It was one of the most intense consulting projects I had done, my battery was spent, and the coming day seemed like Mount Everest. One of my direct managers, an older guy named Michel, called me into his office.

What you have to know about Michel is that we already had worked on a number of projects together. During these assignments, I had experienced him as an exceptional strategist who takes an integrated view on organizations. His credo was that sustainable impact and change require considering the entire company, from people to processes, and not solely the financial aspects.

However, I had never known him to be a very emotional guy. So coming into his office, I was expecting some typical status update or additional late-night deliverable. Instead, he asked me how it went, listened to my story, and gave me some words of wisdom. He reminded me of the strength of being kind to yourself, and how a healthy dose of persistence and optimism, sprinkled with humour, pays off more than trying to force a situation. The compassion and insight he showed me in that moment, made a tremendous impact in who I wanted to become as a professional.

What do you plan to do after you graduate?  I’d love to take a gap year to travel (I’ve always wanted to travel through Asia with nothing else than my backpack and my bike). (Un)fortunately, I have an entire MBA program worth of costs and loans to reimburse. As such, I plan to visit some of my section mates in their home countries, as well as go back home and spend some time with family and friends. I imagine professional life will come calling quickly afterwards.

Where do you see yourself in five years? While the crystal ball still looks rather cloudy (we’re only at the start of the program), I could see myself in one of Asia’s economic hubs (Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong) in five years’ time. At that point, I would have completed a management traineeship program at a multinational innovative company. One of my key drivers is combining my passion for leadership with my Belgo-Chinese background. I have always been kind of a tech geek and would love undertaking things that haven’t been tried before, so working with companies like Amazon, Microsoft or Google would be an absolute delight. In that half decade, I would have taken the time to fully absorb the local economy, and try out a number of managerial positions across different business functions. In turn, I would like to move back to Europe at some point, and utilize this background to find opportunities to do business between both continents.

Sevak Isik

IE Business School

“Curious, engineer who never been a real one, travel addict, blogger, coffee lover, dancer, kite-surfer, good listener, and charming.”

Hometown: Istanbul, Turkey

Fun Fact About Yourself:  I’m a careless risk taker, meaning that I don’t care about stuff, which I should care for most of the time. I was once interrogated by the police department of Georgia for the possibility of terrorist attack because I was tired of carrying my luggage and just wanted to get rid of it for couple of hours and came up with a brilliant idea to hide it in the most central hotel’s lobby although I wasn’t staying there and the luggage was thought as a bomb package because video recs showed that the suspicious girl (myself in that case) just left a pink luggage and went away without telling anybody from the staff. The fun (or sad) part is that, if it happens again, I’d do the same.

Undergraduate School and Major: Koc University – Industrial Engineer

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Döhler – Head of Sourcing for TIP Region (Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Levant Area)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I have created a new business unit within the company and built my own team under sourcing roof, created turnover of additional 2 million € YTD.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? They are all highly motivated to get the most out of every minute spent through the program. Not only in class, but also in Madrid in general. They are very open to share and urge to learn from each other which also make it different than other top MBAs around the world.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? To be honest, it was a scholarship program between IE and a local institution in my country that triggered me towards IE at the beginning. But after seriously thinking about getting an MBA degree, I’ve decided to make it at IE simply because of:

DIVERSE POPULATION @ IE and TAPAS & SANGRIAs of Spain!

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I’m a Latin dancer, so probably any kind of dancing activities will be my first focus. I like learning and developing my professional skills while I’m having fun, so anything that will work in that purpose will be in my radar.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Change, experience, development and fun are the key things in my life. I think having MBA at IE in Madrid will give me all I need!

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? In my recent role, I was managing a team and a function, so I was part of managerial discussions and decision-making process in the company. Therefore, I wanted to review the theoretical knowledge as well as hear out other practices from around the world. And I believe, investing in good food, good wine and lots of experience can never be a bad investment at all!

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Nothing! One is bigger than many, in most cases of our complex time.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I knew from Day Zero that I would fit in Spanish culture and diverse environment of IE because I’m an extravert person, love music, dancing, and socializing with people, and am so curious and hungry to learn constantly. After a short research on the program itself, I knew that it was just right for me.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? Three years ago, I had a two-week visit to Brazil and the whole trip was itself the moment that I started to know about myself, my desires, my passions, and the road that I would follow to simply be happy. Since then, I’m following what my heart says and not paying too much attention on what I lack or what are the constraints and all the BUTs. Rather I lay it over time and see what life brings me as long as I follow a dream.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I want to go back to the same company with an MBA package to accomplish more things and to contribute to the aggressive growth which has been in place and I’m proud of being part of it.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I don’t like answering that question because simply we never know what life brings us whatever plans we make. But one thing I’m very sure of it is that I’ll be going after my dreams as I always do!

Na’ama Shamir Kenan

IE Business School

“Israeli-American new mom from Jerusalem, passionate about products and interested in everything.”

Hometown: Jerusalem, Israel

Fun Fact About Yourself: I used to dance for many years – ballet, tap dancing and hip hop

Undergraduate School and Major: Hebrew University – Business management and Communications

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Business Development at ScaleAbout (Israeli startup)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I reached the position of a Brand Manager for one of Israel’s largest food companies. As such, I was involved in the development and marketing of new products for huge household brands.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Openness – IE’s International MBA program is very diverse in terms of where people are from, and right from the start people were so nice and welcoming towards each other. In addition, I feel that everyone who came to this program is very open-minded and is eager to learn and absorb as much as they can.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Innovation. From what I read and heard about the program, innovation is its heart. From the curriculum to the labs and to the overall spirit, there is a true effort to keep the program updated, to adapt quickly to changes, to challenge traditional concepts and offer the graduates the best tools to deal with today’s ever-changing business world.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am looking forward to the Labs period where we gain actual experience with real companies and get a taste of the life after our degree. In addition, I am trying to start a new parents club at IE. The aim of this club will be to try and help with the hardships of relocating with your family to a new place and culture, al during a demanding program.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I always wanted to get an MBA and this was just the right time for us as a family. Travelling before was problematic because of my husband’s work and studies (He is a clinical psychologist and a Philosophy PhD candidate) and because our son was very young. Career-wise, I felt like I needed to re-focus and better define what future roles and future industries I want to pursue.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I see it first-and-foremost as an investment in myself and my personal growth, before thinking about financial gain etc. I was lucky to have the support of my family (financially and emotionally – they are all from academic background so academia is highly regarded in their eyes), the skills, and the ability to apply so I felt that this is an opportunity that should not be missed.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I actually did not apply to other programs. I was looking into top European programs and had two other options in mind, but I was pretty set on IE as being the best option for me.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I first read materials on the school’s website to get a better understanding of the curriculum and culture. I attended recruiting sessions in my country and also reached out to former students to hear more about their experience and discuss any doubts I had with them. I prioritized doing a one-year program in Europe, mainly due to my family obligations. The last factor was the emphasis on innovation and technology. While other programs had strengths in fields that are less relevant to me such as finance or consulting, IE has more to offer when it comes to marketing, social organizations and high-tech. These fields are the most relevant and interesting for me to pursue in the future.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My defining moment was during my third year of my Bachelor’s degree. I was involved in so many different projects, such as broadcasting on a radio program, establishing a student business school newspaper as editor-in-chief and doing a consulting project for a social organization. I really felt like the sky was the limit. I saw how I can just make things happen with enough effort. I loved that moment and the feeling that everything is open and possible. Later you start running a certain professional course and get caught up in the routine and day-to-day life, but I am happy to try and re-experience this during this year and remind myself that there is still a lot of possibilities and a lot I can do.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I hope to find a fantastic and interesting job in a place I can grow and progress. I also hope to manage this very tricky and difficult thing called life-work balance.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I hope to be an inspiring and influential manager in a company that is doing something great.

Krystyna Liakh

IE Business School

“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.” (Samuel Beckett)

Hometown: Kiev, Ukraine

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am passionate about off-piste skiing and have been down some of the steepest slopes in Europe.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Nottingham (UK), Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: UBS Wealth Management, Director (Zurich, Switzerland)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: At UBS, being tasked with sole responsibility for investment advice on a book of large client relationships with a total of USD 1 billion in assets with the bank. It was incredibly challenging and very fulfilling to build the clients´ trust and to see the impact good investment advice could have on preserving and growing their family wealth.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Curiosity. My classmates are hungry to learn about the world, each other, different cultures and career paths.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Focus on innovation and “thinking outside the box”. As I am exploring my options and am open to new ideas and risks, it was important for me not to end up in an environment where there is pressure to conform to a certain “cookie cutter” ideal profile, where everyone was already set on one career path and headed for a certain sector.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am looking forward to attending the presentations and networking sessions of the Technology and Fintech clubs, to learn about the exciting places that innovation can take finance, an industry where I built my career so far.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I felt that I was both young enough to take a risk and established enough in my “first career” to be able to afford it. I was keen to explore the professional world outside of the financial sector and to see if there was another area and role I could feel passionate about.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? For me, it was an equation that incorporated the experience of living in a new country, building a global peer network, and having an intense and varied program so as to maximize my exposure to different topics and ideas. Taking these benefits into account, “the books balanced”.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? ESADE (Barcelona)

How did you determine your fit at various schools? As a first step, I found it helpful to define the factors, which were non-negotiable, in order to narrow down the options. For me, this meant only considering top ranked, one-year programs in Europe. With my shortlist, it was invaluable to visit the schools to get a feel of the actual environment and talk to current students to compare the image to reality.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? When I was 16, I left Ukraine to attend school in Switzerland, followed by university in UK. Living in different cultures and having to build a “new family” of friends abroad was harder than I had expected, but also a formative experience, and I am very grateful that I had the opportunity.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I do not have a plan yet – I hope to find out and decide this year what next career challenge I want to pursue and to focus on that after graduation.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Hopefully, still keeping in touch with the IE alumni network and coming to Madrid to give a presentation to the Fintech club.

Béatrice Méthé

IE Business School

“A globally-minded, sometimes impulsive, curious and commercially-driven lawyer, ex-investment banker and future entrepreneur.”

Hometown: Montréal, Québec

Fun Fact About Yourself: When I’m not crunching numbers, I am training to become a Pilates instructor.

Undergraduate School and Major: Université de Montréal, Law

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: McMillan, Corporate Lawyer

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Working as an M&A analyst for a leading investment banking firm in London, one of the most competitive international financial centers, while having no background in finance. Thankfully, I ended up learning the ropes of finance and proving myself! I got the chance to work on major corporate transaction shaping the European technology landscape as well as the opportunity to meet leaders and high-level decision makers, even as a junior analyst. I decided to return to the law industry after my time in investment banking. The skills I gained in London, especially combined with my legal experience, have helped me develop a rounded and commercial approach to legal and business issues. On the professional side, my background has provided for a unique combination of skills and has really stood out to potential employers.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? My classmates are from more than thirty nationalities and all have very different academic and professional backgrounds, but we all share an intellectual curiosity and emotional intelligence which translates into a great mix of camaraderie, healthy competition and support towards a common goal.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? I was drawn to the focus on social impact, entrepreneurship and the development of soft skills. As a trained lawyer and ex-investment banker, I have definitely had my fair share of exposure to technical subject matters. IE’s focus on softer skills, innovation and critical thinking was a key factor for me as I felt it would successfully shape my profile on my quest to becoming a successful entrepreneur.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am very excited about the opportunity to learn a third language with the Spanish classes offered by the school. I am also looking forward to getting involved with the Private Equity, the Luxury Goods and the Real Estate clubs, all areas in which I have a strong interest. I also plan on taking part in the Social Impact Lab, a program unique to IE and focused on responsible leadership and sustainability.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I had reached a point in my career where I realized that my role as a corporate lawyer and how the role would evolve as I got more senior was not the path I wanted to follow. I wanted to now take my learnings and move to the other side of the table: the client side, the side where decisions are made. Professional services, both in terms of law and banking, are great learning experiences but they only expose you to business at arm’s length and do not provide for the thrill of the ups-and-downs of operating a business at the sharp-end. An MBA was the opportunity to round my experiences to date and focus on laying the foundations, both in terms of knowledge and relationships, of my future business venture.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I knew it would complement my legal background and give me more credibility in the business world. I also wanted to solidify the skills gained through my experience in investment banking and develop leadership and critical thinking skills. Finally, I knew that a school like IE would allow me to build a global network which itself adds so much value to the overall experience. That being said, the return on the MBA investment is not something that should be taken for granted, but rather is something that every candidate needs to secure for themselves. There is no substitute for hard work and intelligent networking.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? None

How did you determine your fit at various schools? While I only applied to IE, I did consider a few other business schools. The culture of the school and the diversity of students were the key factors for me and IE was an obvious choice given its focus on entrepreneurship, social impact and the diverse student body it attracts. On a more practical level, I knew I wanted to attend a one-year program and the school had to have an excellent reputation and great brand awareness in Europe.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? Moving to London at the age of 21 was definitely the experience that shaped who I am the most, both on the professional and personal levels. I left my hometown, my family, and what was going to be a “secure” legal job and booked a one-way ticket to London knowing no one there and not really being sure of what I would do. During the three years that I spent in London, I gained countless friends and an invaluable work experience, but I also had to face hardships and the loneliness that sometimes comes with living abroad. As I get older, I sometimes hesitate when it comes to getting out of my comfort zone but then I remember the boldness of my 21-year-old self and it pushes me forward…. for instance to pursue an International MBA at IE!

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Eventually I would like to start my own business, but initially I want to join a global firm and be involved in the international corporate development and strategy, either as an investor, from a private equity perspective, or directly leading the development efforts in-house.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Building my own business having in the meanwhile played a pivotal part in the international development team of a global company. Most importantly, I see myself being happy and surrounded by the many new friends I made during my MBA.

Koma Okubo

IE Business School

“Very ambitious person, have a strong vision to give an impact to a society especially in emarging countries.”

Hometown: Yokohama, Japan

Fun Fact About Yourself: Studied marine biology as a bachelor degree and I am a scuba diver.

Undergraduate School and Major: Yokohama City University, Marine Biology (BASc)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: McCANN Worldgroup, Planning Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I launched the first TVCM in localized contents outside of US for Tech company by supporting them analyzing data and changing marketing strategy from market-in phase which eventually achieved 2.5x YoY sales in 2017.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Although I don’t know about the other school, quality of classmates are truly amazing at IE, especially when it comes to diversity. I strongly feel that I am learning a lot by exposing to different perspectives from classmates with different professional and personal background. (I bet it is difficult to have such an experience elsewhere!)

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? I am strongly interested in establishing own business in future so that the programs which IE provides such as Start-up Lab and Venture Lab attracts me the most.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Entrepreneurial Club; I would love to meet people who are passionate about start-up and successful entrepreneurs being invited to events at the campus. (We had the CEO of SpaceX on our campus on the first week of MBA.)

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I have worked over five years in the marketing industry and led various projects and pitches, which kind of made me feel courageous enough to move to different stage in professional career. (I know it is never too late to start your business but the older as you become the more difficulties you have to face especially family related issue. For instance, having a child etc.)

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Honestly, I am still not sure it is worth the investment in terms of salary returns in future…BUT I can definitely tell having MBA in such a diverse environment with the smartest people in the world is totally worth it. (I believe ROI will be higher as you contribute/ engage to the program more profoundly.)

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I only applied to IE.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I have a vision that I would like to establish my company in future, but I strongly felt that I need to brush-up my business knowledge as well as the startup idea. IE was just a perfect fit for me in terms of having a strength in entrepreneurship study in the most practical way that we can imagine.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I think I have two moments. The first moment was when I decided to study abroad when I was 15 year old, which exposed me to various cultures and perspectives and opened up my mind. The second moment was when I was a university student and met a professor working as VC in Silicon Valley. That’s where I started being interested in entrepreneurship.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? If I am lucky enough to find a partner (including investors), I would love to start up own business. If not, I would like to utilize the knowledge I learned at school in strategy, which I can utilize when I eventually establish a business in future. 

Where do you see yourself in five years? I will lead my company as a founder giving an impact to a society. (Hopefully achieving one of my targets: changing industry or location.)

 

The post Meet IE Business School’s MBA Class of 2019 appeared first on Poets&Quants.

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