Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, Mr Fangruo! Antai College has become one of China’s top-ranked business schools. What are the key strategies and milestones that have driven its development in recent years?

Indeed, Antai College is widely regarded as a top business school in China, but we have not slowed down our pace for innovation and development. In 2018, we redefined our strategy, to focus on strengthening the connection between theory and practice. We use a picture to describe this strategy, consisting of horizontal and vertical lines. The horizontal lines represent academic discipline-based research, while the vertical lines represent industry research. Therefore, in our minds, knowledge creation has two different paths, one geared toward theory building and the other serving industry needs. The horizontal and vertical paths crisscross each other, reinforcing the connection between theory and practice. This strategy has fundamentally changed every aspect of the college life, from research to teaching, creating a healthy ecosystem for business education.

You’ve emphasized “interdisciplinary integration and the connection of theory and practice” as central to Antai’s vision. How does this philosophy shape the college’s teaching?

The impact on the college’s teaching can be delineated at three different levels. First and foremost, the industry-research strategy has changed the teachers, i.e., serving the purpose of training the trainers. Every year, we organize around 30 industry research teams, consisting of faculty and students. These often-interdisciplinary research teams frequently visit companies and see for themselves the real problems and the innovative solutions that the frontline managers have come up with. This experience has expanded their knowledge base and provided the professors with increased confidence when teaching classes. Second, we have introduced many industry-focused courses. Our industry research effort has covered most of the important sectors, such as energy, health, finance, manufacturing, distribution and logistics, etc. The principal industry researchers have taken the lead in offering elective courses along the lines of their industry research efforts. Third, every time a team visits a company, it is often the case that a number of students will come along. The students contribute to the industry research effort while gaining first-hand knowledge about industry operations. Such experiences often lead to internship or employment opportunities.

Antai has a strong reputation for industry collaboration, as well. Can you share examples of how partnerships with leading companies and institutions enhance students’ career opportunities?

The college has built a multi-level, systematic framework for industry collaboration. It has moved beyond traditional one-off project cooperation to establish an “ecosystem-based” model of university–enterprise partnership that responds to the evolving needs of both companies and students at different stages. This model covers the full collaboration chain—from resource sharing and curriculum co-design to joint talent cultivation. The college regularly invites industry experts to engage in career development programs and to serve as student career mentors, co-establishes internship and training bases with leading firms, and jointly develops practice-oriented professional courses, building a solid foundation for students to excel in top institutions.

As one of Antai’s flagship talent development initiatives, the Career Navigation Program invites distinguished industry leaders and accomplished alumni from diverse sectors to serve as career mentors for current students, providing personalized guidance and sharing professional insights. Launched in May 2004, the program has now reached its 30th edition, engaging over 1,000 mentors and benefiting more than 3,500 students, continuing to serve as a cornerstone of Antai’s efforts to bridge academia and industry.

As one of Antai’s flagship talent development initiatives, the Career Navigation Program invites distinguished industry leaders and accomplished alumni from diverse sectors to serve as career mentors for current students, providing personalized guidance and sharing professional insights.

Since early this year, Antai’s industry collaboration initiatives have continued to expand and deepen. In April, the college launched the inaugural Finance Class with the Bank of China Shanghai Branch, recruiting students from SJTU’s 2026 graduating cohort. Through a four-dimensional training model—specialized coursework, cross-sector visits, practical training, and mentorship—the program provides six months of structured learning to cultivate talents specifically for the financial sector.

In July, the college further partnered with Tencent, L’Oréal, UBS Group, and China Telecom to establish the “AI + Career” Joint Talent Development Alliance. The initiative aims to equip business school students with enhanced employability and interdisciplinary literacy in the AI era, helping them adapt to the emerging industry trends.

In specialized talent development, Antai’s full-time MBA program has formed long-term strategic partnerships with prominent domestic and global enterprises such as Apple and CIMC Vehicles. Within these collaborations, companies present real-world project challenges drawn from their business operations, and students apply to participate based on individual career interests. These projects are fully integrated into the MBA curriculum, enabling students to translate theory into practice while fostering two-way evaluation and recruitment opportunities. Each year, we have students who secure positions with partner firms through these collaborations, realizing an efficient and precise match between talent training and corporate needs.

Globalization is central to modern business education. How is Antai College strengthening its international presence and partnerships, particularly in today’s evolving global landscape?

Driven by our mission, we strive to develop internationalization on all fronts—actively joining and leading international organizations, closely collaborating with top business educational institutions worldwide, and increasing the number of overseas-educated faculty, international students, and full English programs. Our aim is to further elevate Antai’s international impact through achievements in student education, scientific research, and societal engagement. Through our Asia Pacific Center in Singapore, we seek to expand our international standing in Asia and beyond, thereby achieving our vision of “a world-class business school firmly rooted in China.”

The IMBA program at Antai is unique in offering a global perspective with a Chinese focus. How does this program prepare students to navigate both Eastern and Western business environments?

This mission is central to our educational philosophy. We have built a comprehensive developmental framework that moves beyond teaching international and Chinese business in isolation, instead creating a deeply integrated learning experience. This is achieved through a purposefully structured ecosystem comprising three core pillars:

First, our integrated curriculum establishes a robust foundation in global management principles, systematically contextualized within China’s unique economic and social landscape. This fusion ensures that students gain not only universal business knowledge but also a nuanced understanding of its application in local contexts.

Second, our pedagogy emphasizes practical applications. Our distinguished faculty employ case studies and team projects that synthesize Eastern and Western business practices. This approach enables students to navigate real-world scenarios, applying theoretical frameworks to solve complex problems involving both multinational and local enterprises.

Finally, our experiential global learning component offers extensive international exposure through dual-degree programs, exchanges with top-tier partner schools, and study tours. A defining feature is the emphasis on bringing these global insights back into the classroom, creating a continuous cycle of learning that solidifies the ability to operate effectively across cultures. This cohesive developmental architecture is designed to cultivate leaders who are adept at bridging business environments and leveraging a truly global perspective.

What kinds of students are most attracted to Antai’s IMBA program, and how does the program support their professional aspirations?

We attract proactive, forward-looking individuals who come to us not merely for a credential, but for genuine transformation. Our students generally fall into two broad categories: career accelerators who are experienced professionals aiming to fast-track their growth within a global context, especially with a focus on China; and career transformers seeking to pivot across industries, functions, or geographic regions by leveraging our network and curriculum to build credibility in new fields.

The transformative impact of our program is consistently affirmed by our alumni. Some of the graduates, now developing their careers as entrepreneurs, emphasized how the program instilled the ability to use an international vision and mindset to make decisions. Some alumni highlighted the immensely diverse classroom with students from varied cultural, ethnic, and professional backgrounds which expanded horizons and enriched their social network, a network that proved instrumental during exchanges at institutions like Bocconi University and subsequent careers with multinational companies.

To reach these aspirations, we provide a comprehensive support system. Students gain immediate access to our extensive, engaged alumni community, where a culture of “helping your younger sisters and brothers” ensures ongoing mentorship and professional advantage. We encourage students to align their thesis with a company project or internship, transforming academic requirements into tangible career opportunities that often lead directly to job offers. Furthermore, our commitment extends beyond graduation through lifelong learning opportunities, including course audits, exclusive events like the annual forums, and ongoing alumni activities, ensuring that our graduates continue to grow and adapt throughout their careers.

How can you ensure that Antai continues to grow as a global leader in business education?

Antai aims to become a world-class business school firmly rooted in China. There are two key words here: “China” and the “world”. We want to be closely connected with China’s business community, which offers a fertile ground for business research and business education. We also want to redouble our internationalization effort, to be a bridge between China’s business community and the business communities of other countries, and to be an active collaborator with our sister business schools around the world. To be a global leader in business education, we need to embrace our local economy / society and, at the same time, to reach out for international cooperation.

Looking ahead, what is your vision for Antai College over the next decade?

Over the next decade, I hope Antai will continue to pursue the industry-research strategy. This will keep us on the right track, and will continue to provide us with endless ideas for innovation. We are developing a framework for doing industry research in a business school context, much like Harvard Business School’s introduction (and perfection) of the case method. We hope this will encourage more business schools to join us on this journey, because to really change the business school culture, we need a critical mass of business schools marching in the same direction.

And finally, how do you define success?

In my mind, the ultimate definition of success is the business school’s contribution to mankind. This, of course, is a very broad stroke. To get there, there are many intermediate steps, including research, teaching, and service to society at large. An accurate measurement of success is perhaps an immense task, or simply impossible, but let’s make sure we are moving in the right direction, one step at a time.

Executive Profile

CHEN Fangruo is the Dean and Guangqi Chair Professor, Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. A researcher in the area of Operations Management/Supply Chain Management, he has published widely in renown international journals. He has served in many leadership positions in the field, and has received numerous awards and recognitions. In 2007, he founded the Chinese Scholars Association for Management Science and Engineering (CSAMSE). Since joining Antai in 2018, Dean Chen has launched an ambitious initiative to reform the business school through promoting industry research. He was the MUTB Professor of International Business, Columbia Business School. He has a bachelor’s degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and a Ph.D. from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

The post Following the Twin Paths to Knowledge – Interview with Chen Fangruo of Shanghai Jiao Tong University appeared first on The European Business Review.

Having an outstanding alumni network with over 50,000 people globally, Antai College of Economics and Management offers a comprehensive range of programs including undergraduate, masters, doctoral, MBA, EMBA, and Executive Education programs, all of which are highly-ranked domestically and internationally. Most recently, our Master in Management program was ranked No. 6 worldwide in the Financial Times 2025 Global Top 100 Masters in Management (MiM) list.

In 2021, we launched a new professional degree program named “Master of Technology Transfer (MTT)”, aiming to educate the future business leaders who are capable of connecting technology with business. This is the first of its kind in China, and represents a promising direction for future growth.

Over the past four decades, the college has made remarkable progress, and has firmly established itself as a top business school in China. We have built a globally influential faculty. Academic disciplines such as “Business Administration,” “Management Science and Engineering,” and “Applied Economics” have consistently held top positions in both domestic assessments and international rankings. The college is the first triple-accredited business school in the Chinese mainland by AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA.

The college emphasizes industry research as an alternative form of knowledge creation, generating higher societal impact. Our “Industry Community Courses” offer industry-focused learning opportunities for all our alumni and current students, covering a wide range of sectors such as energy, manufacturing, health, finance, retailing, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation etc. This approach not only enhances our educational offerings but also positions us at the forefront of innovation and industry engagement.

The college continues to foster international collaborations and expand its influence worldwide, having campuses in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Singapore, with more than one hundred partner schools around the world.

The post Antai College: A World-Class Business School Firmly Rooted in China appeared first on The European Business Review.

Building on a legacy of 125 years of business education, OSB leverages its long-standing expertise to prepare graduates who can navigate complex business challenges, think strategically, and lead with impact in both local and global contexts.

An MBA Designed for the Modern World

Since its inception in the mid-1940s, OSB’s MBA program has continually evolved to reflect the realities of modern business.

At its core, OSB’s MBA program aims to prepare students with the skills, insights, and perspective needed to tackle tomorrow’s economic and social challenges.

Unlike traditional programs that emphasize theory over practice, OSB’s approach is immersive and experiential, combining rigorous academic foundations with real-world applications. Students acquire a strong knowledge base in essential business disciplines while also developing the critical thinking and analytical abilities required to navigate today’s complex business landscape. The program’s structure ensures that students learn, practice, and lead through a blend of functional, cross-functional, and skill-based courses, as well as opportunities for collaboration and innovation.

Designed for today’s dynamic learners, the MBA is offered in both on-campus and online formats, giving professionals the flexibility to pursue their degree without compromising their careers or personal commitments

“At the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business, our vision is no less than transforming business thinking. We are not mere suppliers of business education; we are providers of a total business experience. We aspire to graduate leaders whose acumen, professionalism, and wisdom empower them to make the world a better place. Our MBA program embodies this vision: a transformational journey designed for the modern world. Whether on campus or online, students don’t just study business, they live it, challenge it, and shape its future.”

Dr. Yusuf Sidani, Dean, Suliman S. Olayan School of Business.

Innovative Learning for Future Leaders

The MBA program at OSB emphasizes a learning model that is as forward-looking as the business world it prepares students to enter. Each course is designed to integrate analytical, quantitative, and behavioral approaches to decision-making, ensuring that graduates not only understand numbers but also people.

Students are trained to think holistically, evaluate complex organizational challenges, and design innovative solutions that balance profit with purpose. The curriculum includes a diverse set of courses such as Models for Decision Making, Strategy and Change Management,

Advanced Business Analysis and Pricing, Leadership and Behavior in Organizations, among others, ensuring a multidisciplinary perspective that mirrors how different areas of business work together in practice.

Global Exposure through the International Business Experience

Beyond the classroom, OSB encourages students to learn by doing. One of the defining features of OSB’s MBA program is the International student trip, a transformative learning journey that takes students beyond Lebanon to experience global business firsthand.

Each year, students embark on a week-long international business trip to various global destinations, such as France, Germany, China, or Spain, where they visit multinational companies, meet global executives, and collaborate with partner universities. This immersive experience provides a front-row seat to the complexities of international markets and cross-cultural management.

“The International Business trip is an eye-opening journey where our MBA students engage and interact with faculty and executives from diverse backgrounds. This exposure transforms perspectives, sharpens strategic thinking, and reinforces what it means to lead with agility in an interconnected world.” Sylvana Youssef, MBA Program Manager, Suliman S. Olayan School of Business

Global Recognition and Academic Excellence

OSB’s MBA is not only regionally respected, it’s globally recognized for its academic quality and leadership impact. The program is AACSB-accredited, a distinction held by less than 6% of business schools worldwide, reflecting the school’s dedication to the highest standards of excellence in business education.

Further strengthening its reputation, OSB holds the Business School Impact System (BSIS) label, which recognizes schools that deliver tangible impact on their communities, economies, and society.

These achievements are also reflected in the program’s global rankings. In the CEO Magazine Global MBA Rankings 2025, OSB’s MBA is ranked Tier One, It also secured the position of #1 in the Middle East and North Africa in the QS Global MBA Rankings 2025, and #2 in Eurasia and the Middle East in the Eduniversal Best Masters Rankings 2025.

Ethics, Leadership, and Impact

At a time when the business world is grappling with questions of sustainability, ethics, and purpose, the MBA program at OSB ensures that its graduates lead with integrity and vision. The program integrates ethical reasoning and social responsibility into every aspect of learning, encouraging students to evaluate decisions through both economic and moral lenses.

Graduates emerge equipped to apply leadership principles, build effective teams, and communicate with impact, all while navigating the challenges of operating in a global business environment.

This focus on ethical and responsible leadership is part of what makes OSB’s MBA graduates so valued across industries, they’re not just decision-makers, but change makers.

Personalized Learning and a Collaborative Community

What truly distinguishes OSB’s MBA degree is its personalized approach to learning. Recognizing that no two career paths are the same, the program offers customizable electives across multiple disciplines, allowing students to tailor their learning experience to their personal interests and professional ambitions.

From electives in strategic brand management, real estate, negotiation skills, social entrepreneurship, project management, AI in Business and many others, students are encouraged to build a curriculum that reflects their goals, whether that means climbing the corporate ladder, launching a startup, or transitioning into a new industry.

This flexibility is complemented by OSB’s close-knit and collaborative environment. Students are surrounded by peers who are driven, curious, and globally minded, as well as faculty who serve not just as instructors, but as mentors and thought partners.

– Mohamad Sabouneh, Co-Founder, Moodfit, MBA ‘14

– Nagham Faris, MD, Emergency Medicine Administration Fellow, AUBMC, MBA ‘19 

A Legacy of Leadership and a Vision for the Future

The Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at the American University of Beirut has built a strong network of graduates who continue to shape the business landscape across sectors and regions. Many alumni have advanced to senior executive positions, serving as CEOs, CFOs, entrepreneurs, consultants, and policymakers—while others have founded their own ventures or led major organizational transformations.

This diverse and accomplished community exemplifies the program’s lasting influence and its commitment to developing well-rounded leaders throughout various industries. 

The MBA for Tomorrow’s Leaders

As the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business celebrates 125 years of business education, its MBA program continues to evolve while staying true to its mission, preparing leaders who combine analytical thinking with ethical judgment and global perspective.

With its globally recognized accreditations, innovative learning approach, and strong ethical grounding, OSB’s MBA program offers more than a degree, it offers a transformative journey that empowers students to lead, inspire, and make an impact.

In a region known for its resilience and innovation, OSB continues to raise the bar for what a world-class business education can achieve.

The post Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders: Inside the AUB Suliman S. Olayan School of Business MBA Program appeared first on The European Business Review.

Johnny Gutierrez, a senior project manager at ADNOC with more than 20 years in the energy sector, has seen these changes from the inside. “Working for a leading oil and gas company that is strongly committed to the net zero vision, I felt the need to become a true sustainability ambassador. My goal is to go beyond compliance and deliver real impact for both my company and the UAE’s sustainability agenda.” His perspective reflects a growing reality. Technical knowledge is valuable, but the ability to translate sustainability into strategy and measurable results is what organisations are searching for.

The new rules of the game

Nowhere is the shift clearer than in regulation. In Europe, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) has taken effect, requiring nearly 50,000 companies to publish extensive ESG data. For many, this will be the first time they are held to such detailed disclosure standards. Boards that once treated sustainability as a matter for annual reports must now ensure that financial and non-financial performance are integrated and consistent.

The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) expands this responsibility across global supply chains. European companies will be expected to track environmental and human rights practices of suppliers, contractors, and subsidiaries around the world. The implications are far-reaching. Large companies will be required to redesign procurement systems, monitor performance, and prove that they are addressing risks effectively.

The EU Taxonomy, meanwhile, defines which activities can be classified as sustainable. This is more than a label. It sets the parameters for access to financing. Activities that fall outside the definition may struggle to attract investors or qualify for preferential lending rates.

Finally, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will soon attach a tangible cost to carbon-intensive imports. For industries such as steel, aluminium, and cement, this will reshape competitive dynamics overnight. Producers with cleaner processes will gain a clear advantage. Those without will see their costs rise.

Together, these measures represent a fundamental change in the way companies operate. Sustainability is no longer a matter of reputation. Non-compliance can mean financial penalties, legal liabilities, or exclusion from markets.

Stakeholder expectations rising

Regulation is only part of the story. Pressure is mounting from stakeholders on every side. Investors are treating climate risk as financial risk and pressing companies for credible transition plans. The days of broad pledges with little follow-through are over. Detailed roadmaps, with evidence of implementation, are now demanded.

Consumers are also becoming more discerning. In Europe, purchasing decisions are increasingly influenced by environmental credentials. From packaging materials to product footprints, customers are willing to switch brands when they see a difference in commitment. For industries ranging from food to fashion, this shift is reshaping competitive advantage.

Employees are another driving force. Younger generations in particular weigh purpose alongside pay. They want to work for organisations that align with their values, and they are prepared to leave when those values are not reflected. Surveys consistently show that employees expect their employers to take a clear stance on climate and social issues. Talent retention and recruitment now depend on credibility in sustainability.

The impact of climate change itself adds another layer of urgency. Extreme weather events are disrupting supply chains, damaging assets, and raising insurance costs. Rising carbon prices, whether through trading schemes or taxation, further increase the pressure on companies to reduce their footprint.

For leaders, the message is clear. Sustainability is no longer confined to one department. It cuts across strategy, finance, operations, and culture.

A gap in leadership capacity

Despite widespread recognition of the challenge, many organisations are not equipped to respond at the pace required. Most have technical specialists who understand carbon accounting, lifecycle assessment, or ESG reporting. These skills are vital, but they do not guarantee transformation.

The gap is leadership. Boards often approve ambitious targets for emissions reductions or circularity. Middle managers are often aware of the need for change. Yet the translation of those targets into everyday decision-making falters. Teams operate in silos. Functions compete for resources. Short-term priorities overshadow long-term commitments. The result is a pattern of ambition without delivery.

Recruiting leaders from outside the organisation has proven difficult. The global pool of executives who combine sustainability expertise with business transformation experience is still limited, and competition for them is fierce. Many companies conclude that the only viable solution is to develop leaders internally. This requires equipping experienced managers with new skills, broadening their perspective, and giving them the confidence to drive change across functions.

Preparing leaders for transformation

This was the motivation that led Gutierrez to IMD’s Executive Master in Sustainable Business Transformation. “I initially looked for a sustainability program, but what I found is much deeper and more relevant,” he explains. “The business transformation component, in addition to sustainability, makes it unique and directly aligned with my future career aspirations.”

The business transformation component, in addition to sustainability, makes it unique and directly aligned with my future career aspirations.

The program was designed to meet the leadership gap head-on. Its modular structure allows executives to balance study with demanding professional roles. Digital modules build deep expertise in sustainability, while transformation modules focus on cross-functional skills such as strategy execution, stakeholder engagement, and organisational change. Electives provide flexibility to tailor the experience to specific career goals.

At the centre is a capstone project that requires participants to apply their learning to a real challenge. Some use the project to tackle pressing issues within their current organisation, such as decarbonising operations or redesigning a supply chain. Others work with new partners, providing consulting-style support to demonstrate impact in a different context. In both cases, the outcome is tangible evidence of leadership capacity in action.

Gutierrez values this practical orientation. “Academically, I am gaining far more than I expected. The faculty are outstanding, my classmates bring unique global perspectives, and the dedicated coaches are an unexpected but highly valuable element. Personally, the program has reignited my passion for purpose-driven business transformation.”

Why peer learning matters

Another distinctive element is the diversity of the participants. Executives join from industries as varied as finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and technology. Each brings a different lens on the sustainability challenge. For example, a healthcare executive might focus on supply chain transparency, while a manufacturing leader explores energy efficiency. The exchange of perspectives enriches the learning experience and highlights the universal relevance of sustainability.

For Gutierrez, this was reassuring. With more than two decades of industry experience, he initially wondered whether he might be among the oldest in the cohort. Instead, he found that his experience was an asset. Sustainability is a relatively new field. No one arrives as a complete expert. This creates a learning environment where contributions from different backgrounds are valued.

Implications for business and society

The implications extend beyond individual development. Companies with leaders who can connect sustainability with strategy will be better positioned to comply with regulation, secure investment, and attract talent. They will also be able to identify opportunities for innovation, from new business models to partnerships that create shared value.

Those without such leaders face growing risks. Failure to comply with regulation can close off markets. Weak sustainability performance can deter investors and lenders. Poor credibility on climate action can damage employer branding.

For society, the stakes are even higher. The transition to sustainable business is about more than competitiveness. It is about ensuring that economies remain viable within environmental limits while also addressing social expectations. Leaders who can guide this transition will shape not only the future of their organisations, but the resilience of communities and ecosystems.

The time to step up

The window for action is narrow. By 2026, CBAM enforcement will begin. By 2028, many of the new European directives will be fully operational. Stakeholders are already showing limited patience for incremental change.

Gutierrez captures this urgency clearly: “The world is at an inflection point where sustainability and transformation are no longer optional. Companies must rethink business models, embrace innovation, and deliver measurable impact. Leaders need the skills to bridge sustainability with strategy and execution.”

The transition will happen regardless of whether companies are ready. The pace and the outcome will depend on the leadership available.

The executives who step up now will be the ones who turn ambition into action, align purpose with profit, and deliver results that matter. For them, and for the companies they serve, the time to act is not tomorrow. It is now.

About the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) 

The International Institute for Management Development (IMD) has been a pioneering force in developing leaders and organizations that contribute to a more prosperous, sustainable, and inclusive world for more than 75 years. Led by an expert and diverse faculty, with campuses in Lausanne and Singapore, a Management Development Hub in Shenzhen and an Innovation Hub in Cape Town, IMD strives to be the trusted learning partner of choice for ambitious individuals and organizations worldwide. Our executive education and degree programs are consistently ranked among the world’s best. Through our research, programs, and advisory work, we enable business leaders to find new and better solutions, challenging what is and inspiring what could be. To learn more, visit www.imd.org.

The post Who Will Lead the Transition? Why the Future Belongs to Leaders Who Can Deliver Sustainability appeared first on The European Business Review.

At 6 a.m., while most of his IMD MBA classmates were still asleep, Connor Lewis clipped into his bike and rode out around Lake Geneva. “It’s silent, you’re alone, and the whole country’s beautiful,” he says. A former competitive cyclist, Connor still trains most mornings before class. Not for medals anymore, but because the discipline clears his head and sets the tone for the day. 

He’s not the only one in the IMD MBA program with an athletic background. This year’s class includes several Olympians and world-class competitors. But this isn’t a story about sports. It’s a story about what sport reveals – and how the same mindsets that help athletes perform under pressure now shape how these students learn, lead, and grow. 

Because whether you’re lining up at a starting line or leading business under pressure, the same principles apply. 

Training a winning mindset: what athletes learn about discipline, consistency, and resilience. 

1. Discipline drives performance

When Olympic skier Fabian Wilkens Solheim talks about his racing career, he doesn’t focus on the thrill of competition. He talks about discipline, training day after day, often with no immediate results. 

This mindset – consistency over perfection – is one of the most transferable traits to business and leadership. Whether you’re managing people, building a company, or making tough calls, showing up and doing the work, especially when it’s uncomfortable, matters more than momentary success. 

2. Teamwork: leading together

Winning is not just about personal performance. It’s about how you bring others along with you and set them up to thrive long after you’re off the field. Aundria “Auni” Mirabrishami, a cricket player, captain, and coach, reflects on a recent match: 

Leadership is a primary focus of the IMD MBA program, and this includes emotional intelligence, shared ownership, and the ability to create space for others. “True leadership is about legacy,” says Aundria, “not spotlight.” 

3. Resilience: playing the long game

Oliver Zeidler, an Olympic gold medallist in rowing, puts it clearly:

That ability to bounce back – to learn, recalibrate, and return stronger – is what sets high performers apart. 

In the IMD MBA, resilience shows up in multiple ways: navigating difficult feedback, adapting to new cultures, or confronting the limits of your own expertise. Everyone in the program knows what it feels like to be challenged – and to keep going.  

4. Strategy in motion

In sport, strategy is essential – but so is adaptability. You start with a plan, but when the environment changes, you need to read the moment and pivot fast. In business, that same agility is critical. Georg Lauritsen, a competitive sailor turned consultant, says it well: “Most skills are trained, not gifted.” Whether he’s racing or solving complex problems in class, his approach is the same: prepare deeply, respect the team, and stay focused when things get tough.

5. Performance under pressure

Whether it’s a race against the clock or a crucial client pitch, business and sport both demand clarity and focus when the stakes are high. That’s why IMD’s approach to learning isn’t just academic; experiential, hands-on projects create the kind of stretch moments where performance under pressure becomes real. 

The habit of staying composed, staying grounded, and executing under stress is one that athletes know well. As Konstantin Dreyer, former captain of the Austrian Rugby 7s team says:

That skill isn’t just useful in the game, it’s essential in leadership.

6. Goal setting and continuous improvement

In sport, every action is measured: progress tracked, weaknesses identified, plans refined. Fabian remarks, “I think goal setting and the ability to work toward that goal is a skill that I’ve learned through sports.” IMD takes the same approach in the MBA program. Whether it’s evaluating functional knowledge, assessing transversal skills or reviewing leadership competencies, students bring a performance mindset and faculty serve as the coach. 

Underpinning this is the principle of Kaizen, continuous improvement through incremental progress. Just as in sport, success at IMD is defined by the commitment to regularly refine, adapt, and grow. Connor sums it up:

This mindset fuels both personal and professional growth throughout the journey. 

Why these mindsets matter – athlete or not 

The truth is, not everyone in the IMD MBA has stood on a podium. But almost everyone has experienced pressure, self-doubt, and the challenge of stepping outside their comfort zone. That’s why the lessons from sport resonate so widely – not because of competition, but because of what it teaches. 

At IMD, the setting may be different, but the inner work remains the same. Whether you’re on the field, in the classroom, or in the boardroom, success is a combination of habits, mindsets, and values that take shape under pressure. 

So while this may not be a story about sport, it is a story about performance, resilience, and growth – which are central to the IMD MBA experience, and one of the many reasons why Bloomberg Business week ranked the IMD MBA #1 in Europe.

To find out more about the program, visit imd.org/degree/mba/.

About the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) 

The International Institute for Management Development (IMD) has been a pioneering force in developing leaders and organizations that contribute to a more prosperous, sustainable, and inclusive world for more than 75 years. Led by an expert and diverse faculty, with campuses in Lausanne and Singapore, a Management Development Hub in Shenzhen, and an Innovation Hub in Cape Town, IMD strives to be the trusted learning partner of choice for ambitious individuals and organizations worldwide. Our executive education and degree programs are consistently ranked among the world’s best. Through our research, programs, and advisory work, we enable business leaders to find new and better solutions, challenging what is, and inspiring what could be. To learn more, visit www.imd.org.

The post From the Sports Field to the Boardroom appeared first on The European Business Review.

What does it mean to prepare leaders in a world where change is constant and increasingly complex? The convergence of global shocks — from the pandemic to technological acceleration to evolving geopolitical tensions — has altered not only the rules of business, but the foundations of higher education. At SDA Bocconi, this awareness has driven a strategic rethinking of the entire MBA experience, with the aim of anticipating rather than simply responding to change. 

The transformation of the Full-Time MBA, Executive MBA, and Global Executive MBA (developed with Rotman School of Management) reflects this systemic approach. These programs — which represent the flagship of the School’s offering — have been redesigned through a shared vision, not as isolated updates but as part of a coherent evolution across the entire portfolio.

The Full-time MBA, Executive MBA, and Global Executive MBA programs — which represent the flagship of the School’s offering — have been redesigned through a shared vision, not as isolated updates but as part of a coherent evolution across the entire portfolio.

Three fundamental principles guide this shift. The first is the strong value-based positioning, rooted in the School’s broader vision: a focus on sustainability and on the kind of leadership the future economy demands — one that puts the human being at the center, promotes the responsible use of natural resources, and aligns business value creation with broader societal impact. This perspective has directly influenced the rethinking of the MBAs curricula, making these programs more consistent with the School’s long-term commitment and more proactive in addressing the evolving context in which leaders operate. 

The second element is the strategic role of technology. As AI and other innovations become integral to business, it’s no longer enough to know how to use these tools; — what matters is understanding their full potential and their risks. That’s why the programs now combine hands-on exposure with a critical perspective on how technology shapes decision-making. A recent agreement with OpenAI — at the moment a unique case among business schools — will give students, faculty, and staff access to the most advanced AI tools available. 

The third principle is the relevance of Europe, — and Milan in particular, — as a destination for meaningful professional and personal development. In a global context shaped by uncertainty and new geopolitical balances, the choice of where to study plays a role in shaping one’s perspective as a leader. For many students in the MBAs and in our Specialized Master programs, being based in Italy adds a distinctive cultural and relational dimension to their learning journey. 

“Europe, Italy and Milan offer an environment where managerial education naturally matches with a broader cultural perspective,” says Enzo Baglieri, Associate Dean of the Master Division.“The human-centricity embedded in our vision of management inspires future leaders to approach complexity not just with analytical tools, but also with a deeper understanding of the dynamics of relations in the economic context.”

This evolution stems from a broader intellectual process shared by the academic directors of the MBA programs, — a reflection rooted in the School’s long-standing commitment to rigorous research and critical thinking. It reflects a distinctive method: using evidence-based insight to rethink management education and reimagine its impact. A direct expression of the School’s guiding vision: Research. Rethink. Reimagine. 

Discover SDA Bocconi MBAs

The post Leading Change: How SDA Bocconi Transforms the MBAs Experience appeared first on The European Business Review.

Interview with Renata Blanc of Porto Business School

Portugal is renowned for its early navigators’ audacious journeys of global exploration. What better home, then, for an International MBA programme that equips its students to navigate global ambiguity with purpose, curiosity, and courage?

Great to have you with us, Ms. Blanc! To start off, could you share the vision that drives Porto Business School’s International MBA?

Our MBA vision is to cultivate “market-ready explorers” — leaders who are equipped not only to respond to change but to lead it. We believe the future belongs to those who can navigate ambiguity with purpose, curiosity, and courage. Our International MBA is designed to empower professionals to shape their own path, with a deeply personalized, future-focused, and impact-driven learning journey.

The programme is described as one that empowers leaders for the “future of work”. From your perspective, what key leadership qualities does today’s evolving business landscape demand, and how does your MBA programme help cultivate them?

That’s such an important question — and one we reflect on constantly. We’re in a moment of profound disruption. It’s not just about technology anymore, although of course the pace of technological change is enormous. It’s also about climate urgency, shifting geopolitical landscapes, and major social transformations. All of these forces are converging to create a business environment that’s more complex and fast-changing than ever before.

The traditional models are no longer enough. Today’s leaders need to be visionary and emotionally intelligent.

So, what does that mean for leadership? Well, it means the traditional models are no longer enough. Today’s leaders need to be visionary and emotionally intelligent. They need to be inclusive, adaptable, and deeply comfortable with uncertainty. It’s no longer about keeping up. Leaders now must be future-shapers — able to imagine new possibilities and mobilize teams and communities to bring them to life.

That mindset is at the heart of our MBA. We’ve built the program to actively cultivate these capabilities. Our Leadership Track, for example, is designed to strengthen self-awareness, improve team dynamics, and help students develop an inclusive leadership style. It includes both group and one-on-one coaching, so students really work on their own leadership identity.

And then we challenge them to apply those skills in the real world. A few examples:

• In the AI Business Impact Challenge, students work in teams to develop strategic solutions for a real company problem — with support from an AI Lab that equips them with the latest tech insights.
• Our Team Building with Social Impact event pushes them out of the classroom and into collaborative, purpose-driven outdoor challenges that also serve the community.
• And through the NGO Board Fellows program, they actually sit on the board of a nonprofit organization. That’s a rare and incredibly rich leadership experience.

Ultimately, we’re not just preparing students for their next job. We’re helping them grow into leaders who can create meaningful, positive impact — in their companies, their industries, and in society at large. And we want that journey to start from the very first day of the program.

In a crowded global MBA landscape, what distinguishes Porto Business School’s International MBA from more traditional or conventional programmes?

I believe our program offers outstanding value. It combines top-tier, contemporary content with a highly personalized and impactful learning experience. What truly sets us apart is the combination of academic excellence, innovation, leadership development, and strong ties to both community and industry. Key differentiators include:

• Strong Personalization, allowing students to tailor their journey by choosing between 11- and 15-month formats, a wide range of electives, and diverse Capstone Projects and Internships.
• Leadership Development, througha dedicated Leadership Track includes both group and individual sessions focused on enhancing self-awareness, team collaboration, and leadership impact.
• Innovative AI Focus via an AI Track integrates hands-on learning through the AI Lab and culminates in the AI Business Impact Challenge — where students solve real challenges using AI.
• Sustainability Orientation, by embedding sustainability across the curriculum, complemented by specialized elective courses on ESG and the option to earn a Sustainability Certificate.
• Specialized Tracks for those who want to deepen expertise in areas like Leadership, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, AI, and even Biodiversity and Nature-Based Strategies for Business.
• Community Engagement that encourages students to lead with purpose, through a mandatory Team Building with Social Impact and an optional NGO Board Fellows initiative where students take a seat on the Board of an NGO.
• Top-Notch Electives and Specializations, with a wide set of electives and a choice of six areas of specialization from which to select one on which to concentrate — including traditional areas like Finance, Strategy, Marketing, and Operations, as well as cutting-edge domains like Innovation & Entrepreneurship or Data, Tech & AI.
• AI-Powered Personalization, here we’re walking the talk — much of the upcoming cohort journey will already be supported by real-time AI advisors and coaching tools, helping students navigate choices and maximize their learning experience.

And of course, Porto itself is an integral part of our value proposition. It’s a vibrant, charming city with a rich mix of heritage, coastline beauty, and a dynamic business environment that blends established industries with a thriving startup scene.

Two of the programme’s standout components are the Leadership Track and the Business Impact Challenge. How do these hands-on experiences translate into tangible, real-world value for students?

These experiences are not academic simulations — they’re career accelerators. The Leadership Track helps students master interpersonal and executive skills, while the AI-powered Business Impact Challenge (BIC) places them at the intersection of innovation, sustainability, and strategic problem-solving, producing results that add immediate value to their professional portfolios.

The Career Development Center plays a central role in guiding students beyond the classroom. Could you elaborate on the type of support and resources you provide to help participants shape their post-MBA career paths?

Our Career Development Center provides one-on-one coaching, skill mapping, and AI-powered CV optimization. Students receive individualized support to identify the right career paths, develop standout profiles, and connect with global opportunities, whether they’re pivoting industries or accelerating their current trajectory.

With features like the Global Immersion Week and a culturally diverse cohort, your MBA clearly has a global dimension. How does the programme foster a truly international mindset among its participants?

From Global Immersion Weeks in cities like Amsterdam and New York to exchanges with partner schools worldwide, our program immerses students in international contexts. Combined with a truly diverse cohort — 50 per cent international students from over 10 countries — we nurture cultural intelligence, cross-border collaboration, and global leadership.

Professionals today are seeking more than just technical acumen — they’re also after personal growth, purpose, and resilience. How does the programme nurture the holistic development of its students?

We go beyond technical skills. The IMBA nurtures each student’s sense of purpose, resilience, and self-knowledge. Through dynamic learning, coaching, and electives designed around personal passions and market needs, we help students align their career goals with deeper personal meaning.

Porto itself has become known for its dynamic startup ecosystem and innovation-driven business environment. How does being located in this vibrant city enrich the MBA experience and open doors for entrepreneurial exploration?

Porto is a thriving innovation hub, and our students are embedded in it. Whether through the Entrepreneurship Track, local startup collaborations, or integration in projects of the Porto Business School Innovation Exploration Hub, our students access real opportunities to prototype, pitch, and build ventures in one of Europe’s most vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Looking ahead, what exciting developments or evolutions can we expect from the International MBA in the coming years?

Looking forward, we’re expanding our AI-driven personalization tools and integrating more tech-enabled, impact-focused learning experiences. We are also deepening our global partnerships and designing new formats that bring even more flexibility and relevance to tomorrow’s leaders.

And finally, on a personal note — as Programme Director, how do you define success when it comes to your students and the legacy of the programme?

Success, to me, means transformation — when a student not only reaches their goals but discovers new ones, becoming a more empowered, self-aware, and impactful version of themselves. The true legacy of our IMBA is the community of bold, values-driven leaders we help shape across industries and borders.

Executive Profile

Renata Blanc is the Director of the International MBA at Porto Business School, where she also lectures in Problem Solving, Decision Making, Accounting, and Strategy. A passionate educator and coach, she has led PBS and FEP teams to win multiple international business case competitions. With a solid background in consulting and auditing (including at Deloitte), she is a senior advisor on management and strategy projects — from strategic planning to financial and administrative restructuring. Holding a Ph.D. in Business Sciences (FEP), an MBA and a Master’s in Business Management, her academic journey began with a degree in Economics from the University of Porto. Today, she combines academic excellence with hands-on impact in the classroom and the boardroom.

The post Porto Business School: Cultivating Market-Ready Explorers appeared first on The European Business Review.

The intellectual foundation of practical learning

Practice-based learning is not a pedagogical afterthought – it’s a carefully constructed approach to understanding business complexity. Rooted in contemporary learning theories that emphasise experiential knowledge, Bath’s MBA programmes recognise that true leadership emerges from navigating real challenges, not just studying them.

The world of business doesn’t exist in theoretical silos. It’s a dynamic ecosystem of interconnected challenges, where success depends on the ability to apply knowledge, adapt quickly, and generate innovative solutions. This understanding is the cornerstone of Bath’s MBA approach.

A deliberate design for complex challenges

Traditional education often separates learning from doing but the Bath MBA inverts this model. For the Bath MBA, learning is doing – a continuous process of engagement, reflection, and transformation. Whether this is through the full-time MBA’s Multi-Project Suite or the part-time Executive MBA’s consulting projects, students don’t just study business problems; they become active participants in solving them.

“Great leaders need to be able to navigate the increasing complexity of the business landscape. They must have a comprehensive understanding of business operations, and the confidence to be innovative and creative when leading transformation,” explains Dr Jane Ellis-Brush, Director of Teaching on the University of Bath’s MBA programmes.

“Our approach to the MBA is intentional. We’re not simply teaching business; we’re cultivating leaders who can read, respond to, and reshape complex organisational landscapes,” she states.

Transforming knowledge into capability

Take, for example, the Multi-Project Suite – a revolutionary replacement for the traditional dissertation. Instead of writing about business in abstract terms, students on the one-year MBA programme engage directly with live organisational challenges.

The sustainability strategy project wasn’t just an academic exercise; it was a real intervention that required research, strategic thinking, and practical implementation and outcomes.

“Our team worked with BMT on the Consulting and Change Project. They are a maritime and defence consultancy, and our task was to come up with solutions to help the maritime industry move towards greener, sustainable fuels. It really felt like we were working with them towards a common goal and was a fantastic experience,” explains George Peters, a current MBA student.

The sustainability strategy project wasn’t just an academic exercise; it was a real intervention that required research, strategic thinking, and practical implementation and outcomes.

Jake Rigby, Head of Innovation & Research at BMT, has seen first-hand the impact of these student collaborations:

“Working with Bath MBA students has transformed our recruitment. Project participants gain valuable experience before their formal start, developing a solid understanding of our business. These projects deliver tangible results we implement with customers.

“The students collaborate effectively, asking challenging questions and producing high-quality work. Their professionalism, coming prepared with research and setting clear agendas, enables us to provide guidance while building experience within our company.”

The career development journey

Leadership is fundamentally about understanding oneself as much as understanding others. The Bath MBA approach recognises that professional transformation is a deeply personal journey of growth, resilience, and self-discovery.

Throughout their MBA, students engage in a comprehensive development process that goes beyond traditional skill acquisition. The focus is on building emotional intelligence, developing adaptive leadership capabilities, and creating a profound understanding of personal and organisational dynamics.

Karl Fearnley, an Executive MBA alumnus and Director at Babcock International Group, reflects on his experience: “The MBA gave me the opportunity to elevate my perspective and approach business with a more strategic context. I was able to see things from a C-Suite level and apply modules at a board-level perspective. This was the step change in my career that I wanted and needed.”

Through coaching, mentorship, and experiential learning, students develop the confidence to lead with authenticity, empathy, and strategic insight. This prepares them, not just for their next role, but for a lifetime of meaningful leadership.

The evolving nature of leadership

As businesses face unprecedented challenges, from technological disruption to sustainability imperatives, the world needs leaders who can see beyond conventional boundaries.

The Bath MBA transforms theoretical understanding into practical wisdom, demonstrating that true leadership is learned not through passive study, but through deliberate, engaged action.

Discover how the Bath MBA can help you to transform your professional potential.

Upcoming events:

• Executive MBA Open House: Thursday 17 July at 17:00 PM
• The Bath MBA Insight Series with Dr Pete Nuttall: Thursday 12 June 12:00 noon GMT+1
• The Bath MBA Insight Series: Real projects, real impact. The Bath MBA consulting experience: Thursday 10 July 12:00 noon (GMT+1)

Find out more at BATHMBA.COM

The post Beyond Theory: The Deliberate Art of Practice-Based Learning appeared first on The European Business Review.

A Unique and Flexible Design

The International MBA at Porto Business School stands out for its flexibility and tailored approach. With two distinct tracks—an 11-month accelerated path and a 15-month comprehensive option—students can choose a pace that aligns with their professional and personal goals. This flexibility ensures that the program caters to a diverse range of students, from those looking to rapidly advance their careers to those seeking a more in-depth learning experience.

The curriculum is strategically designed to offer both a global perspective and deep specialization in key areas of business, such as finance, marketing, strategy, and operations. Students have the option to pursue the concentrations of their choice through an auction-based system, allowing them to focus on the subjects that are most relevant to their career aspirations. The program also includes innovative courses on cutting-edge topics like artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and sustainability, ensuring that graduates are prepared for the future of business.

Experiential Learning: From Theory to Practice

At the heart of the International MBA is the focus on experiential learning. The program emphasizes hands-on learning, allowing students to apply their theoretical knowledge to real-world business challenges. One of the most prominent features of this approach is the Business Impact Challenge, where students work in teams to tackle complex issues faced by national or international companies. This challenge not only helps students develop problem-solving and teamwork skills but also exposes them to industries and markets they may not have previously encountered.

Another significant component is the Capstone Project, which offers students the chance to engage in consulting, internships, or entrepreneurial initiatives. This project provides an invaluable opportunity to apply MBA learnings in a practical setting, sharpening strategic thinking and leadership skills. Whether working with industry professionals or developing innovative business solutions, students develop key insights that help them stand out in today’s competitive job market.

Global Perspectives and Networking Opportunities

Porto Business School’s International MBA attracts a diverse student body from across the globe, offering a truly international learning environment. With nearly 50% of the cohort coming from outside Portugal, students are exposed to a wide range of perspectives, enhancing their ability to collaborate with people from different cultures and backgrounds. The program’s emphasis on global exposure is further strengthened through initiatives like the Global Immersion Week, which provides students with the opportunity to visit business ecosystems in leading cities such as New York or Berlin, depending on the program’s year.

In addition to the formal curriculum, students benefit from a robust network of alumni, mentors, and industry leaders, which plays a key role in their professional development. The Career Development Track provides tailored support to help students navigate their career paths, whether they are looking to advance in their current roles or transition to new industries. This track includes career coaching, networking events, and access to a wide range of career resources, ensuring that students are well-equipped to seize new opportunities.

Personalized Learning and Leadership Development

What truly sets the International MBA apart is its emphasis on personalized learning. Students are not just passive recipients of knowledge but active participants in their learning journey. The Leadership Development Track, powered by Porto Business School Career Services, is a core feature of the program, helping students develop the emotional intelligence, strategic mindset, and leadership skills required to succeed in today’s complex business world.

The Leadership Development Track, powered by Porto Business School Career Services, is a core feature of the program, helping students develop the emotional intelligence, strategic mindset, and leadership skills required to succeed in today’s complex business world.

Throughout the program, students engage in various activities designed to enhance their leadership skills. For example, the MBA Orientation Week is an intensive introduction to the program, featuring team-building exercises and leadership-focused workshops. This orientation sets the tone for the rest of the program, helping students build strong relationships with their peers and fostering a collaborative learning environment. Additionally, students participate in group coaching and negotiation skills workshops, which are invaluable for developing effective leadership styles.

The Power of Scholarships: Supporting the Next Generation of Leaders

At Porto Business School, there is a strong belief that talent should be nurtured, regardless of background. That’s why Porto Business School offers a wide range of scholarships to support the most promising candidates.

The Global Leadership Excellence Young Leaders Scholarship, for instance, provides financial support to individuals with exceptional leadership potential, helping them unlock their full potential without the financial burden of tuition fees. Scholarships are awarded based on merit and are designed to recognize candidates whose talent and vision can drive positive change in their organizations and communities.

Industry Relevance and Career Impact

One of the key reasons students choose the International MBA at Porto Business School is its strong industry relevance. The program is designed with the needs of modern businesses in mind, ensuring that graduates are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in today’s competitive global marketplace. The inclusion of practical learning experiences, such as the Business Impact Challenge and Capstone Project, ensures that students graduate with not only academic knowledge but also the practical expertise required to solve real business problems.

Inês Monteiro, IT Consultant at Natixis, shares her experience: “The International MBA has been a game-changer for my career. Midway, I stepped into a new role through the network I built, and working on my Capstone project with Natixis helped me grow as a professional and set even higher goals.” This reflects the power of the program to transform careers and open doors to new opportunities.

Tadeo Renjel, Global Supply Chain Analyst at Vestas, further emphasizes the importance of learning new skills: “I really wanted to learn something new, especially develop my leadership skills and learn about financials, accounting, and everything that includes an MBA.” This desire for growth and development is central to the experience at Porto Business School.

The Porto Business School Experience: Immersive, Innovative, and Impactful

The International MBA at Porto Business School is an immersive, innovative, and impactful program that equips students with the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to succeed as global leaders. Whether through hands-on projects, personalized leadership development, or exposure to global business environments, the program prepares students for the challenges and opportunities of the modern business world.

As Yannick Sekamana, Business Development at Mota-Engil, states: “The MBA at Porto Business School exceeded my expectations. From a warm welcome in Portugal to excellent faculty and classmates, I couldn’t have asked for more. Above all, the school’s support in my capstone project enabled hands-on learning and opened doors to a transformative career path within my company.”

With a global network, a focus on leadership development, and a commitment to real-world impact, the International MBA at Porto Business School is the ideal choice for those looking to reimagine themselves and the future of business.

Now is the time to take that next step—whether you’re looking to elevate your career, transition to a new field, or create meaningful change. Porto Business School is ready to help you transform your potential into success.

For more information about the International MBA and available scholarships, contact António Santos, MBA Admissions Advisor, at asantos@pbs.up.pt or +351 932 004 784.

The post Reimagining Business Leadership: Porto Business School’s International MBA appeared first on The European Business Review.

Navigating uncertainty: A new paradigm of leadership

The business world today demands more than traditional management skills. Leaders must now navigate intricate challenges that span technological innovation, sustainability and global interconnectedness. The University of Bath School of Management has responded to this complex landscape by designing educational experiences that go far beyond conventional academic boundaries.

“Industry insights have emphasised a critical need for leaders who can navigate increasing business complexity,” explains Dr Jane Ellis-Brush, Director of Teaching for MBA programmes.

“Our approach is deliberately challenging – we’re not just teaching theory but asking participants to apply knowledge to real strategic challenges.” 

“The Bath MBA programmes are crafted to be more than academic exercises. They are transformative journeys that equip professionals with the strategic mindset and practical skills needed to excel in top-tier leadership roles,” Dr Ellis-Brush concludes. 

Real-world problem solving

The curriculum breaks down traditional academic silos, mirroring the interconnected reality of modern organisations. Participants work directly with partner companies, tackling complex challenges ranging from market entry strategies to digital transformation initiatives. This hands-on approach ensures that learning is immediate, relevant, and directly applicable to professional growth.

Jane Phillips, Executive MBA alumna, reflects on her experience: “Lectures are a balance of lively debate and sharing of opinions with support for each other’s learning. The collaborative atmosphere is superb, and hearing inputs from a diverse range of backgrounds is fascinating. The course combines academic theory with the opportunity to apply your learning directly into the workplace, solving real-life workplace challenges.”

A cutting-edge, forward-thinking approach

Recognising the rapid evolution of the business world, particularly in areas like sustainability and artificial intelligence, the School has deliberately shaped its programmes to address emerging challenges.

The Executive MBA incorporates developments in disruptive technology, AI, and sustainability, preparing leaders to thrive in an uncertain world, whilst the full-time MBA programme’s core integrated modules combine business subject areas to reflect how modern organisations work.

Head of MBA Operations, Matt Rusling, describes the diversity of business projects students might face on the programme: “Our students work with external partners on a range of real-world challenges, opening them up to the complexity of business.”

“A recent example is our collaboration with Mayden, where students undertook a comprehensive appraisal to launch a minimum marketable clinical software product for neurodiversity services. This isn’t just an academic exercise – it’s a real opportunity for students to apply strategic thinking to meaningful, innovative projects.” 

Diverse perspectives, global insights

The MBA cohorts are deliberately diverse, bringing together professionals from a broad range of sectors and cultural backgrounds. This diversity enriches classroom discussions and provides natural opportunities for expanding leadership perspectives. As Dr Ellis-Brush notes: “We want students to be comfortable and confident working in teams, gaining hands-on experience with different groups they wouldn’t typically encounter.”

Beyond rankings: a commitment to excellence

The School boasts impressive rankings – including 1st in the UK for Marketing and 2nd for Accounting and Finance. It ranks in the top 130 globally in the QS World MBA Rankings 2025 and recently secured the highest Tier One status in CEO Magazine Global MBA Rankings 2025. Its true value, however, lies in its commitment to developing holistic, forward-thinking leaders.

With 93% of research submissions assessed as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (Research Excellence Framework) and strong connections to over 380 corporate partners, Bath offers more than education; it provides a transformative professional experience founded on a commitment to academic excellence. 

Programmes tailored to professional aspirations

Whether you’re an experienced executive seeking to elevate your strategic capabilities or a rising professional aiming to accelerate your career trajectory, the School of Management offers programmes designed to meet your unique needs:

• Executive MBA: For senior leaders who want to fit professional development around work commitments
• Full-Time MBA: A one-year programme for ambitious professionals ready to make a significant career leap
• Specialised Master’s Programmes: One-year programmes for recent graduates, including Business Analytics, Marketing, Innovation & Technology Management, Sustainability Management and more. 

An invitation to transform your leadership journey

The world needs leaders who can see beyond conventional boundaries, who understand the intricate connections between technology, society, and business. The University of Bath School of Management is committed to developing these leaders. 

Join the University of Bath School of Management and make your next bold move.

Upcoming events:

• Executive MBA Open House: Thursday 17 July at 17:00 PM
• The Bath MBA Insight Series with Dr Pete Nuttall: Thursday 12 June 12:00 noon GMT+1
• The Bath MBA Insight Series: Real projects, real impact. The Bath MBA consulting experience: Thursday 10 July 12:00 noon (GMT+1)

Find out more at BATHMBA.COM

The post Equipping Leaders for a Complex Business Landscape appeared first on The European Business Review.

It is quite rare for a professional education programme to feature small classes, in which, for example, students and teachers have improved opportunities to establish strong working relationships. Copenhagen Business School‘s MBA programme places relatively small but cosmopolitan cohorts of students in a highly conducive and collaborative Nordic setting. 

It’s great to have you with us today, Mr Rasche. First off, we believe congratulations are in order for Copenhagen Business School’s (CBS) ranking 13th in Bloomberg’s top-ranked MBA programmes in Europe, and being in the Top 100 Global MBA programmes in the Financial Times 2025 Rankings. What do you believe contributed to these recognitions? 

AR: First of all, our students! We are a small MBA programme and we have a more direct relationship with the students. I think this matters, and it helps to sustain relationships also after they graduate. And then, of course, our faculty. CBS is one of Europe’s leading business schools with a wide range of excellent faculty that know how to best engage with MBA students. So, I would say it is the mix between being a small programme and being embedded into an excellent larger school.   

The global mindset is a critical aspect of your MBA. With students from diverse nationalities, how does the programme foster an international perspective? 

AR: On average we have 20 nationalities in a cohort of around 50 students. This provides a student experience where the international dimension is built into the programme almost by default. Of course, we also ask students to activate this rich international source of knowledge in class, and it is always fascinating to see how different perspectives come together in case discussions. But it is also the students themselves. They utilize the international character of the cohort also outside of the classroom, for instance through activities like an international food fair. In times where we see some pushback against globalization in world politics, it is very reassuring to see globalization still being alive in our cohort of MBAs.

Leadership development is another major element of the programme. Could you elaborate on the “Leadership Discovery Process” and how it prepares students for leadership roles in a global business environment?

AR: This is a process which runs through the entire year. We did not want just a leadership course somewhere in the curriculum, as we believe that this isolates such fundamental discussions too much. The Leadership Discovery Process, or “LDP” as we call it, engages students throughout the year on different topics related to leadership, including a focus on “leading oneself,” because it is difficult to lead others if you lack knowledge about your own capabilities and challenges. The LDP also has a mentoring programme on the side, and usually students appreciate this a lot, as it gives a more private space to also bring in their own context. Finally, the highlight is usually a simulator where the students are asked to apply some of the lessons learned in a context that is outside of the classroom.  

Since you are based in Denmark, the “Nordic Nine” capabilities framework also plays a key role. Can you explain how these capabilities shape the learning experience for MBA students and how they are applied in real-world business settings? 

AR: The Nordic Nine is CBS’s way to have a consistent framework for capabilities that we expect all graduates to have. This includes things like being able to have fundamental business knowledge but still being able to apply this knowledge in a broad and changing context; or to be competitive but also compassionate and able to reflect on ethical dilemmas. All courses at CBS contribute in different ways to equipping students with these nine capabilities. You can think of it as a platform based on which faculty can discuss how to design and develop a programme. 

Denmark is famously a world leader in sustainability, even among other European countries. How does the programme integrate sustainability across its curriculum and what makes its approach unique? 

AR: We have one larger sustainability course in our core curriculum. Actually, we were one of the first schools to really include this into the core curriculum many years ago, because we believe that sustainability should be more than just an elective on the side. This course gives students the “101” on sustainability. We then also have a so-called “Concentration” that students can choose in order to further specialize on sustainability content. This Concentration includes, for instance, deep dives on sustainable finance, responsible supply chain management, and also corporate governance. A number of other courses in the core curriculum also pick up sustainability discussions (e.g., as case studies), so that the topic is also integrated. What makes all of this unique? I think it is the country and city in which we are placed. We can teach these topics in an authentic way. We can bring in guest speakers from world-leading companies, and we also do field trips to visit some of these companies as part of the core course. 

CBS ranked 57th for ESG and net zero teaching and 83rd for carbon footprint globally. Where do you see business education evolving in these areas and what role does CBS play in shaping the next generation of responsible business leaders? 

AR: Climate change and net zero strategies are part of the teaching, of course. I think this topic is a kind of “given” these days when it comes to business education. You cannot enter business life without at least a basic understanding of scope emissions and possible net zero pathways. We do a lot in this area, and we try to keep students engaged on these debates.

Collaboration with other business schools is a priority at CBS. Can you share more about your work with institutions across Europe and the USA, particularly through initiatives like PRME?

AR: Indeed, CBS has a lot of partner schools and collaborates a lot with schools from all over the world. As our MBA is only one year long and since around 90 per cent of students are non-Danes, we do not offer a formalized exchange programme. But students can opt for a short visit to St. Gallen to experience a course there. We also collaborate with other schools, for instance on case competitions. PRME is a broader platform that is utilized a lot by CBS as a whole, and it helps us to continuously exchange knowledge on best practices in the area of sustainability education. 

The CBS MBA programme can be completed in just one year. How do you successfully condense the learning experience while maintaining the depth and quality of education typically offered in a two-year programme? 

AR: I think it is a lot of about organizing the curriculum in a different way. We have organized the content in blocks, so that courses are less “spread out” throughout an entire term but rather taught in a week or two. We have made positive experiences with this model, as it allows students and teachers to really dive deep into the content and to also build up better relationships. Of course, a one-year MBA means fewer free days for the students, but I think the educational quality is comparable to longer programmes.  

We have made positive experiences with this model, as it allows students and teachers to really dive deep into the content and to also build up better relationships.

Actually, several schools have moved away from the two-year model, as they realize that it is not what students want, because, for instance, the opportunity costs of a two-year education are much higher. In a world where knowledge needs to be updated through life-long learning, I think a one-year MBA is the much more realistic option, if you pair it with knowledge updates in your specific area of expertise throughout your career.  

It’s also been described as a “boutique MBA.” What advantages do smaller class sizes offer compared to larger MBA programmes? 

AR: You learn better when you really know your classmates. If you are part of a cohort of, say, 200 or 300 students, you will only interact with a cluster of students that you define yourself. Our small class size is a deliberate choice because we believe it helps both students and teachers. They can build up much better and lasting relations, and they also need to really think as a cohort when addressing challenges. 

For international candidates, particularly from the U.S., what would you say are the biggest draws of studying at CBS? How does the programme compare to American MBAs? 

AR: The biggest draw is probably the fact that the Copenhagen MBA is embedded into the broader Nordic way of living that you see every day here in Copenhagen. The Nordic countries really differ from the U.S. and other countries in a lot of ways, for instance in terms of the emphasis on collaboration, equality, and trust between different societal actors. This shapes your way of living and business culture, and it also shapes the way we work with students. Many of our students stay in Denmark after their studies precisely because they value these values.  

I do not think that there is “the American MBA”, so it is difficult to make comparisons. But, overall, I would say that we are a programme that puts more emphasis on the interplay between business value and business values. As indicated, this is a natural consequence of our Nordic heritage, and the strong global position of Denmark’s companies in the world economy shows that this approach supports long-term competitiveness. 

What final message would you like to share with prospective MBA candidates about why they should choose CBS for their business education? 

AR: My final advice would be to not just compare programmes themselves when deciding about MBA studies. In the end, it is the environment around the programme that makes the difference, in terms of both the school where you study and the society where you live and maybe later work. I think we strike the right balance between having an excellent programme that is embedded into a leading business school and being an institution that operates in a well-functioning society. I believe this is a very convincing mix. 

Executive profile

Andreas Rasche, Professor and Associate Dean of the Copenhagen Business School Full-Time MBA: A leading expert in corporate sustainability and business ethics, specializes in responsible management and ESG strategies. He plays a key role in advancing research and education on sustainable business practices.

The post Redefining the MBA: Copenhagen Business School’s One-Year Global Programme appeared first on The European Business Review.

In the evolving world of education, the Swiss School of Business and Management (SSBM) stands out as a leader in IT-focused business education. With a strong emphasis on artificial intelligence, data science, and technology management, it has established itself as a premier institution for those looking to advance their careers in the rapidly evolving digital economy.

SSBM prides itself on bridging academic theory with practical applications, partnering with over 30 international companies to design programs that align with real-world business needs. This collaborative approach ensures that SSBM graduates are prepared to tackle challenges and seize opportunities in today’s competitive job market. Founded on the principles of diversity and multiculturalism, SSBM attracts talent from over 150 nationalities, fostering a rich and inclusive learning environment.

The institution’s mission is clear: to deliver educational excellence and innovation in business education, leveraging cutting-edge technology and high-quality learning experiences supported by relevant research. SSBM’s IT programs are designed to provide professionals with the strategic vision and technical expertise needed to thrive in today’s digital world.

Key highlights of SSBM’s impact and reputation include:

• Ranked 69th by CEOWORLD Magazine in the Best Business Schools in the World for 2023.
• 90 per cent of students secure jobs within three months of graduation.
• A student body representing over 150 nationalities and a thriving alumni network of 7,200 professionals worldwide.

Overview of Online MBA Programs

SSBM’s suite of online MBA programs reflects its commitment to helping participants at all stages of their careers and personal lives. Their online education suite of IT programs is designed with just that foresight in mind. By combining a cutting-edge curriculum with a global network of peers and experts, SSBM empowers learners to advance their careers without compromising their professional or personal commitments.

With a strong focus on emerging technologies and their business applications, SSBM ensures that graduates are well prepared to lead digital transformation and innovation in their respective industries.

SSBM’s Suite of Online MBA Programs in IT

1. MBA in Artificial Intelligence

SSBM’s Online MBA in Artificial Intelligence aims to empower you to take charge and shape the future landscape of businesses. By combining managerial expertise with advanced AI insights, you will be well prepared to drive technological innovation, achieve financial success, and spearhead the transformation of industries. Some of the topics you will be learning include: Business IT, Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, Ethics in AI, Artificial Intelligence in Marketing, Data Analytics and Decision Making, Applied Artificial Intelligence in Business, Generative AI, etc. You not only earn a prestigious MBA but also position yourself as a trailblazer in the rapidly evolving and powerful field of artificial intelligence.

This program is specifically designed for managers and leaders who want to explore AI, machine learning, and the science behind artificial intelligence. Delivered entirely online over 12 months, it offers flexibility for professionals to complete modules at their own pace. To be admitted, applicants must hold an undergraduate degree (bachelor) from a recognized university or equivalent, provide grade transcripts, submit a CV or résumé, and present a copy of their ID or passport, along with one photo.

2. MBA in Data Science

SSBM’s Online MBA in Data Science program will help you to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the benefits of being a data-driven leader and manager and will develop your ability to communicate key findings to stakeholders across a business in a clear and confident manner. This MBA will help you to make strategic business decisions based on the use of data. This program does not deal with complex statistical or mathematical foundations behind data science, but rather with helping you to make sense of data, understand how data science works, and what AI or machine learning is all about. Overall, you will learn how technology and people can impact your organizational performance and the importance of building a data-driven organization.

Read about the firsthand experience of a student of the MBA in Data Science program here.

SSBM’s Online MBA in Data Science program will help you to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the benefits of being a data-driven leader and manager and will develop your ability to communicate key findings to stakeholders across a business in a clear and confident manner.

This program is designed for managers and leaders eager to explore the world of data, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the science behind data management. By providing a comprehensive understanding of these cutting-edge technologies, the program equips professionals with the knowledge and skills to foster data-driven decision-making and innovation in their organizations.

Delivered entirely online over 12 months, the program offers flexibility for participants to complete modules at their own pace, making it ideal for working professionals seeking to advance their expertise without disrupting their careers. To be admitted, applicants must hold an undergraduate degree (bachelor) from a recognized university or equivalent. Additional requirements include grade transcripts, a CV or résumé, a copy of their ID or passport, and one photo.

3. Tech MBA

SSBM’s Online Tech MBA program will equip you with a deep understanding of the advantages of being a technology-driven leader and manager, enhancing your ability to guide teams in implementing and managing various tech-focused initiatives. It will empower you to make informed business decisions using insights from advanced data analytics tools and technology-powered reporting platforms, as well as to take the reins in transforming industries and driving innovation by combining managerial acumen with in-depth technological insights. With this MBA, you’ll be well equipped to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by emerging technologies, leading your organization to new heights of success.

This program is designed for forward-thinking managers and leaders who are eager to explore the rapidly advancing world of technology and its application in business. By integrating key technological insights with strategic business management, the program equips professionals with the tools to drive innovation and digital transformation within their organizations.

Delivered entirely online over 12 months, the program offers the flexibility for participants to complete modules at their own pace, making it ideal for working professionals seeking to enhance their expertise without interrupting their careers. To be admitted, applicants must hold an undergraduate degree (bachelor) from a recognized university or equivalent. Additional requirements include grade transcripts, a CV or résumé, a copy of their ID or passport, and one photo.

If you have questions or would like help with your application, please feel free to contact their dedicated team at any point in your application process at admissions@ssbm.ch

Why Choose SSBM?

Choosing SSBM Geneva for your online MBA programs means opting for excellence in education, diversity in perspectives, and a global network of peers and faculty. With a faculty composed of over 170 experienced professionals, 74 per cent of whom hold doctoral degrees, the institution ensures an unparalleled learning experience along with a student community at SSBM representing over 150 nationalities, which ensures that your journey is as multicultural as it can be. Over 68 per cent of graduates advance to higher positions within one year of completing their program, and more than 90 per cent secure jobs within three months of graduation.

Here is what their alumni have to say about their experiences:

– Lisa Tamila, Sales Manager, Xanatek

– Jonas Hjoernered, lecturer

– David Ramirez, RiverCity Innovations

– Jose Ramon Bronet, VP, Cisco

Are you ready to elevate your career with an online MBA from SSBM? Explore their diverse programs tailored to meet the demands of today’s dynamic business world by browsing through their programs here – or apply now!

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This year, several U.S. business schools have once again demonstrated their excellence, securing top positions in the rankings. The results reaffirm the strong reputation of American MBA programs in delivering world-class education, fostering influential alumni networks, and achieving significant career outcomes for graduates.

Here is an overview of the U.S. schools that made it into the Top 10:

1. University of Pennsylvania: Wharton
2. Columbia Business School
3. Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management
4. MIT Sloan
5. Cornell University: Johnson
6. University of Chicago: Booth

Top U.S. Business Schools Dominate Global MBA Rankings

The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School has reclaimed its position as the No. 1 business school in the U.S., marking its 11th time at the top since 1999. Renowned for its rigorous curriculum, influential alumni network, and cutting-edge research, Wharton continues to set the standard in business education. A key factor in its success is its strong alumni salary performance, with graduates reporting an average weighted salary of $245,772 three years post-MBA, placing Wharton third globally in salary outcomes. The school also leads in research impact, further solidifying its reputation as a hub for business thought leadership.

Among other top-ranking U.S. schools, Columbia Business School secured the third position globally, benefiting from its deep ties to New York City’s financial markets and industry leaders. Columbia graduates earn an average salary of $232,760, reflecting the program’s strong return on investment. Meanwhile, MIT Sloan and Northwestern Kellogg tied for sixth place, each offering distinct strengths. MIT Sloan’s focus on innovation and entrepreneurship makes it a powerhouse for tech-driven industries, while Kellogg emphasizes leadership and collaboration. Their graduates earn $229,639 and $216,134 on average, respectively, demonstrating the value of their programs.

Cornell’s Johnson School, the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, and Yale School of Management also secured spots in the top 10. Cornell ranked ninth with alumni earning $194,542, praised for its close-knit community and personalized learning approach. Booth, ranked tenth, is known for its analytical rigor and flexible curriculum, helping graduates achieve an average salary of $228,901. These rankings highlight the continued dominance of U.S. business schools in shaping the next generation of global business leaders.

Key Takeaways from the FT 2024 MBA Rankings

The Financial Times rankings reaffirm the dominance of U.S. business schools in global MBA education. Institutions like Wharton, Columbia, MIT Sloan, Kellogg, and Booth continue to produce highly successful graduates, who secure leadership positions across various industries.

With strong salary growth, research contributions, and career advancement opportunities, these schools remain a top choice for aspiring business leaders. The results also highlight the continued demand for MBA programs that offer a blend of academic excellence, real-world business experience, and robust alumni networks.

For prospective students considering an MBA, these rankings serve as a valuable guide to selecting a program that aligns with their professional aspirations and long-term career success.

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A master of business administration (MBA) degree has been shown to increase earnings, but it typically takes years to finish. Most full-time online MBA programs take up to two years to complete. Part-time, asynchronous MBA programs that allow you to work toward your degree around your schedule can take even longer. If you want to earn your MBA and start advancing your degree faster, there are online options for you: some business schools have accelerated programs that allow you to finish an MBA in as little as a year.

It’s worth remembering accelerated programs aren’t for everyone. They feature intensive, fast-paced classes to truncate years of learning into 12-16 months. If you have a good work ethic and want to see the benefits of your degree quickly, an accelerated online MBA might be for you. An accelerated online MBA usually has the same core curriculum as a traditional online MBA, but classes are more fast-paced and include more information. This means that accelerated MBA programs are typically geared toward students who have a specific career path in mind, with less room for electives and exploration than a full-time or part-time MBA program.

Here are a few of them.

1. Northwestern Kellogg’s One-Year MBA Program

Northwestern Kellogg’s One-Year MBA Program is your fastest path to a Kellogg MBA. It is designed to build upon your business fundamentals and get you back in the workforce with new skills and knowledge that will propel your career forward. From June to June, you’ll immerse yourself in the rigorous curriculum, learn from world-class faculty and build leadership experience and a supportive network that will help you immediately and throughout your career. As one of the first One-Year MBA Programs in the country, more than 3,500 of their graduates have made an indelible mark on business and the world, with many of our alumni leading some of the most notable companies in the world, including Robert Eckert, Former Chairman & CEO of Mattel and Vijay Karnani, Managing Director of Goldman Sachs. Unlike other One-Year MBA programs that consolidate two years of classes into one, our program builds on your business experience and gives you the option to bypass core classes so you can focus on the electives that are pertinent to your personal and professional goals.

2. University of North Carolina Wilmington – Online MBA 

The University of North Carolina Wilmington combines a high-demand curriculum with a fast completion time for its accelerated online MBA program. The program’s 36 credits can be completed in as little as 12 months, assuming you’re taking classes full-time. It includes electives in data center management, healthcare analytics, programming, and entrepreneurship to help prepare you to lead in fast-growing sectors.  The accelerated courses are offered in a seven-week format, and no prerequisites are required. That online format is geared toward working professionals, and the program features six start dates so you can schedule your education around your professional and personal life. Their accelerated MBA gives you the ability to complete the program in as little as one year and is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

3. Tepper School of Business – Accelerated Online MBA

Tepper School of Business’s Accelerated MBA is for business graduates or individuals with undergraduate business coursework experience who want to earn an MBA on an accelerated timeline. This MBA may be for you if in the last 10 years, you have taken accounting, finance, marketing, microeconomics, and operations courses from an AACSB or EQUIS-accredited business program. In the Tepper Accelerated MBA program, you’ll have all of the same advantages of a Tepper MBA and join the incoming cohort of either our Full-Time MBA or Online Hybrid MBA program. You will be joining these cohorts to get the full advantage of our highly ranked and regarded programs but complete an accelerated curriculum that includes a refresher course in your first semester to ensure your success in the program. Your Accelerated degree simply streamlines redundant coursework and as a result, reduces tuition costs for the program.

4. UC Davis – Master of Management

The online Master of Management from UC Davis is a graduate business degree designed for recent college graduates, ambitious young professionals and career-changers aspiring to leadership roles.

The 15-month online Master of Management program provides aspiring leaders with a foundation in the functional areas of business, such as accounting, finance, marketing and strategy. Modeled after UC Davis’ top-ranked online MBA program, the online Master of Management gives you a strong foundation in innovation as well as the functional areas of business, including accounting, economics, finance, marketing and strategy. The 36-unit curriculum is composed of nine courses and features duidance from faculty with tactical industry expertise, lively interactions with peers in face-to-face online classes, and hands-on learning and trailblazing research in the online classroom

5. UNC Kenan-Flagler – Online MBA

UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA is designed for experienced professionals looking to take their careers to the next level. Students have access to lifelong career benefits and a global network of 51,000+ business school alumni. Through their program, you can earn your MBA online in as few as 18 months or up to three years. Their MBA students come from all over the world, each with their own unique set of experiences and aspirations. With UNC Kenan-Flagler, they’re able to balance an elite MBA, demanding careers, family commitments and hectic travel schedules. For the last decade, the online program has equipped passionate professionals with the tools to make a lasting business impact worldwide. As a student, you’ll develop an approach to leadership that reflects your values, amplifies your strengths and positions you for success.

6. Maryville University – Master of Business Administration

You can earn your Master of Business Administration online from Maryville University in as few as 12 months. As a tech-forward and future-focused university that has been disrupting higher education for over 150 years, they designed their program to focus your education by choosing from 12 concentrations, and separate yourself from the competition. The more specialized you become, the more you can distinguish your talent. You also have the chance to pick from multiple start dates throughout the year to fit best within your schedule. Maryville University’s Accelerated Master of Business Administration program is tailored to provide you with the skills you need to effectively manage whatever industry challenges you may face in your future. In addition, our program exposes you to advanced business concepts, such as networking, technical savvy, analytical thinking, leadership, finance and accounting, and systems-level thinking.

If you are seeking a flexible way to get your MBA but don’t want to spend several years in class, a program that offers a faster way to obtain your degree may be the best option for you.

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This year’s ranking emphasizes U.S.-based programs, reflecting the country’s reputation as a global hub for business education. From Ivy League powerhouses to top-ranked public universities, these institutions continue to set the standard for cultivating leadership and innovation.

The Top 10 MBA Programs in the U.S.

1. Harvard University (Harvard Business School)
2. University of Chicago (Booth School of Business)
3. Northwestern University (Kellogg School of Management)
4. University of Pennsylvania (The Wharton School)
5. Columbia University (Columbia Business School)
6. Stanford University (Graduate School of Business)
7. University of Michigan–Ann Arbor (Ross School of Business)
8. Duke University (Fuqua School of Business)
9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan School of Management)
10. New York University (Stern School of Business)

Harvard Business School once again claims the top spot, maintaining its reputation as the premier choice for future executives and entrepreneurs. Harvard remains a global business education leader known for its case study approach and influential alumni network. Close behind, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business impresses with its analytical rigor and curriculum flexibility, fostering a culture of innovation and critical thinking.

Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management earns accolades for its strengths in marketing, leadership development, and fostering a collaborative environment. The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania continues to shine in finance and entrepreneurship, backed by its research-driven curriculum and an extensive alumni network that includes some of the world’s most influential business leaders.

Columbia Business School benefits from its location in New York City, offering students unparalleled access to top industries such as finance, consulting, and media. Meanwhile, Stanford Graduate School of Business integrates entrepreneurship and innovation into its DNA, leveraging its proximity to Silicon Valley to prepare students for leadership roles in tech and beyond.

The University of Michigan Ross School of Business is celebrated for its action-based learning model, which gives students hands-on experience solving real-world business challenges. Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business focuses on cultivating team-oriented leaders who are prepared to make a global impact.

At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management, the integration of technology and business management is a core strength, preparing students to lead in an increasingly digital world. Finally, New York University’s Stern School of Business excels in finance, tech, and entrepreneurship, driven by its connection to Wall Street and its diverse, urban environment.

Methodology and Outcomes

Fortune’s rankings evaluate multiple factors, including tuition costs, graduate starting salaries, and alumni representation in Fortune 1000 C-suite roles. The 2025 results underscore the immense value of these top-tier programs, with 90% of graduates securing employment within three months of graduation and earning average starting salaries exceeding $175,000. These top 10 programs continue to set the bar for business education in the U.S., producing leaders who excel in navigating complex industries and driving organizational success.

Access the full list here.

See more:

• Bloomberg’s Top-Ranked Asia-Pacific MBA Programs for 2024-2025
• Highlights and Key Trends from Bloomberg’s 2024-25 Business School Rankings

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Interview with Omar Toulan of IMD

The International Institute for Management Development (IMD) is in first place in Bloomberg Businessweek’s 2024 ranking of European MBA Programs. In this interview with EBR, Omar Toulan, IMD´s MBA Dean, discusses the school´s focus on developing impactful leaders, its dedication to students’ post-MBA success, and its integration of AI in teaching functional business skills and transversal skills.

Good day, Prof. Omar! Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today, especially given your demanding schedule. Congratulations on IMD once again topping the Bloomberg Business School rankings this year! What would you say distinguishes your program from other leading global MBA programs?

Firstly, IMD as an institution is a unique place, founded by business leaders for business leaders. We maintain our close ties to business thanks to our executive programs and advisory work, and our faculty brings that real-world knowledge and experience into the MBA program. So we’re able to adapt it to what the market demands and what recruiters are looking for, keeping it not just current, but future-oriented.

At the core of IMD and the MBA program is our focus on developing leaders who will have an impact. We were one of the first schools to introduce personal coaches 40 years ago. The leadership stream is what really brands IMD.

One of the other things that sets the MBA program apart is our focus on experiential learning, which accounts for approximately 40% of the curriculum. This hands-on approach to learning includes international consulting projects, start-up projects, optional internships, and a new Future Lab module with direct industry interaction. In this way, our students apply what they’re learning, bridging theory with practice.

With next year’s redesign, I am also very excited about our focus on skills-based learning, which is something I think is extremely unique and different from other programs. Skills-based learning ensures our graduates not only excel in the classical functional areas of business but also possess the critical problem-solving and communication skills to adapt to the changing business world.

IMD’s MBA is structured as an intensive 12-month program. What do you see as the main advantages of this shorter format, and how do you support students in maintaining a balance between these rigorous academics and their personal growth?

The leadership focus of the program provides the students with the opportunity to self-reflect in a way traditional programs do not.

A 12-month program brings with it the advantage of being out of the job market for only 1 vs 2 years. That being said, it’s a very intense experience, both academically and personally. The leadership focus of the program, however, provides the students with the opportunity to self-reflect in a way traditional programs do not. Aside from having their own leadership coach, the program also offers 20 hours of psychoanalysis sessions focused on personal development. Students are encouraged to reflect on bigger issues such as: What is really important to them? What kind of environment do they excel most in? Etc.

The program is known for its strong focus on real-world applications. How do you ensure that graduates are equipped to tackle the ever-evolving business challenges they will face in today’s environment?

The world that graduates face today is far more turbulent than 10 or 15 years ago, and evolving at a faster pace. This requires graduates to be agile and adaptable. One of the ways we’re helping our students to prepare for this reality is by not only focusing on functional business skills but also the transversal skills that can be applied across industries and domains. We’ve identified 10 such transversal skills that we think will be essential for students to master in order for them to be prepared for the ever-evolving business challenges of the future:

1. Systems thinking
2. Structured problem solving
3. Pattern recognition
4. Decision making
5. Visioning and scenario planning
6. Divergent and convergent thinking
7. Quantifying strategies
8. Storyboarding and storytelling
9. Asking good questions
10. Strategic presence and presentation

Through a variety of tracking mechanisms, some using AI, we will be able to give students feedback on these skills throughout the year based on existing and additional course material. We want to ensure that students cannot hide in the shadows of a group project without developing these fundamental skills for themselves. By tracking them throughout the curriculum, we’ll be able to identify issues early on and help the student take corrective measures to improve.

Your updated future-oriented MBA curriculum blends renowned leadership development with cutting-edge AI technology and hands-on experiential learning. Can you walk us through how these elements are practically integrated into the program?

As you know, IMD is known for its focus on leadership and all the trainings that go with it. It is the only stream that starts the first week of school and ends the last week. To be an effective leader, however, one must first be able to solve the problem or challenge at hand. As such, the new program has a heightened emphasis on problem solving, as is reflected in the 10 transversal skills described above. The program now kicks off with a new 10-day module on Strategic Thinking and Communication in which these skills are introduced. It will be led by myself, Arnaud Chevallier and one of our most renowned professors Michael Watkins (from The First 90 Days fame). These skills will then be reinforced throughout the year.

AI is embedded in the curriculum both as a topic and as a tool for learning. On the one hand, the tool, our own IMD GPT, will provide students with continuous access to all of IMD’s proprietary knowledge, whether it’s case materials, readings, articles, faculty research, etc., as well as access to the wider internet, so students can ask questions and receive customized responses 24/7 that are most relevant to their own needs, interests and situations; for example: applying a concept from a class discussion to their specific industry. It’s like always having a personal tutor available!

Students also need to learn how to make the most of the tool, which leads me back to the transversal skills I mentioned earlier, such as asking good questions, critically assessing the answer, and drawing the right inferences to formulate effective strategies. As leaders, they will face the challenge of making tough decisions in a data-intensive environment and grappling with the vast amount of information accelerated by Gen AI. Our approach prepares graduates to diagnose problems, critically assess them, come up with recommendations, and succeed in an AI-intensive world.

Students can ask questions and receive customized responses 24/7 that are most relevant to their own needs, interests and situations.

At the same time, we’re placing a greater focus on the human quality of leadership. Leadership has always been at the core of IMD, and while AI may be able to replace certain tasks, given the plethora of information and potential that it provides, leadership becomes even more important. An effective leader is someone who can make difficult decisions, and then get others to follow that decision. So the skills we’re focusing on are, firstly, to help students make those decisions, and secondly, to improve their ability to communicate and effectively implement that decision.

Beyond AI, could you share some other key updates and innovations for the upcoming relaunch? How will these changes enhance the overall student experience?

One key change is the introduction of the Future Lab, a one-month residency module in Singapore, which is an excellent destination for our students on many levels: as a gateway to Asia, a crossroad of cultures, and a technology hub for both the private and public sectors. During this immersive experience, we’ll focus on topics such as AI, digital transformation, and digital analytics, and do a deep dive into the power of technology. Singapore is consistently ranked one of the top countries in the world in terms of government infrastructure and innovation, so it’s a great test site to explore the synergies between the public and private sectors and see how the government can leverage technology for the betterment of society.

Another change is giving the students a choice between electives to customize their learning journey, or a summer internship for additional real-world experience. This option serves as an additional practical bridge to the professional world and helps them to be even better prepared for the job market. To further enhance the career experience, the program also now kicks off with an intense week of career training in January.

The Career Development Center (CDC) is critical in shaping students’ futures. Can you delve into the personalized career services IMD offers and how these services contribute to the post-MBA success of your graduates?

One of the key advantages of having a highly selective small cohort is that our CDC can acquaint themselves with each individual. This starts during the admissions process, with our CDC being involved in discussing student career aspirations and identifying individual challenges before students arrive on campus. Once here, students are assigned an initial coach, and during the program, an alumni mentor specific to their preferred employment outcome.

With an emphasis on personalized coaching and career counseling, how does IMD support students in crafting unique, individualized career strategies?

For us, each student journey is unique with individual opportunities and challenges. We ensure resources are in place to provide the support each student needs, complementing our in-house resources with external insight and expertise where required. As the majority of our students are competing for senior roles in the lateral hiring market, we tailor our offer to their bespoke needs.

IMD provides students with various global opportunities, including the immersive month at the Future Lab in Singapore. Could you elaborate on the significance of this experience and how it prepares students for global careers?

The immersive 1-month Future Lab in Singapore will help students expand their global awareness and deepen their understanding of how technology is changing how we do business. Aside from courses on AI, Digital Transformation, and Ecosystems, students will also engage with companies in one of the world’s most innovative technology hubs. They will experience firsthand how the private and public sectors can work together to the benefit of both. Thanks to IMD’s extensive alumni network in the region, students will be able to meet business leaders and visit leading global companies to see how technology is transforming business and society.

On the topic of opportunities, how do IMD’s extensive alumni network and global partnerships contribute to students’ career development and support their goals?

Our alumni are highly supportive of our students as they remember how alumni once helped them. The community is passionate about helping one another. Alumni are involved in 1:1 mentoring, alumni talks and panels, referring students within their organizations and, of course, identifying career opportunities. The cohesiveness of the students while they are here translates into a very engaged alumni community. I went to big US schools for my education where at our reunions we would receive 20-30% of students coming back. For us, it is not uncommon to have 50-60% of the class return.

What advice would you give to prospective students who are evaluating whether the IMD MBA is the right fit for them?

Come and visit us. Join a class, speak with current students, and experience for yourself what it’s like to be part of the IMD community. If you can’t make it in person, join one of our online events, or contact our Admissions team who will be happy to put you in contact with  students or alumni.

Looking ahead, what do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities facing MBA students over the next five years? How is IMD preparing its students to navigate these?

AI is having a fundamental transformative effect on organizations. It is changing how we work and what we do. Students need to develop a mentality to view these changes as opportunities rather than just challenges.

Overall, the biggest challenges and opportunities MBAs will face in the coming years have to do with the increased volatility and pace of change we are witnessing. As we have discussed, AI is having a fundamental transformative effect on organizations. It is changing how we work and what we do. Students need to develop a mentality to view these changes as opportunities rather than just challenges. The same goes for economic and political volatility. People will need to be more resilient and agile in reacting to these different forms of environmental volatility.

And lastly, as the Dean of such a prestigious MBA program, how would you personally define success—both for the program and for its students?

For me, success as a program is to develop leaders who will have an impact not only on organizations but also on society as a whole. While one can always identify short-term metrics, for me what is important is providing a transformational experience that will help students to not only develop a better understanding of themselves but also how they can make a lasting impact.

Learn more about IMD Business School’s MBA program: imd.org/degree/mba/

Executive Profile

Omar Toulan is Professor of Strategy and International Management, MBA Dean and Hilti Chair. His areas of expertise include strategic and international management, geopolitical and country risk, and growth strategies. His research has appeared in a variety of academic and practitioner-oriented journals, including Strategic Management Journal, the Journal of International Business Studies, and California Management Review. Before joining IMD, he spent two decades at McGill University in Canada where he was a tenured professor and served as Associate Dean Academic and Masters Programs. Prior to entering academia, he worked as a management consultant for McKinsey and Company in its New York and Washington, D.C. offices. He also worked as a researcher at the US President’s Council of Economic Advisers. Professor Toulan received his PhD in Strategy from the Sloan School of Management at MIT and his undergraduate degree in international economics from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

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In a rapidly shifting global landscape, the rankings highlight how institutions are pushing the boundaries of business education to prepare future leaders in other more localized regions. Here is our in-depth review of the European and North American schools that delves into the region’s latest rankings, regional standouts, and the evolving priorities that define the future of business education.

In particular, the Asia-Pacific business school landscape is characterized by both diversity and innovation that reflects the region’s growing economic power and its strategic importance on the global stage. Business schools in Asia are not just keeping pace with their Western counterparts, but are increasingly recognized for their ability to adapt to emerging trends, such as sustainability and technological integration while catering to the needs of a younger, tech-savvy generation.

As global businesses continue to look east for leadership talent, the spotlight on Asia-Pacific MBA programs is brighter than ever.

Key Findings from the Rankings

According to the Bloomberg 2024 rankings, Asia-Pacific’s leading business schools have demonstrated strength in critical areas like compensation, learning, networking, and entrepreneurship. Leading the pack is the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), ranked 1st with an overall score of 77.2, excelling particularly in compensation and learning. A spokesperson for HKUST highlighted the school’s success in building a unique and dynamic educational environment, sharing that “HKUST stands out as a hub for connections – with a large and supportive alumni network, diverse students, a global faculty, and strong industry ties. We develop innovative leaders in Asia for the world.”

The student experience at HKUST also underscores its appeal as a top choice for future leaders. Vinith Muralidhar, a 2023 full-time MBA student, noted the advantage of studying in Hong Kong’s financial hub, commenting, “Hong Kong being at the epicenter of financial services in Asia, brings a diverse and global perspective, and HKUST is extremely well-placed for this, offering unparalleled opportunities for networking and career growth.”

Following HKUST are the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE) and the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore), both of which stand out for their high scores in compensation and networking. At IIM Bangalore, the focus on “reinvention and relevance” allows it to anticipate future trends in management education, ensuring its curriculum remains responsive to evolving market needs. Ms. Apurva Purohit highlights this commitment, noting, “The rigour and relevance of the curriculum set the MBA program at IIM Bangalore apart. The world-class faculty inspire structured, critical thinking and logical analysis. The case study method helps every student develop what is known as the scientific temper.”

China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), ranked 4th in Asia, has earned a distinctive reputation as a bridge between Europe and China. According to Frank Bournois, CEIBS Vice President and Dean, the school’s unique position is shaped by its motto of “China depth, global breadth”: “At CEIBS, our teaching acts as a bridge between Europe and China – one of the world’s most dynamic and influential business environments. We combine the very best faculty from all over the world with cutting-edge research and experience on the ground. Add to this our recent global ranking of 1st in the Financial Times for Executive MBAs, our alumni network of over 20,000 professionals worldwide, and a marvelous, welcoming campus in Shanghai, and it’s clear that CEIBS provides a unique offering not only in Asia but worldwide.”

Martin McLaughlin, an MBA candidate for 2025, emphasized CEIBS’ integrative approach: “CEIBS is the top choice for future leaders because it’s the perfect blend of Western and Chinese case studies and professors. The world-class faculty incorporates real-world, cutting-edge insights from the business world into the curriculum. CEIBS’ emphasis on leadership development results in transformative experiences that give students the perspective, self-awareness, and mindset crucial to leading effective teams.”

Other prominent institutions such as the Indian School of Business (ISB) and Woxsen University also made the list, showcasing Asia’s growing ability to deliver high-quality business education. SP Jain School of Global Management, ranking 9th, stands out for its globally relevant EMBA curriculum, designed to be responsive to the evolving business environment. According to the institution, “The EMBA curriculum at SP Jain, designed to be global, is relevant to the changing business environment and is immediately applicable at work. The course gears towards preparing the students for their company’s sustainable strategy and innovation.” This emphasis on sustainability and applicability highlights Asia-Pacific institutions’ commitment to equipping future leaders with both practical and forward-looking skills.

Here’s the full list of the top 9 Asia-Pacific schools as per the Bloomberg 2024 rankings:

1. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)
2. Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE)
3. Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore)
4. China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)
5. Indian School of Business (ISB)
6. Woxsen University
7. Shanghai University MBA Centre
8. IMT Ghaziabad
9. SP Jain School of Global Management

Emerging Trends in Business Education in Asia

Sustainability

Sustainability has become a crucial focus in business education across Asia. Institutions are increasingly integrating sustainability into their curricula, recognizing the importance of responsible business practices in today’s economy. Programs now emphasize environmental and social governance (ESG) frameworks, preparing future leaders to tackle global challenges like climate change and resource management.

Beyond ESG frameworks, schools are also fostering partnerships with global organizations to drive forward sustainability-focused projects, giving students practical experience with real-world environmental issues. This hands-on approach not only builds skills but also instills a mindset aligned with responsible leadership, essential in today’s business landscape.

Technology Integration

With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, technology is reshaping the business world, and Asia’s business schools are at the forefront of this transformation. Schools have started introducing new courses focusing on AI and human-machine collaboration, aligning their programs with the tech-driven future of business.

Asia-Pacific schools are also establishing dedicated centers for digital innovation and AI research, aiming to develop students’ technical expertise and problem-solving skills. These schools are also collaborating with tech firms to provide students with cutting-edge tools and resources, enabling them to work on projects that simulate the real-world impact of AI and automation on business.

Learning Flexibility

Business schools in Asia are adapting to the evolving needs of their students, particularly younger learners, by offering more flexible, real-time education. Institutions in Southeast Asia are leading with experiential learning models that focus on real-world impact rather than traditional lecture-based approaches.

Many schools are now leveraging online platforms and hybrid models, allowing students to balance their education with professional commitments. This adaptability ensures that students can continuously update their skills, addressing an ever-evolving market and the need for ongoing professional development.

The Asia-Pacific region, as well as Europe and North America, is solidifying its position as a global hub for business education. Top schools are not only producing leaders with strong global networks but are also setting trends in sustainability and technology integration. As businesses increasingly look to Asia for leadership talent, the significance of MBA programs in this region will only continue to grow, making it a key player in shaping the future of business education.

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This article delves into the latest rankings, regional standouts, and the evolving priorities that define the future of business education.

Stanford Leads the Pack

Stanford University once again leads the 2024-25 U.S. business school rankings, holding the top spot for the sixth year in a row with a score of 88.8. Stanford’s excellence in Compensation, Learning, Networking, and Entrepreneurship continues to set the standard for business education, attracting high-caliber talent from around the world.

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business secures second place with a score of 86.2, standing out for its focus on analytics and decision-making. Booth’s global reach is a defining feature, with campuses in Chicago, London, and Hong Kong. Elizabeth O’Neill, Associate Dean for Global Programs, emphasizes, “Our global faculty and diverse locations provide unparalleled learning opportunities.” Alum Anh Nguyen adds, “Booth’s academic rigor and international network made it the perfect program for a global business leader.”

Ranked 12th, Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business distinguishes itself with its values-driven education and collaborative learning environment. According to Daytime MBA student Eliot Digby-Jones, “Fuqua’s emphasis on teamwork and leadership development sets it apart in preparing students to make impactful decisions.” Russ Morgan, Senior Associate Dean, highlights the school’s commitment to global perspectives and diverse teams, enabling students to tackle complex challenges and seize international opportunities.

Regional Performances: North America and Beyond

Europe’s business schools continue to dominate global rankings, with institutions like IMD leading the charge. Topping the European list, IMD is praised for its innovative MBA curriculum, tailored to the demands of a rapidly changing world.  Omar Toulan, Professor of Strategy and International Management, and MBA Dean at IMD, emphasizes, “The new IMD MBA curriculum prioritizes leadership, human skills, and impact in an AI era, offering immersive learning through the ‘Future Lab’ and experiential projects to prepare graduates for a rapidly evolving world.” This leadership focus has been transformative for students like Siya Xabanisa, MBA Class of 2024, who shares, “IMD’s leadership approach has equipped me with the skills and mindset to lead with confidence and make a real-world impact.”

Ranking 2nd, IESE Business School excels through its mission-driven, humanistic approach and diverse community. Its reputation for rigorous academics and the case study method resonates with MBA student Christa Zacharia (Class of 2025), who notes, “You hear diverse perspectives in the classroom and work in equally diverse teams, which helps develop a global perspective, critical for all future leaders.” IESE’s commitment to developing leaders who inspire meaningful change continues to be a pillar of its global success.

Oxford Saïd Business School in 7th place also stands out for its distinctive leadership development opportunities. As part of the wider Oxford University, students gain access to leadership programs beyond the business school, enriching their experience with broader perspectives. One MBA student highlights, “Being part of Oxford University, I had the chance to engage in leadership development beyond Saïd, refining my leadership skills in different contexts and interacting with students from other disciplines.”

Copenhagen Business School, ranking 13th in Europe, shines for its emphasis on sustainability. Situated in Denmark, a leader in green business practices, CBS provides a unique advantage as it is located in an environment where authentic sustainability claims can be made without resorting to greenwashing.  As Deekshant Yadav, CBS Full-time MBA alum and Project Development Manager at Bring Cargo AS, shares, “The exposure to different industries and companies, especially in the Nordics, has been invaluable.” This strong focus on sustainable business makes CBS a top choice for future leaders committed to environmental stewardship.

ESMT Berlin, ranked 14th, stands out for its tight-knit and diverse cohorts, along with strong ties to industry leaders and Berlin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Its flexible curriculum focuses on leadership, sustainability, and technology, offering real-world experiences with a global business perspective. Anant Parashar, a full-time MBA student (Class of 2025), remarks, “A world-class faculty, exceptional learning opportunities, vibrant community fostering collaboration, and incomparable networking connections with industry leaders offer ESMT students the chance to learn from the best and transform into the best.”

EADA Business School, ranked 16^th, is recognized for its practical learning approach, which emphasizes sustainability, leadership, and innovation. Founded in 1957, EADA has educated over 120,000 professionals worldwide. With a prime location in Barcelona’s bustling business hub, EADA prepares students for international careers. One of its MBA students reflects, “EADA’s focus on real-world business scenarios, supported by experienced faculty, fosters critical thinking and global career readiness, making it an excellent choice for aspiring leaders.”

Across the Atlantic, Western University’s Ivey Business School leads Canada’s rankings, earning a top score of 75.0. Following closely are Concordia University’s Molson School of Business with 72.8, and HEC Montreal at 71.2. In the Asia-Pacific region, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) holds the top spot with a score of 77.2, followed by Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (75.1) and the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (73.6).

Emphasis on Technology and the Changing Landscape

A key trend emerging from the 2024-25 rankings is the growing focus on technology within MBA programs. As AI, data analytics, cloud computing, and cybersecurity become integral to business operations, technology expertise is now a must-have for future leaders. This shift is reflected in the rising number of MBA graduates stepping into C-suite roles centered around tech-driven growth.

Bloomberg’s data also reveals an interesting geographical trend: while U.S. and Canadian business schools are experiencing a rise in applications, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Islands are seeing declines. This migration of talent towards North America underscores the region’s booming tech ecosystems and the appeal of institutions that can prepare students for careers in tech-focused industries. 

The Future of Business Education

Though the top schools in the rankings maintain their positions, business education is undergoing a significant transformation. As technology continues to disrupt industries, MBA programs are evolving by incorporating more tech-oriented courses and hands-on learning opportunities. Additionally, the rise of online learning and hybrid education models is reshaping how schools engage with students and structure their curricula.

In the years ahead, business schools that prioritize innovation, entrepreneurship, and global networking will continue to lead the field. For today’s prospective MBA students, choosing the right program goes beyond prestige—it’s about finding a school that aligns with their career aspirations and equips them with the skills needed to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

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For Peter Davies, choosing an MBA with sustainability at the heart of delivery became the catalyst for a transformative change in his career. He discusses what inspired him to pursue the Bath MBA and how the programme equipped him for his current position at Good Energy.

In business, sustainability is non-negotiable. How you choose to incorporate it into what you do affects relationships with your employees, your supply chain and your customers. Having clear ethics regarding sustainability is so important for the long term – you’ll suffer if you don’t.

When I finished university in 2022, I took up an internship in corporate strategy with local green energy supplier, Good Energy. This led to a permanent role, focusing on diversifying the energy supply – which is currently more important than ever, due to the current energy crisis affecting the day-to-day lives of millions.

Due to the sharp rise in energy prices and a high number of suppliers going bust, our services are changing to try and reduce the impact this has on our customers.

I’m currently transitioning our supply to sustainable resources, with the aim of reaching net zero emissions. Green energy alternatives can be cheaper than conventional fossil fuels, too. Because of this, solutions such as solar panels and heat pumps are becoming increasingly popular.

If it wasn’t for my time at the University of Bath, I wouldn’t be in my current job role. The School of Management has great links with local businesses, which I made the most of to get my internship.

Throughout my studies, I learned a lot about sustainability management, which I use daily at work. At the School of Management, sustainability was always incorporated into what we did, from lecture content to the campus itself.

I made great friends there, too. I’m still in contact with other MBA alumni, we have a WhatsApp group and try to catch up whenever we can.

The way business works is changing, you need to take sustainability into account no matter your job role or sector. My goal is to eventually run my own business and because of my experience, I have the skill set to do this.

To me, ambition is realising your potential and trying to push to exceed your own expectations. The more effort you put into your studies, the more value you’ll get out of them. Rather than waiting for someone to give you opportunities, go and get them.

The article was first published on 11 March, 2024

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Why Business Analytics?

Business Analytics is crucial for organisations worldwide as it helps them make data-driven decisions, gain insights into their operations, and ultimately achieve their goals more effectively. By analysing data, Businesses can identify current trends, understand customer behaviour, optimise Business processes, and predict future outcomes.

Career opportunities in learning Business Analytics

You may land The following interesting jobs if you master the Business Analytics tools.

Data Analyst

It examines data, evaluates findings, and applies statistical methods to offer insights and aid in business decision-making.

Business Intelligence Analyst

Business Intelligence Analysts focus on supporting organisations’ strategic decision-making by analysing large, complex data sets in light of business performance and market trends.

Data Scientist

A data scientist interprets complicated data and encourages creativity and decision-making inside a company by utilising statistical analysis, machine learning, and predictive modelling.

Data Engineer

Creates, builds, and manages data structures and pipelines for data collection, processing, and archiving in preparation for reporting and analysis.

Business Analyst

Business Analyst collaborates directly with stakeholders to determine business needs, collect and evaluate requirements, and recommend solutions that help companies reach their objectives.

​​Market Research Analyst

​​Market Research Analysts analyses historical sales data to forecast future sales, study market circumstances to assess possible sales of a good or service, and assist businesses in understanding their place in the market.

Operations Analyst

Operations Analyst enhances an organisation’s operating procedures through data analysis, problem identification, and solution implementation to boost productivity and cut expenses.

Financial Analyst

Financial Analyst provides insights that assist businesses in managing risks, making investment decisions, and enhancing their financial performance by analysing financial data and trends.

Supply Chain Analyst

The Supply Chain Analyst maintains and evaluates supply chain datato maximise inventory levels, cut expenses, and raise overall efficiency.

Risk Analyst

Risk Analysts identify and assess potential risks that could impact an organisation’s financial standing, reputation, or business operations and then develop measures to mitigate such risks.

These are just a handful of the numerous career routes you can choose with a degree in business analytics. Business analytics identifies and evaluates possible hazards that could influence an organisation’s operations. The industry creates plans to reduce these hazards and provides various possibilities to suit different interests and skill levels.

Business Analytics – A closer view

There are four types of BA. They are:

• Descriptive
• Diagnostic
• Predictive
• Prescriptive

Descriptive Analytics

Descriptive analytics is used as a base. It provides an explanation for “what happened.” It accomplishes this by describing patterns and linkages utilising both historical and present data. It works particularly well for conveying changes over time, such as monitoring and reporting internet traffic for businesses.

Diagnostic Analytics

“Why did this happen?” is the next reasonable inquiry, which diagnostic analytics answers. It aids in identifying the underlying causes of correlations and trends among variables. For instance, a food delivery business can collect information on the reasons behind subscription cancellations to improve its goods and services and retain its current clientele.

Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics attempts to address the question, “What might happen in the future?” It forecasts scenarios, trends, and occurrences using historical data to guide business strategy. For instance, marketers can estimate sales trends and create promotions based on data from previous years.

Prescriptive Analytics

Prescriptive analytics addresses the question, “What should we do next?” Determining the best course of action entails considering all pertinent data. For instance, product managers of a grocery delivery app can use this kind of analytics to add more choices about the amount of goods that need to be bought.

​​What are the tools I should learn to master Business Analytics?

If you want to master Business Analytics, learning and becoming proficient in various tools is essential. Here are some popular tools that are widely used in the field of Business Analytics:

Microsoft Excel

Excel is a necessary tool for data analysis and visualisation. It is employed in data cleaning, fundamental statistical analysis, report and dashboard creation, and other related tasks.

SQL (Structured Query Language)

Relational database management and querying require SQL. Data kept in databases is extracted, altered, and analysed using it.

Tableau

Tableau is a powerful data visualisation tool that allows users to create interactive and insightful dashboards and reports.

Python

Because of its versatility, Python is a popular programming language for machine learning, statistical modeling, and data analysis. Library libraries like NumPy, Pandas, and Scikit-learn are frequently utilised in business analytics.

R

Another well-liked programming language for statistical computation and data analysis is R. It is employed in data cleansing, analysis, and visualisation, among other jobs.

Power BI

Microsoft’s Power BI is a business analytics service that offers interactive business intelligence features and visualisations.

Google Analytics

A web analytics tool called Google Analytics monitors and evaluates user activity on websites, advertising campaigns, and website traffic.

SAS (Statistical Analysis System)

SAS is a software suite used in business for multivariate analysis, predictive modelling, and advanced analytics.

Hadoop

Large datasets can be processed, stored distributed using the Hadoop open-source framework. Big data analytics uses it.

Spark

Spark is a general-purpose, fast cluster computing solution for analytics and big data processing.

Mastering these tools will help you become proficient in Business Analytics and enhance your career prospects in the field. Aspiring professionals can gain expertise in Business Analytics through MBA Colleges In Chennai, where they learn to harness the power of data to drive strategic decision-making and propel businesses towards success.

What are the basic qualifications to do a course in Business Analytics?

In order to enrol in a Business Analytics course from the beginning, candidates must fulfil a few prerequisites. Specific criteria may differ; however, the following are standard qualifications:

Educational Background 

Typically, a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university is needed. A degree in business, economics, mathematics, statistics, engineering, or computer science is frequently desirable.

However, a Science or Commerce background will significantly help as such candidates will have studied maths and statistics at a higher level.

Maintaining a competitive edge is imperative in today’s dynamic and ever-evolving business environment. Gaining expertise in business analytics improves one’s analytical abilities and leads to various job options in industries, including strategic planning, business intelligence, and data analysis. I hope this post has given you a better understanding of all the knowledge you need to succeed as a business analyst and pursue your ideal job.

The post How can Pursuing an MBA in Business Analytics Impact Your Career? appeared first on The European Business Review.

Business programmes once taught the importance of maximising profit at all costs but leading MBA programmes are teaching of the power – and profit – that can be achieved through a very different approach.

Corporate responsibility and sustainability have become key factors in today’s global business world. Sustainable business practices have become increasingly important considerations for companies seeking to maintain a competitive edge. As a result, more and more organisations are embracing ESG (environmental, social, and governance) principles to guide their decision-making.

Professor Andrew Crane is the Director of the Centre for Business, Organisations, and Society at the University of Bath School of Management. He also leads the delivery of Responsible Business on the Bath Executive MBA programme, helping professionals to develop the skills and knowledge needed to navigate sustainability challenges.

“There are so many challenges facing the world with everything from climate change and inequality to biodiversity. Business has a role in contributing to those problems, but also for solving them,” he explains.

“Contradiction in organisational priorities can be difficult for business leaders. The MBA programme can be a powerful tool to empower and liberate them to do something positive and be the changemakers in their organisations,” he adds.

The Bath MBA programmes are designed to provide students not only with an awareness of ESG issues within business, but also to equip them with the practical skills needed to tackle them. Teaching is underpinned by a deep focus on embedding sustainability and responsibility throughout both teaching and research.

“Students leave Bath, not only with a passion to enact change, but with the tools needed to effectively execute positive change throughout the duration of their management careers,” he continues.

“We try to instil the conversation of social responsibility and concern for social impact across the breadth of business, from finance and marketing to operations and HR practices. We tackle the challenges in these areas and then empower students to bring this conversation into their organisations and to have the right literacy to do so. They have the language but now they also the skills and knowledge to become as close as possible to an expert.”

Professor Crane adds: “We want our graduates to be leading employers who know how to achieve impact in their communities.”

Testimony to the University’s commitment to ESG is its place in the Top 100 of the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2024 demonstrating a commitment to infuse sustainability throughout programme delivery at the University. The University of Bath ranked 92nd out of 1,403 universities, scoring highly in each of the three performance categories of Environmental Impact, Social Impact and Governance.

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Three problems are being battled by Indian youth such as lack of soft skills, entrepreneurial skills, and leadership skills. The research paper focuses on the importance and significance of an MBA. It focuses on the differences between the leaders and the managers. It calls upon the youth to face the challenges squarely and soar like an eagle.  

Introduction 

“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” —Peter Drucker 

When one of the richest persons in the world, Mr.Laxmi Niwas Mittal was asked what regret he had in life, he replied by saying that he did not do MBA. He is the only Indian who leads in a particular sector globally i.e. steel sector. He achieved success in life and made a lot of wealth and yet he had one regret of not doing an MBA.   

MBA is one of the most sought-after qualifications in India. After the completion of the graduation, the students prefer to go for this qualification because it offers wide opportunities. Engineering graduates are also opting for this management qualification as it widens their mental faculties as well as provides faster career growth. As a result, we find mushrooming Business schools in India. In this context, it is essential to go into detail to find out the significance and importance of this qualification. Let us also look at various prospects and problems involved with Indian youth in this regard.  

Importance of MBA 

Engineers are technically competent in their trade and can excel as very good engineers. But it takes them in one direction. When they are armed with MBA qualifications they cannot only work as engineers but also can work as managers. In brief, they turn out to be technocrats and full-fledged professionals. Acquiring management qualifications will be a valuable addition to their career. They can work as engineers as well as managers and it paves the way for fast career growth.  Besides it inculcates entrepreneurial skills and enhances the ability to stretch their imagination levels. It is not only the case of engineers but also doctors and other professionally qualified people opting for this course. The advantage of management education is that any graduate can opt for this course, as it is management-oriented with the least technical orientation. This provides ample ammunition for any graduate to pursue this course. 

With the growing population and economy, there would be more industries and there would be a need for more managers and leaders across the country. Therefore, there is growing importance and significance attached to this qualification. 

Problems for Youth 

Indian youth are battled with three skills soft skills, entrepreneurial skills, and leadership skills. It is a cause for concern. We do not have an unemployment problem rather we have an unemployability problem as the freshers after passing out of their educational institutions do not have the requisite skills and abilities to match up with the industry demands, standards, and expectations. In this context, let us briefly know what soft skills mean.   

Soft skills are non-domain skills that include various skills like communication skills, presentation skills, team building skills, business grace, etiquette, and related people skills. The people should know how to deal with their clients, customers, and suppliers and should know how to behave with their subordinates, peers, and superiors. People are good at their domain knowledge i.e. the area in which they are qualified and that becomes the technical knowledge, which is also known as hard skills. It is rightly said people rise because of their hard skills but fall due to a lack of soft skills. The present educational system encourages more technical and domain knowledge and less non-domain knowledge thus resulting in unemployability.  

The second problem for the youth is a lack of encouragement towards entrepreneurial skills. Entrepreneurship is the process of setting up your business venture, which involves a lot of risks and returns. It is not a cakewalk. It requires a lot of energy and effort.  It takes active involvement around the clock because it involves having a business idea, mobilizing resources, proper execution skills, and managing both internal and external forces and factors to pursue the passion of entrepreneurship.   

Although Indian youth are interested in taking risks their parents do not encourage them, as there are more risks involved. The parents want their children to get secured jobs and start earning steady and decent regular income. They also want their old age to be properly secured. In Western countries, there are social security measures where the government takes care of their citizens in old age. There are old age homes, unemployment insurance, and so many protections as they have already developed.  Since India is still a developing nation we cannot afford to provide social security measures to the citizens. Therefore, it discourages parents from discouraging their children from entrepreneurship. In the past, the Indian economy was mixed and it did not encourage entrepreneurship skills. Ever since the opening up of the Indian economy, the climate has been conducive to encouraging entrepreneurial skills among the youth. 

The third problem for the Indian youth is the lack of leadership qualities. Small countries with tiny populations produced leaders in various disciplines and, unfortunately, India with a billion-plus population could not produce global leaders in proportion to the population. What ails with Indian youth? 

The present educational and economic environment is not encouraging leadership qualities. In some cases, there is a dearth of talent. And in some cases, there is talent, which is not tapped to develop as leaders. We do not have sufficient training institutes that encourage leadership traits.    

Industry Expectations  

Industry looks for plug-and-play recruits. They want the recruited employees to be on their toes right from day one. They want the freshers to be industry-ready so that they can be productive and useful. However, this is not the scenario. A lot of jobs are available and the industry is not getting the competent manpower to execute the tasks. There are a few traits that the industry expects from the freshers. They are learnable—the ability and capability to learn new tools and techniques, absorbability—the ability to grasp and understand new kinds of tasks, and suitability—looking for the right peg in the right hole. Nobody would like to have a round peg in a square hole or a square peg in a round hole. Capability—the ability to execute challenging tasks at ease is another trait expected from the industry. And skills like adaptability, flexibility, assertiveness, team spirit, communication, leadership skills and last but not least is the passion to learn and grow. Succinctly, they look for the right mindset, tool set, and skill set. 

Challenges 

Students work hard and climb the ladder to reach the heights of success only then do they realize that the ladder is on the wrong side of the wall. It indicates that youth lack the right direction, guidance, and counseling. This is so in various ways such as the selection of a career or setting of their goals. They set the goals because of parental or peer influence. Or sometimes because of herd instinct. In the long run, it does not give any satisfaction resulting in frustration and fatigue. While planning for their career the youth should look for 4 As – Aptitude, Attitude, Abilities, and Awareness. When their career is planned in this way, they can easily accomplish their goals and career aspirations.  

Because of growing technology, the business environment has become highly challenging and as a result, the employees have to deliver their best to meet the rising demands of the customers and consumers. During this process, if any employee falls short of expectations he would be served with pink slips. There is more element of risk involved even in employment. The youth should learn to perform well or else would be perished. It is a case of a ‘do or die’ situation where non-performing and inefficient employees are shown the door. There is more need for smart work rather than hard work.  

Leaders and Managers   

There is a vast difference between the leaders and the managers. Let us look at what differentiates between the leaders and the managers. Managers are efficient while leaders are effective. Managers climb the ladder where as the leaders place the ladder on the right side of the wall. Managers are missionaries while the leaders are visionaries. Leaders know what to do where as managers know how to do it. Managers put in hard work whereas leaders put in smart work. To put it succinctly, if managers are the actors the leaders are the directors. However, in the recent past there has been a growing emphasis on managerial leaders which is a combination of managerial and leadership qualities and, of course, the combination of hard work and smart work. 

Overseas Indians 

Indians are doing extraordinarily well across the seas because of various reasons.  Laxmi Niwas Mittal has done excellently by becoming a leader in the steel sector across the globe and also one of the top five richest persons in the world. Indra Nooyi, Pepsi chief is one of the most powerful women in the world who is a symbol of success and a guiding and motivating model for Indian women managers. All these people could do it because of several reasons such as more opportunities overseas and also probably they travel from their comfort zone to effective zone. Renowned Motivational Guru Zig Zigler Zig said, “97 percent of the people live in a comfort zone and only 3 percent of the people live in an effective zone”. And success comes to the people who live in an effective zone. Successful people keep shifting their orbits and reinventing themselves as per the changing conditions and scenarios.   

Conclusion  

Education and character are the two sides of the same coin. When you have these two, you can survive and succeed in any part of the world. Success would touch your toes.  Soar like an eagle as an eagle. To sum up, Indian youth have an exciting future and promising careers with an MBA degree. By improving and developing soft skills, entrepreneurial skills, and leadership qualities they can leave a mark behind.  

About the Author

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D. is the Father of “Soft Leadership” and the Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India. He is an International Leadership Guru with forty-three years of experience and the author of fifty-two books including the award-winning ‘See the Light in You’ URL: https://www.amazon.com/See-Light-You-Spiritual-Mindfulness/dp/1949003132. He has published over 300 papers and articles in prestigious international publications including Leader to Leader, Thunderbird International Business Review, Strategic HR Review, Development and Learning in Organizations, Industrial and Commercial Training, On the Horizon, and Entrepreneur magazine. He is a soldier, entrepreneur, editor, educator, author, enlightener, and philosopher. He is a C-Suite advisor and global keynote speaker. He brings a strategic eye and long-range vision given his multifaceted professional experience including military, teaching, training, research, consultancy, and philosophy. He is passionate about serving and making a difference in the lives of others. He trains a new generation of leaders through leadership education and publications. His vision is to build one million students as global leaders by 2030 URL: http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2014/12/professor-m-s-raos-vision-2030-one_31.html.  He advocates gender equality globally (#HeForShe). He invests his time in authoring books and blogging on executive education, learning, and leadership. Most of his work is available free of charge on his four blogs including http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com. He is a prolific author and a dynamic, energetic, and inspirational leadership speaker. He can be reached at msrlctrg@gmail.com. 

The post The Opportunities and Challenges of MBAs  appeared first on The European Business Review.

Many business schools are in a unique position to bear a considerable obligation to prepare students for success in the constantly changing and fast-paced business world. It’s crucial for these institutions to persistently adjust to the most recent trends and changes in the business sphere, ensuring that their curricula stay relevant and aligned with these fluctuations. By addressing these elements, business schools can ensure that their graduates are equipped with the essential knowledge, competencies, and mentality to thrive in the dynamic realm of business. 

The swift progress of artificial intelligence has triggered a transformative influence on the business landscape, necessitating business education to adapt and confront the arising challenges and prospects. By incorporating diverse viewpoints and cross-disciplinary methods, these institutions can cultivate a more comprehensive and all-encompassing comprehension of the intricacies and subtleties of the contemporary business environment.

Let’s explore the role of generative AI in modern businesses and how it’s being incorporated into business curriculum development.

Revolutionizing Business Operations with AI Integration

The fusion of artificial intelligence (AI) within executive education programs has become a cornerstone, transforming conventional business methodologies. AI-driven automation optimises processes, curtails expenses, and enhances operational efficiency. Unlike traditional systems, AI-driven solutions operate ceaselessly, ensuring consistent outputs and freeing human resources for intricate, creative endeavours. INSEAD’s Transforming Your Business with AI programme will equip you with practical frameworks to work with data scientists and programmers, showing you how to commission analysis, analyse the results you receive, to accelerate productivity and competitive edge for your organisation.

Evolution of Workflow Automation

While the roots of automation date back centuries, the recent advancements in AI have revolutionised modern workflow automation. Robotic Process Automation (RPA), for instance, mirrors human actions across multiple software systems. Unlike conventional automation confined to singular applications, RPA seamlessly navigates numerous systems, performing tasks and even communicating with other digital interfaces. Leveraging algorithms and machine learning, RPA adeptly handles complex processes, streamlining multifaceted tasks and decision-making. IESE Business School’s Artificial Intelligence for Executives programme provides participants with a broader understanding of the power of artificial intelligence for businesses, including its impact on business models, sources of competitive advantage and organizational structure.

Elevating Customer Service through Automation

Automated customer service, notably chatbots, efficiently tackles diverse customer queries via natural language processing. They adeptly handle FAQs, process orders, and troubleshoot basic issues, enabling human service agents to focus on intricate problems requiring a personal touch. London Business School’s The Business of AI gives you  a solid understanding of the advantages and limitations of AI and machine learning (ML) in business settings to communicate effectively with stakeholders, and by extension, your customers.

Empowering Supply Chain Management

The digitalisation of manufacturing, marking the onset of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, plays a pivotal role in crafting adaptive and robust supply chains. Automation within supply chain management involves tracking goods via sensors and software, automating inventory updates, optimising logistics, and mitigating overstocking or understocking risks. SP Jain School of Management’s Digital Supply Chain Management will help you understand what digital supply chain management is and why it is important, identify new opportunities created by digitisation, develop a digital supply chain management strategy and learn how to leverage the right technologies for your organisation. 

Strategic Decision-Making with Machine Learning

Machine learning, a subset of AI, employs algorithms to learn and make data-informed decisions. These adaptable models transcend traditional rule-based systems, providing precise solutions across diverse business domains. From predicting customer behavior in CRM to optimising stock levels in inventory management, machine learning’s applications span various business sectors. MIT Sloan School of Management’s Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy challenges common misconceptions surrounding AI and will equip and encourage you to embrace AI as part of a transformative toolkit designed for business specifically.

Harnessing Data for Informed Strategies

Data-driven decision-making, facilitated by machine learning tools, extracts actionable insights from vast and intricate datasets. Machine learning models amplify data science’s capabilities, unveiling nuanced relationships between variables, and empowering businesses with informed strategies, such as real-time analytics for agile responses to market fluctuations. Oxford’s Artificial Intelligence Programme is designed for managers, business leaders, and technical professionals across multiple functions and industries looking to understand the workings, possibilities, and ethics of AI technology. 

Conclusion

By keeping up with new trends and advances and emphasising practical, hands-on learning, business schools can play a crucial role in shaping the future of business and propelling the accomplishments of their alumni. The “new age” of executive education will possess the acumen to envision innovative applications of AI as the technology advances and its capabilities expand. 

About the Author

Pamela Martinez is a writer for The European Business Review. She is dedicated to crafting timely blog pieces about business acumen, changing leadership dynamics, emerging finance and technology trends, global breakthroughs and how these spaces intersect from a millennial’s perspective. She also works as an editor and content strategist and the sister publications of The European Business Review.

The post AI in Business Education 2024: How Top MBA Programs Integrate Artificial Intelligence into Curricula appeared first on The European Business Review.

Accelerating career success

With 15 years’ experience in supply chain planning, Thiago recognised that to accelerate the leap into senior management, he needed to showcase his potential and demonstrate an aptitude for leadership. Combining his ambition to study with a full-time career meant taking the decision to pursue an Executive MBA at the University of Bath.

Thiago explained: “I had made it clear from joining PepsiCo that one of my goals was to develop myself further through an MBA. I knew that the breadth of business knowledge and leadership development the programme offered would enable me to grow in my position and take on more responsibility within the organisation.”

“PepsiCo needed to see a clear business case for their investment and to understand what benefits this would bring to their business. They also needed to understand my aspirations and commitment to the company’s future.”

“I considered many factors when choosing a university for my MBA but felt that the programme at Bath offered a wide range of modules that were not only interesting for me but that would also have impact for PepsiCo.”

Building the business case

PepsiCo have an established partnership with the Bath MBA across a wide range of leadership development projects, from internships to corporate mentoring.  When approached by Thiago, the team at Bath recognised the potential he had as an Executive MBA candidate and supported his application through their corporate partnerships programme.

Becky Gallagher, Head of MBA Admissions and Recruitment, at the University of Bath, explained: “As soon as I met Thiago, I knew that our Executive MBA would have a huge impact on his career and life. He had taken a very reflective approach to his career and had clearly identified his skillset and the tools he now needed to break through the career ceiling.”

“He knew what he wanted from an Executive MBA but he also had an awareness of the huge impacts his learning could have on his colleagues and organisation. As a team, we knew that Thiago would bring something very special to our programme and we wanted to support him in joining us.”

“Our MBA corporate partnerships encourage organisations to consider their long-term strategy for growth and how they can nurture and develop talent from within. We work with organisations to help identify future leaders and deliver world-class, practice-based learning that aligns with both their operational and strategic needs. We could see that Thiago presented huge potential for PepsiCo, so we wanted to do all we could to help bring his ambitions to fruition.”

Explaining the impact the partnership programme had in developing a successful business case to PepsiCo, Thiago continued: “The support I received from the MBA Team at Bath was phenomenal. They were able to put a meeting together with my line manager and the HR team to discuss the Executive MBA programme in detail. About how it would impact, not only on me, but my sector and role, and how it would touch different people and parts of the organisation. This was the evidence PepsiCo needed to invest in me.”

Investing in progression

Sophia Wilson, Supply Chain Planning Manager at PepsiCo explained the strategic thinking behind their investment: “This was a significant outlay for the business, even for one the size of PepsiCo. We have a budget for employee development but it doesn’t often stretch to a full MBA so the decision to invest in Thiago wasn’t without obstacles. Thiago presented a solid business case but he also demonstrated drive and ambition.”

Thiago started the two-year, part-time Executive MBA programme at Bath in 2021 with the support and financial backing of PepsiCo. He is due to graduate later this academic year. “It’s been a long journey for me, and quite an emotional one, but it’s been a fantastic experience,” he says.

As well as working with senior executives from across the spectrum of public and private sector organisations, Thiago has learned about current business issues, corporate strategies and complex management situations, hearing from experts in their field and working on real projects. This approach has allowed Thiago to bring a breadth of knowledge and understanding back into his organisation, putting theory into practice and delivering real solutions to the business.

A collaboration that delivers outcomes

Sophia recognises the significant impact the programme has had on Thiago, commenting: “I have already seen the change in Thiago since starting his MBA at Bath. His critical thinking skills have developed and he’s coming to us with new ideas and working on different projects. Thiago has really embraced a new leadership role, providing extra training to team members and sharing what he has learned at Bath.”

“Thiago has grown in confidence and is reaching out to different stakeholders across the business. This experience has been massively positive for him and us.” 

If you’re an organisation interested in exploring the impacts of an MBA leadership development programme, or an individual who would like to discuss your ambitions for an MBA, contact Becky Gallagher, Head of Admissions & Recruitment, at mbaapps@bath.ac.uk or arrange to visit us on campus. We’re here to help.

The post Investing in Leadership Talent: Using an MBA to Break the Career Ceiling appeared first on The European Business Review.

Corporate responsibility and sustainability have become key factors in today’s global business world. As society has become more aware of the environmental impact of business practices, companies have been forced to adapt to changing expectations and market demands.

Sustainable business practices, such as reducing carbon emissions, conserving natural resources, and promoting social responsibility, have become increasingly important considerations for companies seeking to maintain a competitive edge. As a result, more and more companies are embracing ESG (environmental, social, and governance) principles to guide their decision-making.

The role of business leaders in driving positive change has never been more important, and pursuing an MBA can be a key step towards developing the skills and knowledge needed to make a real difference in the world.

An MBA with impact

Professor Andrew Crane is the Director of the Centre for Business, Organisations, and Society at the University of Bath School of Management. He also leads the delivery of Responsible Business on the Bath Executive MBA programme, helping professionals to develop the skills and knowledge needed to navigate sustainability challenges.

“There are so many challenges facing the world with everything from climate change and inequality to biodiversity. Business has a role in contributing to those problems, but also for solving them,” he explains.

“Contradiction in organisational priorities can be difficult for business leaders. The MBA programme can be a powerful tool to empower and liberate them to do something positive and be the changemakers in their organisations,” he adds.

The Bath MBA programmes are designed to provide students not only with an awareness of ESG issues within business, but also to equip them with the practical skills needed to tackle them. Teaching is underpinned by a deep focus on embedding sustainability and responsibility throughout both teaching and research.

“Students leave Bath, not only with a passion to enact change, but with the tools needed to effectively execute positive change throughout the duration of their management careers,” he continues.

“We try to instil the conversation of social responsibility and concern for social impact across the breadth of business, from finance and marketing to operations and HR practices. We tackle the challenges in these areas and then empower students to bring this conversation into their organisations and to have the right literacy to do so. They have the language but now they also the skills and knowledge to become as close as possible to an expert.”

Professor Crane adds: “We want our graduates to be leading employers who know how to achieve impact in their communities.”

Testimony to the School of Management’s commitment to ESG, the university was named as a top 10 global business school in the Corporate Knights MBA rankings, delivering one of the world’s most sustainable MBA programs and demonstrating a growing commitment to infuse sustainability throughout.

“The Corporate Knights ranking focuses on the sustainability credentials of the school and how they incorporate sustainability into their teaching and research,” explains Professor Crane.

“We have consistently been in the top 10 for a number of years and that’s a testament to the deep embedding of sustainability into the School of Management.”

Creating positive change for the future

Bath MBA graduate, Peter Davies, embarked on an internship with Good Energy during his MBA with University of Bath School of Management, enabling him to develop his expertise within the sustainability industry. The opportunity saw him secure a full-time position with the company working within corporate development.

Being new to the sustainability sector, Peter explains that it’s good to know that the work he is doing positively contributes to society. 

“Whether you’re looking to work within the sector of sustainability or not, sustainability is important in all aspects of management,” he says.

“Sustainability is driven by responsible leaders. Teams that really value sustainability can create and implement change that can lead a company to make amazing differences and impacts on the world.”

MBA programmes play a critical role in preparing students for tackling the sustainability challenges that they might encounter throughout their career, and teaching them to think critically about the wider impact of the work that they do.

Executive MBA student at the University of Bath, Laurent Perge, is working alongside his MBA studies to engage and support local businesses through the SET Squared programme, an initiative that works with the University of Bath to support businesses and help them grow sustainably.

“I have embraced a career in sustainability and to be able to make good changes for the people of the planet,” he says.

“The EMBA programme has helped me to reflect on my career and my leadership style. I have much more awareness about business, but also about how I lead people and how I apply the principles of good leadership to my role.”

Sustainability is good for business

A report by the United Nations Global Compact states: “More must be done by businesses globally to accelerate corporate sustainability and responsible business practice.” (UN Global Compact Strategy, 2021)

The statistics are overwhelmingly convincing too. Deloitte report that 49% of companies are developing new climate-friendly products or services; 44% are relocating or updating facilities to make them more resistant to climate impacts and an incredible 37% of companies are linking senior leader’s compensation to environmental sustainability performance.

Companies that prioritise sustainability and corporate responsibility are not only doing their part for the planet and society, but also improving their financial performance, operational stability and reputation.

There has never been a better time to pursue an MBA programme that brings these issues into sharper focus and equips leaders with the skills and knowledge to face the challenges ahead. The Bath MBA is a great place to start your journey towards becoming a leader who can make positive impacts and amazing differences in the world.

If you’re interested in finding out more about The Bath MBA, contact Becky Gallagher, Head of Admissions & Recruitment, at mbaapps@bath.ac.uk

The post The Power of Sustainability and the MBA Effect: How MBAs are Changing the World appeared first on The European Business Review.

Consequently, organizations are constantly looking for competent business professionals skilled in tackling ongoing changes and flexible enough to help the organization with smooth transitions. For example, during an economic depression, when the unemployment rate is at its peak, organizations need to keep afloat. That is when they need such energetic personnel with keen business sense to help pull the organization from a slump.

One of the many skills and attributes such companies seek is qualification. An MBA is among the current decade’s most popular and in-demand qualifications. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects business management occupations to grow by 8% each year until 2031 in the US. It is higher than the average of all the other occupations in the country, with an estimated 883,900 new job openings each year during the period. Moreover, about 1.1 million new job openings will appear as a need to replace the retiring workforce.

Let us look at what other benefits earning an MBA can bring to your career.

1. It Expands Your Career Horizon

An MBA expands your career’s avenues by enabling you to work in small to medium-sized enterprises, multinational corporations, and the government sector. During your program, you get specialized insights into different business functions, from accounting and finance to sales, marketing, supply chain, and logistics.

You can learn about the role of supply chain management in the private and government sector by specializing in supply chain management. With this degree, you can work for the internal agencies of the federal government responsible for contracting with external agencies to communicate, procure and work with logistics and vendor management companies.

It can give your career a significant boost considering that you will collaborate with a network of suppliers, distributors, and logistical and freight companies.

2. Acquire Leadership and Management Skills

An MBA is necessary if you aspire to hold managerial or leadership positions. It equips you with people management skills, resource allocation, heading teams, designing and running programs, project management, communication and presentation skills, and stress management.

At the same time, you will be responsible for keeping your team motivated and inspired to work towards a shared goal. The more you demonstrate your leadership and effective management skills, the more likely you are to hold senior positions. Because only some people possess leadership traits, you will be entrusted with senior-level positions and responsibilities if you highlight your abilities. It will make you an asset in the company you work for and, thus, boost your career.

People with good management and leadership skills quickly gain a good reputation in the market. It will make you more employable with chances of getting a higher salary and benefits.

3. You Get Exposure

During your MBA program, you will come across industry leaders, business professionals, and HR companies hunting for the right candidates for their companies. Job fairs and career events are the best places to introduce yourself to the people who work in the company where you aspire to work. It will give you exposure and networking opportunities.

This is where your presentation and networking skills learned during your program will come into play. You can make the right impression in front of the people you want to work with. You may even land an internship or enter a fellowship program offered by the company.

MBA programs often make internships mandatory to get industry experience before you land full-time employment. It puts you in the spotlight and gives you an idea of what career you want to build.

It is better to build relationships with multiple companies rather than just one. Keep your options open and learn about the career opportunities as much as possible. It will prepare you well for the job market.

4. Chance to Become an Entrepreneur

An MBA can be extremely beneficial if you plan to become an entrepreneur. Alternatively, if you already own a business, an MBA will equip you with the most in-demand entrepreneurial skills and the latest tools and techniques you can use to conquer the business world.

The more you learn about running a successful business during your program, the more creative ideas and expansion plans you will get. Moreover, you will learn about the different financing options for your business and leverage your networks during the program to hunt for investors.

MBA programs with a concentration in entrepreneurship let you present your business ideas and plans to potential investors during entrepreneurship events. You can take full advantage of the event and be as creative as possible to sell your idea.

5. Increase Your Earning Potential

You can expect to earn higher salaries when you graduate with an MBA. The degree is highly versatile and in demand in the business world. The annual median wage of an MBA graduate in the US is $102,450, higher than the national average wage of $45,760 for all the other occupations, as per the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

If you graduate with an MBA in finance, your earning potential will increase since sound financial decisions are a main component of business profitability. Similarly, working as an investment manager or holding chief executive positions in an organization will pay even more. Your earnings will drastically increase with years of experience and higher qualifications.

Moreover, the banking sector, governmental organizations, and multinational corporations pay their MBA graduates from well-reputed universities well. Therefore, you can ensure job security no matter which sector you join with an MBA degree.

Conclusion

Earning an MBA degree will open several doors for you, significantly boosting your career. During your program, you learn the skills required to get ahead in the job market. Moreover, you get the required exposure and build networks to leverage your way up the hierarchy.

An MBA makes you an asset and places you ahead of the curve when securing senior positions in any sector, offering you job security and higher salaries.

The post 5 Ways an MBA can give Your Career a Boost appeared first on The European Business Review.

The “bottom line” is a long-standing measure of a business’s success (or otherwise) in financial terms. But is it now time to revise that concept to take into account companies’ responsibilities to society? Should we be thinking about not one “bottom line”, but three? Mickael Naulleau of the Audencia business school explains the philosophy that underlies their Chief Value Officer Executive MBA programme.

Good day to you, Mr Naulleau. Thank you so much for sharing your time with us. First, can you tell us a bit about yourself? You have a PhD in organisational behaviour studies. How does your specialisation and expertise in this field help you in leading Audencia’s MBA & DBA community?

Thanks for the invitation. In a few words, I’ve been working for Audencia for 10 years now, after a professional career in an HR Consulting firm. I’m also currently the Director of our MBA & DBA Community, which consists of 15 programmes located on three continents (Europe, Asia and Africa), with over 400 participants and more than 800 alumni. I think that my professional and academic background in management and organisational behaviour (OB) helps me in understanding what every manager experiences: facing the complexity of our contemporary world of work in a global context. The MBA & DBA Community is like a privileged field of practical implementation for OB studies.

For instance, beyond the international community of students and participants, alumni and professors we manage, I can experience what we mean by cross-cultural and remote management with different nationalities in the management team (Chinese, French, Algerian, Senegalese, Moroccan, etc.). I can feel how important it is to define a common vision to mobilise people with different views, opinions and ways of working. By being able to keep an open mind, not only do you learn about yourself, but you also learn about the power of collective intelligence! Day after day, I’m really amazed by the human richness of our team, which is at the heart of our motivation at work and the main driver for our common sense of belonging to one community. It’s what we try to nurture with our MBA & DBA Community as a multicultural and multi-generational learning experience.

Audencia’s full-time MBA programme has recently been recognised as one of the best worldwide, and ranks sixth among the best French MBA programmes. As Audencia embarks on revolutionising the higher-education landscape through its ECOS 2025, can you share with us how this will set Audencia and its programmes apart from other business schools? What is the inspiration behind ECOS 2025?

Yes, indeed, we are very proud of the recognition of our full-time MBA programme as one of the best in the world. In fact, this programme was redesigned a few years ago as a “Responsible Management” programme, particularly in line with the school’s expertise in corporate social responsibility (CSR), which was established very early on, over 10 years ago. However, at that time, the market was not entirely ready. We therefore had to rename it in a more generic way under the name “full-time MBA”. However, we did not give up on the substance by keeping the “in responsible management” DNA in the whole curriculum (which, by the way, is always mentioned by applicants wishing to join us). For example, for more than five years, in partnership with WWF, our participants have had an induction week on “Responsible and sustainable business: understanding the challenges”. The objective was to look at responsible management and the broader context of CSR from different angles, in order to understand what it involves, why it matters to companies and their business leaders, and how it can be implemented. A central aspect is to understand why businesses are increasingly held accountable for their impacts beyond the immediate economic sphere and creating shareholder value and, in addition, are expected by a range of various stakeholders to take responsibility for their wider societal and environmental influences. This issue of sustainability is not only an element that runs through all of the programme’s courses (for example, the green supply chain) but also forms the core of dedicated specialisation modules. We have even gone further by recently introducing a certificate entitled “Maximizing Global Performance” into the programme, in partnership with Boston University (United States) and Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico) to give our participants a global vision of these issues.

Thus, the MBA & DBA Community, in its programme philosophy and its circular mode of management involving every stakeholder (students, alumni, faculty, companies, etc.) in the entire learning process, represents only one incarnation of what Audencia is in comparison to other business schools. The ECOS 2025 strategic plan expresses the school’s ambition to go even further in its DNA, which is to contribute to accelerating the virtuous transformation of individuals, organisations and society in the face of current and future challenges. This is embodied in the deep conviction that this requires the collective intelligence of women and men united to act for the common good in the awareness of belonging to the same community of destiny on a global scale. More specifically, this leads the school to a commitment in terms of the impact on three major challenges through its activities (teaching, research, innovation, etc.): the creation and use of responsible technologies and information; the definition and adoption of managerial approaches that promote inclusive organisations and societies; and the design and implementation of sustainable business and development models. This involves, for example, reinventing performance measurement for organisations (as the Chief Value Officer MBA programme is preparing to do), but also developing an enhanced hybrid of skills for our participants (and deployed around societal, behavioural and professional skills) to enable them and their organisations to face current challenges.

Audencia is also known for offering the first worldwide Chief Value Officer Executive MBA programme. Where did the motivation to create the CVO programme come from, and what are its unique features and highlights?

The programme Director, Delphine Gibassier, has been in the field for 12 years and, very early on, she noticed that people were building standards and tools, but forgetting about the need to participate in the transformation of the human capital, the ones using those new tools. She interviewed “sustainability CFOs” in 2016 and wrote the first-ever report (published by the Institute of Management Accountants in 2018) that portrayed the change-makers of the accounting profession. CFOs and their teams have been increasingly challenged to dedicate time to sustainability, notably through the integrated reporting movement (2013) and now the TCFD standard (2017). More recently, the move by the IFRS Foundation and by EFRAG in the European Union to write sustainability reporting standards is demonstrating that sustainability is clearly now at the centre of attention of the accounting profession.

Once the province of research and development or corporate sustainability departments, sustainable management has gradually become part of the concerns of financial professionals. The increasing non-financial risks, such as climate change, and urgent pressure from not only investors but also green and ethical services and products markets, enhance financial managers’ interest in social and environmental matters. These leaders need to have new competencies, including developing natural capital profit and loss accounts, identifying the cost of key externalities, and understanding the value that their organisation creates and destroys.

Thanks to this programme, future chief value officers will be equipped with a transformative accounting model that is future-oriented and underlines the changes in business model that are necessary for the long term. Furthermore, this accounting model will be context-based and will put CVOs in the driver’s seat with a new compass: Kate Raworth’s ‘doughnut’, a visual framework for sustainable development combining the concept of planetary boundaries with the complementary concept of social boundaries. Using this compass, CVOs will understand when their business model results in negative impacts on society and/or the environment. It will equip them to make the necessary shifts towards long-term strategic value creation.

CVOs will have a more dynamic and expansive mandate than CFOs. They will connect the business model to all relevant capitals and identify key value drivers within the organisation. They will incorporate the capitals into control (planning, forecasting), risk management and wider decision-making processes. CVOs will drive the culture of business sustainability by articulating and embodying the organisation’s purpose and values. They will encourage integrated thinking by measuring and tracking performance around multi-capital value creation, and enable the corporate mindset to evolve to long-term thinking.

In your opinion, what do you think are the particular facets of the Chief Value Officer Executive MBA programme curriculum that constitute the most valuable tools for your participants? What are the challenges and gaps to be filled, given the current pandemic situation?

COVID has shown us that focusing on financial information will not be sustainable over the long term; companies cannot continue to focus only on financial capital in a world where resources are running out. Thinking around this longer term and creating value for multiple beneficiaries is challenging leaders’ thinking. In this context, finance professionals are game-changers; hence the need to redefine the role of CFOs as chief value officers. The objective of the programme is to shift how management thinks, as well as the way the finance function works – from measuring a single capital to multiple capitals.

The executive MBA programme’s unique tools are the combination of sustainability, measurement and leadership skills. We are not just integrating sustainability into accounting, we are strategising accounting for sustainability to make the numbers key to decision-making processes, to boards, and to the transitioning from today’s business models to tomorrow’s business models.

The global consultancy McKinsey & Company predicts that “2021 will be the year of transition”. What do you think good leadership should look like in the post-pandemic world? What role does a chief value officer play in leading industries through this big transition to the new reality?

Whatever the new normal looks like once nations have battled their way through the coronavirus, the recent rhetoric around green finance suggests that, both internally and externally, the value of sustainability to a business is set to grow. Financial information and financial returns as the primary measure of success are markers of the old paradigm, where short-termism plagued the mindset of the capital markets. The world is shifting to multi-capital value creation accounting, where an organisation has to take into consideration capitals such as people and the environment. In this new context, the mindset of boards will need to change, and CFOs will play a critical role in bringing the necessary shift inside organisations. Becoming a chief value officer is a real choice for the future. It will be the missing link between companies and ecological and social transition.

Future CVOs need to have new competencies, including developing natural-capital profit and loss accounts, identifying the cost of key externalities, and understanding the value created through intangibles. They will need to use a mixture of measures and indicators that are financial, non-financial and pre-financial. Consequently, tools that are currently being designed – such as new scorecards, capital expenditure tools, and internal carbon markets – are rapidly becoming multi-dimensional and include various types of metrics, which themselves need to be put into the context of external trends, business models, sectoral shifts and stakeholders’ demands. This multiplicity of formats is a challenge. All those values need to be tracked and connected, which requires a multidisciplinary mindset.

The Chief Value Officer Executive MBA programme is geared towards learning and developing the skills needed for a “multi-capital” world. Can you elaborate on what exactly a multi-capital world is? How does someone prepare for it?

Multi-capital accounting does not have a clear and precise definition today. It is multi-performance accounting; in other words, it takes into account environmental performance and social performance, which are then as important as financial performance. Generally, multi-capital accounting models aim to determine the impact on society and the environment of the financial value created or destroyed by a company.

Financial capital is no longer the only capital that companies seek to maintain and develop. The origin of so-called “multi-capital” accounting is associated with the introduction of the term “triple bottom line” by the author and entrepreneur John Elkington in 1997. In line with the three pillars of sustainable development of the 1987 Bruntland Report, he proposes to indicate the global performance of the company around three themes: the human or social (“people”), the environment (“planet”) and the economic (“profit”).

It is then a question of evaluating the value created or destroyed by the company via its activities around these three themes. It should be noted that the economic part is not limited to financial performance, but is evaluated in terms of economic contribution to society.

Finance and accounting experts hence need specific hybridised competencies between finance and sustainability in order to answer today’s challenges. Modifications to the training of financial professionals are necessary in order to prepare accountants and auditors for tomorrow’s world, so they will be able to support and lead their company in this world, too.

The coronavirus crisis poses extraordinary challenges for leaders in today’s institutions, so that achieving a resilient and sustainable business model has never been more important. In what ways does the CVO help break down silos and contribute to an organisation’s long-term value creation?

The shift towards multi-capital CFOs or CVOs is a good thing for responsible business; it gives them the data to do the right things and take good management decisions. It also builds the conversation internally and helps to inform the board concerning the risks and opportunities. The real need is for transformative accounting that does not look to the past, but tries to predict the future, and outlines changes to the business model and new types of products.   

This new accounting requires communication and deep knowledge of their own organisations for CFOs, but also of stakeholders’ expectations, whether internal or external. These insights will inform analysis of business models, dependencies and impacts, risks and opportunities. The CFO’s mindset will need to shift to one of comprehensive value creation and protection. Looking at performance through a multi-capital lens will provide a 360-degree view of the organisation.

In a nutshell, the CVO positions him- or herself as a key player in the organisation, and acquires the capacity to measure and communicate the value creation process of the organisation, to understand and anticipate the financial, environmental and social implications of its decisions. In this way, the CVO becomes a change navigator by supporting the evolution of their company’s business model, thanks to an integrated and multi-capital vision.

How do you see the role of CVO fitting in and evolving in the modern business world? In what ways does the role resemble, or differ from, that of chief financial officer?

As a business partner and an expert in sustainable accounting, the chief value officer  integrates all the value creation of the company with a multi-capital vision. He plays a key role in the strategic success of all organisations thinking with a long-term perspective. CVOs have a traditional accountant’s background but much more of their focus is on sustainability and the implications for finance. They no longer just have financial capital in mind; they have a 360-degree view and look through the lens of a multi-capital approach.

What will future participants in the Chief Value Officer Executive MBA programme be most interested in learning from it, in order to prepare them for this new world?

The programme aims to enhance financial specialists’ ability in measurement and communication with regard to the value creation of their company. They will develop technical as well as management skills, making them visionary experts in sustainability and change-makers. They will acquire a strategic way of thinking to become actors in multi-capital accounting, practising responsible leadership through four learning perspectives. 

The first of these is being a sustainable development expert and a business partner, in order to understand and integrate planetary boundaries and sustainable development goals. Next comes acquiring a capacity for strategic thinking and looking towards the future, in order to understand and master the effects of technology on multi-capital accountancy and have an international, strategic and political vision of multi-capital accountancy methods. The third learning perspective is that of being a key contributor to business strategy, in order to value, control, report and audit strategic capital. The last is being an architect of, and a force for, change, to accompany the ecological and social transition of business models.

If there are any institutions whose business model should take into account the possibility of a pandemic, they are universities. How did Audencia adapt to the changes and prepare for the future? What opportunities do you foresee for business schools in the post-COVID world?

Audencia has always been a school on the move and attentive to changes in its environment. For example, we have been working for several years on the digitalisation of our teaching in light of the new forms of training consumption that appeared well before the COVID crisis. Because our teams were already acculturated to these new practices, but also because Audencia remains an international school on a human scale, we were able to react and adapt in real time to what the situation dictated at the time: organising all of our courses online. In my opinion, this is one of the school’s strengths; thanks to the human richness that makes up the school and a growing culture of learning organisation, we are able to respond to the agility that the new environmental conditions now require. This also allowed us to see how fundamental the human proximity of the students to the school was, even at a distance! For example, in the midst of the pandemic crisis, the increase in the number of individual meetings that the FT MBA Programme Management organised with applicants before they started their studies helped to strengthen the human link and their attachment to their future programme and to the school. This also allowed us to confirm the need to reinforce our support beyond the academic aspects of our future participants, particularly international ones, and led, for example, to the creation of the “Bee Well” support to give our students the opportunity to discuss their daily lives, well-being and health.

In short, the new post-COVID conditions offer a real opportunity for business schools like Audencia to reinvent themselves in their own management practices, in their teaching and pedagogy, and in the way they rethink the “student experience” on and off campus. This is exactly what Audencia wants to do within the framework of the ECOS 2025 strategic plan, with, for example, the creation of Gaïa, a new school for ecological and social transition, which will be entirely dedicated to training in positive-impact management strategies and practices for all of our initial and executive education participants. This crisis opens up a future of opportunities that represents a formidable “playground” for research to study and identify the changes in the economic and social environment. Audencia will pursue this in the future, around the three challenges it has set itself in its strategic plan.

When you consider businesses and leaders who survived the pandemic, and those who didn’t, can you see any particular differences in education between the two categories? In other words, what does a “crisis-proof” education look like?

The only certainty is uncertainty, as the COVID-19 situation reminds us. Still, I do not believe in a “crisis-proof” education but rather in an education that integrates this new norm, which is “uncertainty”. In other words, it is not really a question of adapting to crises but rather a question of adapting to the uncertainty that times of crisis remind us of. The question is, therefore, to propose a model of education that prepares individuals to face this uncertainty, that is to say, to understand it in all its complexities, to face the emotional and psychological experience that it can induce, and to know how to act with agility and discernment in an interdependent world in motion. 

For a successful person like yourself, what do you think are the top qualities that leaders should have? What tips can you share for managers to lead their organisations successfully through crises and unprecedented changes?

I do believe that the managers and leaders of contemporary organisations who will succeed will be those able to open and develop a new mindset that enables them to understand the complexity of the new unstable and unpredictable environment we live in, and to interact respectfully with their ecosystem (people, planet, etc.). Again, the new reality is complex, with new and interdependent trends impacting people and organisations deeply. Misunderstanding this will lead leaders to face huge difficulties and to be unable to make appropriate decisions for themselves and organisations. And this also requires them to be themselves in a genuine and sensitive way, in order to provide meaning at work for people who consider that “work” has a new status in their lives. The managerial equation is not so easy to find in that changing environment. 

This article was originally published on 11 July 2021.

Executive profile

After working for 10 years as HR manager in a consulting company, Mickaël Naulleau joined Audencia as Professor in Management and HRM. Today, he is also the director of the MBA & DBA Community at Audencia which consists of 15 programmes located on 3 continents (Europe, Asia and Africa).

The post Chief Value Officer: Training to navigate the future with the MBA & DBA Community of Audencia appeared first on The European Business Review.

At ESMT we cannot teach modern digital business without using these modern digital techniques, something that makes the Global Online MBA a properly global experience as well as incredibly relevant to your everyday working life. But it would be simplistic just to leave our teaching in the virtual environment, while the internet opens doors, face-to-face interaction often seals the deal.

Today, more students than ever are keen to combine the flexibility of remote learning with the networking elements of the on-campus experience, and the new curriculum of the Global Online MBA has folded this face-to-face opportunity into our teaching.  

ESMT Berlin’s Global MBA enables professionals from all over the world to access innovative learning tools and draw knowledge from leading minds without leaving their home office.  

And, alongside the flexibility to study anywhere in the world, lies the opportunity to draw first-hand experience at the heart of one of Europe’s most exciting business hubs. 

What is the Berlin Experience Week?

An optional elective of the Global Online MBA, the Berlin Experience Week allows students to come to Berlin to meet their fellow classmates and professors, network in person and take advantage of lectures and company visits in the German capital.  

The optional, for-credit, elective module, engages students in highly interactive sessions focused on key developments in the German and global economy with a particular emphasis on Industry 4.0, Germany’s Hidden Champions, and the Berlin startup scene. 

For Rebecca Loades, ESMT’s Director of MBA programs, the in-person module is a unique opportunity for those interested in learning more about Berlin, arguably the largest start-up economy in Europe.  

“During the Berlin Experience Week we welcome you here at ESMT Berlin, we talk about doing business in Germany, take you out visit some companies to really get a sense of what doing business in Germany is like”, she explains.  

The week comprises a mixture of academic sessions, off site company visits, team-building events, and a lively social program to help build on the virtual relationships developed over the previous modules. 

The cost of participation as well as all other academic provision is included in the program fee, and all students must have completed Module 0 and at least two other core modules to be eligible to take part in the course, which runs on multiple occasions throughout the year. 

What do students say about the Experience Week? 

The first Berlin Experience Week took place from 11-17 July 2022, in what Canadian student Patrick Gall found to be an invaluable extension of his studies.  

“It’s a great opportunity for networking with students and other professionals at ESMT,” says Gall, a student network facilitator at the University of British Colombia. “Networking is crucial in business and it’s incredibly important if you want to progress.  

“Being able to connect with individuals that might be potential future partners is very beneficial and having that face-to-face connection really solidifies a strong relationship that can then be taken to the online world.” 

For fellow student Justina Geneviciute, from Lithuania, the experience has ignited a passion for German business.

“Berlin is a startup hub for Europe, so it gave me a lot of energy and a lot of inspiration,” she says. “It’s such a cool city and it was an opportunity to see if I could launch my own startup here.”  

As well at Berlin start-ups, Geneviciute and her classmates studied Industry 4.0, which focuses on smart automation and interconnectivity, and Germany’s Hidden Champions, which are highly successful privately owned companies whose names are practically unknown, even in Germany. 

“The experience has equipped me with data analytics skills, economics skills and knowledge of learning theories,” she says. “It was a lot of new information and I hope I can apply it in the future.” 

For Geneviciute’s classmate Ayaka Nogaku, from Japan, the Berlin Experience Week was a stepping stone to her new job in Germany, which she started in October. 

“The Global Online MBA helped me to be more confident working in an international environment,” she says.  

“We explored the beautiful city, we learned a lot about Germany and we’ve learned skills that we can apply to our work.” 

For Nogaku, who started the course while working in Tokyo, meeting her peers was a particular highlight, after studying together online for ten months. 

“Because it’s an online MBA, I thought I would feel more alone, but really we’re like a global family and finally we were able to meet,” she says. “It really felt like we’d been friends for a long time.”  

Klaus Bernauer was able to welcome his fellow classmates having travelled one of the shorter distances to attend.  

“I feel energized after an exciting week of studies and learnings at ESMT Berlin with my colleagues from all across the globe. I really enjoyed learning new histories and exchanging experiences.  

We also had the opportunity to meet Lars-Hendrik Röller who gave us an amazing lecture about uncertainties and what challenges he faced as head of the economic and financial departments during Chancellor Angela Merkel’s term.” 

Lucy Wanjiku Mutinda spoke about the curriculm specifics she learned on the program.  

“Being an ESMT student is humbling! Leading school with top-notch faculty and a combination of high-level experts for classmates! Mind-blowing applicable methodologies on growing a hidden champion firm. SME with a niche market, specialization, and ca.70% dominance!” 

Alassane Diagne found the week very valuable at getting his creative juices flowing.  

“As a manager, an entrepreneur, and eternal learner, the Berlin Experience Week I had at ESMT Berlin with my peers of the Global Online MBA was definitely one of the most inspiring times of my career so far. 

I succeeded in many areas and failed in so many others. But the only constant is that I always learn and get back on track or move stronger, faster, and better. 

Ideas, projects, and links are swirling around in my head, and I can’t wait to bring them to reality.” 

How do I apply?

Currently, ESMT Berlin is the only top 10 ranked European business school offering a fully online Global Online MBA. The program is designed to teach you everything that a modern decision-maker needs to be a successful leader. Technology and innovation are at the core of this highly flexible program that leads to a globally-recognized, triple-accredited ESMT Berlin MBA. 

• Earn a triple-accredited, globally-recognized, ESMT Berlin MBA degree (60 ECTS). 
• Learn everything a modern decision-maker needs to be a successful leader. 
• Highly flexible 24-month program with three intake dates (January, May or September) 
• Option to complete the program within five years. 
• Online delivery through the world’s most innovative learning platform, the Hub. 

Designed for professionals with a minimum of three years of postgraduate work experience, ESMT’s Global Online MBA is structured to expand the business knowledge of students around their current roles.  

Candidates should have an undergraduate degree or equivalent with a good level of English.  

Admissions for January and May 2023 intakes are now open. Visit degrees.esmt.berlin/gomba to start your application.  

The post Online or on Campus? Germany’s Top Business School ESMT Berlin Offers the Best of Both Worlds with its Global Online MBA appeared first on The European Business Review.

Chengwei Liu is the faculty lead of the Global Online MBA and is an associate professor of strategy and behavioural science at ESMT. Rebecca Loades is the director of ESMT’s MBA programmes. Both believe in the transformational power of education and, in this article, they share what makes the Global Online MBA unique.

Prof Liu says the motivation behind the program was to enable more students to benefit from the knowledge and expertise of ESMT’s world-class faculty so that they can have greater impact in their professional lives.

An innovative program for the innovators of the future

A part-time MBA is often taken by people who would already be busy enough without additional study demands — ambitious people ready to invest in themselves and accelerate their professional development. That’s why ESMT has structured its online MBA in a highly flexible way, where students can access the majority of the material online at a time that suits them. To add extra flexibility, the MBA can be taken over a period of up to five years.

While there are other flexible MBAs online, what makes the ESMT Berlin Global Online MBA stand out is the design of the programme.

Loades says: “We have structured the programme very differently from our competitors. Each module has been developed to address business challenges in an integrated approach.”

For example, core modules will enable students to make better decisions, to understand more about their organisation or market, and to create strategic advantage.

Since students are doing their MBA part-time while working, they can immediately apply what they’ve learned,  Loades says.

Or, as Prof Liu puts it, they “can apply whatever they learn to actual business challenges in real time.”

And students can expect more from the online programme than just watching videos. Loades says: “We’ve created an impactful learning environment. Every moment has been developed with intention, and to maximise learning.” Faculty at ESMT work closely with learning designers to optimise the learning journey and create a blend of independent study, interactive exercises, and group work.

Working in teams is an important and essential feature of the online MBA, With students coming from more than 45 different countries, teamwork takes place virtually and offers a rich and psychologically-safe environment to develop virtual communication and leadership skills.  The combination of learning about effective virtual communication and digital leadership, and applying that knowlege is powerful and very relevant to how we work today.

A unique curriculum

Aside from a unique structure, the content and curricula of the course also stand out, Prof Liu says. The professors teaching in the Global Online MBA are the same world-class faculty as teach in our other MBA programmes.  Students are therefore learning from thought leaders.

And to ensure that our courses include the latest research, they are reviewed and updated after each iteration.

To help understand the integrated approach taken by ESMT Berlin, consider the module Making Wiser Decisions Under Uncertainty. Upon completion, students will be able to apply quantitative techniques to decision making, address organisational issues that can prevent effective decision making, and holistically evaluate the implications of managerial decision making.

As Loades frames it, students are investing personally and psychologically in the program and they deserve a world-class experience.  After all, by choosing to study while working, students are choosing to reallocate time away from other things in their lives. One way ESMT ensures the investment is worthwhile is through ongoing programme development. Feedback is requested throughout the programme and used to inform improvements and updates for the following class.

An online MBA for online leadership

The pandemic accelerated the adoption of online learning. We were all forced to become comfortable with technology-mediated interactions and barriers to adoption were lowered.

“This almost overnight shift to hybrid work demonstrated that managing people and teams remotely requires a different skillset.  Students in the Global Online MBA program develop that muscle from day one.  Virtual collaboration is at the heart of the program and one of the first courses studied, Global Virtual Teams, has been designed to help students improve communication and leadership skills when interacting in mainly, or exclusively, virtual environments” – Rebecca Loades

While the MBA can be taken fully online, students can join us for Experience Weeks. This July, two-thirds of the first cohort came to Berlin, and Loades says it was as if “they had known each other for years”. To Loades and Prof Liu, it’s evidence that meaningful connections are being forged throughout the programme.

That shows in the way the students work together. While ESMT makes sure to arrange both professional and social gatherings, the students spontaneously and voluntarily do the same. For example, students support each other through voluntary tutoring sessions to help their classmates understand principles and concepts.

Diversity and accessibility as a key to a successful MBA

Diversity and accessibility are at the core of Loades’ and Liu’s approach to designing a successful online MBA in a number of ways.

Loades shares that they price the programme in an accessible way to ensure the broadest-possible inclusion. To make sure every student can join live sessions, every session is offered twice, so they cater to every time zone and no one feels left out. Besides that, ESMT Berlin has invested in online education technology, so that the insights and programmes from ESMT can be shared as widely as possible.

These efforts have resulted in a highly diverse and international learning environment with ambitious students from all around the world, stretching from Vancouver to Sydney.

And, according to Prof Liu and Loades, the diverse environment is helping students massively. As Prof Liu says: “It really excites me how diverse our students are. And it definitely benefits the programme as well as the students that people from all over the world join.” Loades adds that being exposed to the perspectives and values of different cultures is helping their students prepare for international careers as they work together and navigate the challenges global teams can expect to experience.

Corporate partnerships also allow for a diversity of nationalities and purposes. Prof Liu and Loades tell of their partnership with the BMW Foundation, which helps ESMT offer ten scholarships to displaced women from Ukraine to study for the global online MBA – upskilling that they can eventually take back to Ukraine to help rebuild the country.

Another partnership that ESMT has made to diversify its programme is with Allianz Insurance, which sponsors 10 students each year, of which seven are social entrepreneurs that get their global online MBA sponsored.

On success

Most people, if not all, starting an MBA or even thinking about starting one are people who have a high drive toward success in their professional life. So we conclude by sharing how Loades and Liu define success.

Loades says that, for her, success is “when I see our students transform through their learning and development. Because I think education is unique in its ability to genuinely transform lives. And seeing our students do that, that’s what gets me out of bed in the morning.”

Prof Liu says: “I have a very short answer. Helping others to succeed. That’s it.”

The post How to Create a Successful Global, Online MBA: The Case of ESMT Berlin’s Online MBA appeared first on The European Business Review.

Earning an MBA allows you to learn crucial business tips and skills, enabling you to explore successful business strategies. Not just that, an MBA provides you with all the vital tools and insights, helping you run your business effectively and efficiently.

While pursuing an MBA, you get various opportunities to gain knowledge and experience that most businesses might not have, helping you stand out in the market. Still unsure how pursuing an MBA can be a game-changer for your business?

Here are some practical reasons why every entrepreneur should pursue an MBA.

1. Helps establish a strong network

Are you wondering how pursuing an MBA can help you expand your network? Many people who commit to an MBA are motivated, purpose-driven, and ambitious. With such personalities, the business school becomes a powerful place of like-minded people, helping you connect with other entrepreneurs.

Moreover, a general MBA program gives you access to some of the best professors in business education and industry experts in innovation and entrepreneurship. This allows you to create a future network of partners, business associates, and collaborators.

Not just that, access to previous alums and global industry professionals also gives you a golden chance to get guidance from the best. By connecting and building relations with professionals and dependable peers during an MBA program, you will likely have a ready-made network that you can use for your benefit in the future.

In addition, building a strong network with such experts allows you to exchange mutual referrals and get invaluable advice when the entrepreneurship journey gets challenging. These relations help you get a competitive edge and likely turn into a lifejacket for your business.

2. Develops financial literacy

Do you know why most businesses fail? One of the most common reasons startups fail is business owners’ lack of financial literacy. You might have a great idea and a dedicated team, but you might not know how to maintain a budget or calculate a business’s cash flow. As a result, you need to have some financial knowledge, and that’s precisely where pursuing an MBA program can be helpful.

Opting for an MBA course provides the foundation to make smart financial decisions during the crucial first few years of operation. The MBA classes on financial management and accounting teach you how to analyze rewards and risks. Not just that, an MBA teaches you how to finance a newly established business and the best way to price your service.

In addition, you can also learn to read financial statements and reports. An MBA prepares you to create and read cash flow statements and balance sheets, offering an overview of your business’s financial position. You can also review popular case studies, helping you get vital insights into successful business tactics.

3. Enhances your communication skills

Since you’re an entrepreneur, your clients, investors, and employees look up to you to explain what you’re doing and how you expect to get things completed. Not just that, you must talk about your plans and convey them in a way that gets through to everyone related to your business, making it essential to opt for MBA.

In addition, remember that your company’s growth and prosperity lie in your abilities on how effectively you communicate with your team. 

Moreover, while pursuing an MBA, you’ll see various programs developed to enhance your communication skills. Such a course ensures that you become an effective communicator, helping you devote your resources and energies in the right direction.

4. Offers invaluable insights

The major focus of an MBA program is to offer you a thorough understanding of the corporate world, what types of industries it covers and how it operates. Some of the elements of the business you can look ahead to learn in an MBA course include:

• Management
• Marketing
• Operations
• Business Law
• Finance

Each of these fields is crucial to running a successful business. As an entrepreneur, you need to have a broad perspective of the business outside your specific department. An MBA program provides a 360-degree view, helping you make more informed, qualified, and analysis-based decisions.

5. Improves critical thinking skills

As an entrepreneur, do you need critical thinking skills to survive in today’s business world? The answer is simple, yes. Having critical thinking skills enables you to analyze information to make a judgment in a meaningful way. But how can you improve your critical thinking skills? Consider gaining an MBA, as it helps you express yourself fully. Opting for an MBA allows you to know how to break down tasks and boost your understanding ability.

Final thoughts

As an entrepreneur, you must have a diverse skill set and a thorough understanding of all business operations. But how can you do that? Consider opting for an MBA degree. Look at the practical reasons mentioned above and evaluate how an MBA course can benefit your business.

The post 5 Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Should Pursue An MBA appeared first on The European Business Review.

Having already seen significant success in her career from an early stage, Alessandra Del Centina, Principal Consultant at Vendigital, was keen to explore new opportunities to accelerate to a more senior level within her organisation and open up new challenges.

“After graduating in Management Engineering in Milan, I moved to the UK and worked on a graduate scheme supporting the different functions and departments across a business,” she says. “I realised very early on that I really enjoyed the variety of working on different projects and with different clients and so, took on a role as a Principal Consultant at managing consultants, Vendigital. It’s been a really fantastic opportunity to work across different sectors and companies, helping clients to rebuild their business models post-pandemic.”

“I’ve now come to a point in my career where I want to accelerate my success, expand my network and learn from others, surrounded by the best lecturers, support and opportunities that I can.”

Alessandra joined the Bath Executive MBA programme in 2021 with the support of her employer. “Having a background in engineering and business meant that a lot of the theoretical concepts are already known to me, but I was keen to revisit them as a professional and explore how different the experiences would be from my undergraduate studies,” she explained.

“As a management consultancy firm, we sell expertise, professionalism and skill, so the human element and the cultivation of talent is really important. I had seen colleagues grow and develop whilst they were completing their MBA so I was in a privileged position and could already see the benefits.”

Vendigital have been working with the MBA team at the University of Bath for almost 4 years. In that time, they have worked collaboratively to help identify and nurture potential candidates for the part-time Executive MBA programme, with the aim of developing talented colleagues with the right skills and knowledge to take the next step in their career ladder.

Anita Maguire, People Director at Vendigital, explained the strategic thinking behind their partnership with the University of Bath, “We were first introduced to the Bath MBA through the University’s graduate placement programme. It showed us the quality of graduates that come out of Bath and so we wanted to explore further how we could use this to develop our people, progress their careers and ultimately, deliver to our clients.”

“When thinking about succession planning, we consider how we equip our colleagues to reach their full potential and support their ambition to progress their career and move into bigger roles in the Vendigital team. We are always looking across our teams to identify motivated and passionate candidates who we think would benefit from an MBA. We quickly realised that there is a large appetite for it across our teams that was going to be of benefit to the organisation, but also to each of them as individuals.”

Anita stressed that there was more than simply good people development practice on the criteria list when looking for opportunities to develop their future leadership teams. “Have we seen a commercial benefit to our investment and partnership with Bath? Absolutely. We have seen a huge difference in every team member as they have progressed through the Bath MBA program. All of the students that we have sponsored have progressed in seniority levels.”

“Vendigital are expecting to grow by 30-40% this year alone and we see the MBA executive programme as a key enabler of developing our team and the leadership team of tomorrow. The impacts have been far-reaching, providing us with a competitive advantage and level of credibility that allows us to compete with the big consultancies.”

Alessandra recognises the impact the course has already had on her personal strategic development, and how she applies this to her role at Vendigital. “The programme teaches you not just theoretical concepts and business models, but also how to benchmark yourself against others and apply your personal learning experiences, which is absolutely fundamental in the progression and development of a person.”

“There is this fantastic, immersive learning atmosphere where it is safe to challenge one another and be really open and honest about some of the things that we can do better as professionals but also for our organisations,” she explains. “The modules and assignments encourage a strategic frame of mind and constantly challenge you to consider the bigger picture of why are we doing this and what are we trying to achieve? You can then apply this to your work and make changes that have huge impact and make you so much more effective in the workplace.”

Anita’s advice for anyone considering an MBA partnership for their employees? “If you are serious about succession planning and how best to develop your teams, do speak with the MBA recruitment team at the University of Bath. They are incredibly knowledgeable about the programme, the content, the type of individual that it would really benefit but also how to make it work for your organisation so that you get the most out of your investment.”

“We’ll absolutely continue our partnership with the MBA at Bath to help drive our business forwards.”

Visit The Bath MBA for more information or contact Becky Gallagher at mbaapps@management.bath.ac.uk

The post Driving Success Through Collaboration and Partnership appeared first on The European Business Review.

If you’ve recently graduated from university or are nearing the end of your course and want to pursue a career in business, you might be considering getting a relevant master’s degree. Whether you study for an Accounting MBA, or another type of business postgraduate qualification, you can be assured that it will be a wise step towards career success.

Why a Master’s Degree?

Almost all master’s degree courses can help to improve your career prospects in some way. Simply having a master’s degree on your CV can help you set yourself apart from other job candidates and differentiate yourself from the crowd, especially as an increasing number of people now have an undergraduate degree as standard. Lucrative business careers have more competition than ever before, and a master’s degree will help you stand out to future potential employers and demonstrate to them that you are really serious about your career goals and achieving success.

Why Business?

While a master’s degree in any subject can help to enhance your career, degrees that specialise in business are particularly worthwhile, and even necessary if you are pursuing a lucrative career as a business professional. A master’s degree in business can be very useful because these courses are so versatile; the majority of jobs these days involve working for some kind of business, and the knowledge and skills that you will develop when studying for a master’s degree in business can be very highly transferable. You will also gain a wide range of very desirable skills that come in handy in any workplace, including critical thinking, decision making, time management, communication and much more.

Choosing the Right Postgraduate Degree

If you’ve decided that a master’s degree in business is the right step for you, then the next thing you should do is get to work researching what’s available and choosing the best course and university for you and your future career goals. Master’s degrees tend to be more specialised and offer more opportunities for professional development than undergraduate courses, so consider more than just the course itself when you choose. Think about the location of the university in relation to businesses where you could get work experience, networking opportunities and more. Research the facilities, teaching staff, and where graduates tend to work afterwards and how much they earn.

University Compare is a great place to start; you can search for and compare UCAS postgraduate courses. University Compare is a handy comparison site that any student can use to find UCAS postgraduate courses, university facilities, fees, entry requirements, and much more.

Enhancing Your Career While Studying

As a postgraduate business student, you will get plenty of great opportunities to begin making valuable connections and building your network for your future careers. Desirable employers will make frequent visits to universities to meet postgraduate business students, and don’t forget that many of the students that you meet while studying for your master’s degree will be as motivated as you are and may go on to be highly successful contacts for your future. The job market these days is overcrowded with excellent graduate candidates, so studying for a business master’s degree is also an excellent opportunity for you to get involved with a range of extra-curricular activities like travel, sports, volunteering or even starting your own business, to add character to your CV and help you stand out to future employers.

Career Options

If you want to study for a master’s degree and aren’t exactly sure of the career that you’d like to pursue in the future, the good news is that there are plenty of different options to choose from. Once you graduate with a master’s degree in business, you will have a diverse range of opportunities to choose from in a variety of industries. And since master’s degrees in business are so versatile, it’s easy for graduates to change careers years down the line too. Some popular career options for business master’s degree graduates include:

• Business Development Manager: As a business development manager, your job will be to come up with and manage future business plans of a company. You will need to develop and maintain positive professional relationships with partners, suppliers and clients. You’ll need a solid understanding of how the company works, be able to see the bigger picture, and a good combination of business intelligence and communication skills. If you’re a highly motivated self-starter who likes the idea of leading a team, this could be the career for you.
• SEO Specialist: If you are interested in the idea of marketing, particularly digital marketing, you may want to consider pursuing a career in search engine optimisation (SEO). SEO specialists are increasingly needed by businesses of all sizes all over the world, and to be successful in this position you will need to have a solid grasp of technology, analytical skills, and marketing knowledge. Your main responsibility will be to successfully identify successful tactics and strategies to ensure that audience traffic to the company’s website is strong and ensure that the website ranks highly in search results.
• Data Business Analyst: If you have a keen interest in both business and technology, this could be an ideal career choice for you. Your main responsibilities as a data business analyst will include collecting and analysing data which is then used to come up with and implement solutions to problems and help with future business decision making.

If you want to continue studying as a postgraduate student and are interested in a career in business, there are many options available to you which will help enhance your future career.

The post Is Studying for a Master’s in Business a Wise Move? appeared first on The European Business Review.

Nowadays, MBA programs are flourishing. They certainly open doors to the best alumni networks, top-tier internships, and the very best management positions available on the market. The MBA is broadly considered essential for those targeting top C-level management positions. In today’s world, industries such as consumer marketing, corporate finance, and commercial banking all expect or require an MBA for promotion to more senior positions. This degree will certainly accelerate your career prospects and can set you apart from other job seekers, especially during an economic downturn. Pursuing such a degree can be a career-changing decision with numerous benefits. And getting an MS degree in business analytics is a great idea if you’re looking to specialize in this field. First and foremost, it will open the door to many opportunities like a higher salary and rapid career advancement. For example, earning an MBA allows you to take your career towards an industry like healthcare. With a finished MBA, you can earn a certificate in healthcare administration, and work in a hospital! Compared to those of other graduates, starting salaries for MBA degree holders are so high there is little point in comparing them. 

As traditional MBAs have been pursued for over a century now, with the rise of technology and the Internet, a great number of top online MBA programs have been established in many schools in recent years. Even though multiple aspects of the online and on-campus programs are similar, there are also plenty of differences between them. Students should carefully compare and contrast traditional vs online MBA programs to ensure they choose the right way of studying for themselves. The online MBA programs definitely match the rigor of their on-campus counterparts and depending on your situation, an online degree might even be the smarter choice for you. In this article, we are going to point out the top advantages and benefits of earning your Master of Business Administration online. 

Affordability

With many ambitious students rightfully concerned about tuition costs, online MBA degrees can offer great value in terms of both base cost and timeline flexibility. Broadly speaking, it’s very possible to find highly-accredited online MBA programs for as little as $5,000 to $20,000 per year. At the majority of the programs, it’s also possible to adjust how many credits you will take per semester, or how long it takes you to complete the program, based on how much you can afford to pay over time. Maybe the biggest advantage here is the possibility to continue working while you’re taking the MBA which is an undeniable financial upside.   

Flexibility 

A great part of the people who do consider taking an online MBA are balancing work and family responsibilities while they still keep an eye on their future. With most online MBA programs offering a combination of synchronous (work that you endure during an appointed class or project time) and asynchronous learning (work that you can complete at any time), online MBA schedules are meant to be highly adaptable to complex schedules. 

Students can choose between taking their courses exclusively online, or they also have the option to complete a campus-based residency or an international field study residency. If you need to care for a family member, or need to continue working full-time, getting an online MBA degree may be the perfect solution to your intricate life schedule.

Gain Access And Knowledge To Innovative Technologies

Since they deliver a high-quality curriculum straight to their students’ computers, all online programs are equipped with cutting edge business technology. Online MBA programs offer two key advantages to potential students:  

• Students build mastery of business technology 
• The course will immerse you in its language as technological fluency is essential to business success in the world we live in 

The majority of universities that offer online MBA programs are using customized online platforms which make the learning process more dynamic and interactive than ever.

Diversity 

By their very design, online MBA programs are adaptable to a wide range of backgrounds and needs, so if it’s something important to you to learn from a variety of other viewpoints – pursuing an online degree might be a perfect choice. As you already know, business is a broad umbrella. Connecting with students of different ages, career paths, and nationalities can make you consider brand new ideas or reconsider old ones.   

Global Opportunities 

As online programs have gained prestige and flourished, many programs make a priority out of attracting international students. Many of them offer international business immersion opportunities and even establish satellite universities in other countries. Since online students don’t see their classmates every day, the possibility to connect with other students, faculties, and professionals in diversified international settings could make a huge educational impact even if the experience lasts just a few weeks. 

Equal Accreditation 

If the University which offers the online MBA program has a good reputation and is properly accredited, online MBA degrees are generally equally accepted and acknowledged by employers as traditional MBA degrees. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) has now accredited hundreds of high-quality online MBA programs which clearly tell if a degree program is top-level and if it’s valued by potential hiring companies. 

Modern employers fully understand the growing popularity of non-traditional courses, and they can show that the student is strongly motivated and uses solid time management and computer skills. Employees who want to upgrade their skills and advance in their career path should check with their HR department as a lot of companies are willing to reimburse the online MBA programs of their employees.  

Who Benefits The Most From An Online MBA Course?

Online education is always a fantastic option for those who don’t live near a school and ones who have families or hold full-time jobs. Potential students with tight schedules choose to pursue an online degree so they can balance their other responsibilities. 

Other key factors that also play into the success of online MBA applicants are: students must be heavily motivated and driven; time-management skills are essential; high-level of self-discipline and ability to work independently are a must. 

Wrapping Up 

As we noted some of the most important advantages of online MBA degree programs one thing is clear, these programs are built from the ground to advance the careers of students through the development of strong business skills. With this education format, you can earn your MBA degree without making difficult sacrifices at work or at home. Upon your graduation, you’ll get the credentials to better your future and the knowledge to excel in the workforce as if you’ve completed a traditional on-campus course. 

The post The Benefits Of Online Learning: Advantages Of Online MBA Degrees appeared first on The European Business Review.

Time will tell whether history will record the Zeitgeist of our times as one of isolationism or internationalism. But one thing is certain: in today’s world, business leaders need to be comfortable collaborating across borders and cultures. Here, Professor Hervé Remaud, director of KEDGE Global Executive MBA of the KEDGE Business School outlines how the truly global ambiance of the school and its international partnerships makes an ideal training ground for executives.

Good day, Professor Hervé Remaud! We are delighted to speak with you today.  First, we would like to congratulate KEDGE Business School and the KEDGE Global Executive MBA on being globally recognised as one of the best business schools and top executive MBA programmes. How do you feel about these recognitions?

I would be lying if I said that it is not a good feeling. But this is a 2019 feeling that will be challenged in 2020, and then again in 2021, although I believe we definitely are on track …

First, such recognition is that of the value of our Exec MBA alumni in their respective jobs and in the market. In the FT EMBA survey, 55 percent of the ranking is due to the alumni, who are interviewed three years after graduation.

These results are also the fruit of collaborative teamwork towards the same ambition: making the KEDGE Executive MBA programme amongst the best in the world, in terms of the personal and professional achievement for our participants. This fully illustrates the values that our school advocates and that we wish our participants to foster: values of innovation and open-mindedness to new technologies and ways of achievement; caring values to others and themselves; and sharing values, be they knowledge, best practices or skills-sharing.

The KEDGE Global EMBA ranked thirty- ninth in the world (fifteenth in Europe, fourth in France) in the 2019 Financial Times survey, and we are collectively proud of this result, though it does not yet totally reflect the quality and value of the EMBA to our participants. There remains room for further improvement.

With ten campuses spread across three continents, KEDGE Business School is a truly international school. What do you think are the advantages of KEDGE Business School that set it apart from other business schools in Europe and globally, and what are the inimitable attributes and highlights of the KEDGE Global Executive MBA programme?

Actually, KEDGE Business School has seven permanent Campuses (four in France, two in China and one in Africa) and three associate campuses in France.

KEDGE’s campuses abroad definitely give the school an international reach in terms of faculty, students, global network and image. It also paved the way for some of the international programme partnerships, such as: the Global Executive MBA in partnership with JiaoTong University in Shanghai – China; and the recent partnership developed with Athena School of Management in Bombay, India. This international exposure and implantation overseas is related to our capacity to train executives with an international ambition and with an international background. It also enables our EMBA participants to interact both professionally and socially with participants from different cultures. Starting with the next intake, we will organise one of our core courses – Negotiation – with European- and Chinese-based cohorts all together. My objective is to motivate KEDGE cohorts to mix and network, right from the beginning of the EMBA programme. Likewise, French-based EMBA participants will visit their Chinese colleagues in 2021 for another core course in Shanghai, which is Leadership across Culture.

In the same perspective, we initiated a collaboration with two excellent universities and executive MBAs in Europe: Frankfurt School of Finance and Management in Germany, and Bocconi SDA.

Apart from this international openness for our participants and faculty members, we are enthusiastic about the attribute of flexibility that we bring to the delivery of the programme. The KEDGE Global EMBA can be taken over a period of from 20 to 48 months. The participants set their own pace and can either accelerate or slow down, according to their professional agenda. The whole team is dedicated to facilitating the participants’ journey through the EMBA.

Another attribute of the programme that we put a lot of focus on is personal development, with guidance through individual and group coaching, as well as a mentoring programme.

We work to promote participants’ self-confidence and open-mindedness through practical business cases and multi-cultural teamwork.

The KEDGE Global Executive MBA programme has a unique flexibility option that offers not only a fully transformational learning experience for the executives, but helps them to have a good work-life balance. What do you think are the particular facets of the executive education curriculum that are the most valuable tools for your participants?

We are in a business world that requires more and more adaptability from high-level professionals. At KEDGE, due to the geographical split between our campuses in France and abroad, we practise agility on a daily basis, and are in a good position to share this experience with our EMBA participants. Physical agility favours intellectual agility. As we offer schedule and geographical flexibility, there is a constant movement of participants attending the courses. Even if you are part of a specific intake, you can easily find yourself mixing with participants from earlier intakes who have delayed or anticipated courses, and happen to share yours at a point in time. This is a good way to enlarge networks and learning experience. International business seminars and international majors are also outstanding opportunities to grow both networks and the sharing of best practices. We fully understand the value of creating a cohort spirit, with some participants knowing each other very well after a few courses. But extending their networks through participation in courses delivered for previous cohorts is a real chance to get to know other EMBA participants at KEDGE.

For 14 years, KEDGE has been a key player in higher-management education in China, where high quality of education is given the utmost importance. The KEDGE Global Executive MBA is also the only French MBA recognised by the Chinese government. Can you tell us more about your experience and plans for engaging with the Chinese market?

For many people, saying that you “build a relationship over the years with your partners” is somewhat of a cliché. What our Chinese friends call “guanxi” is actually important. We may be doing fantastic things, and sometimes things that are less fantastic but, in any case, we trust each other. Trust is the key to foreseeing what the future could hold. We have been building our collaboration with Shanghai Jiao Tong University on one side, and with Renmin University on the other, with a long-term perspective in mind. Today, that positioning is rewarded with the recognition of our Global MBA by the Ministry of Education of China, and we operate (with two other French institutions) a French Chinese Institute in collaboration with Renmin University. A couple of other initiatives will be announced before the end of the year,  so stay tuned … 

Most of the executives who have successfully completed the programme describe the KEDGE Global Executive MBA as “transformative” and “entrepreneurial”, adding that it has opened more opportunities for career growth and personal improvement. Can you share a particular student’s success story or the career paths of some of your participants?

We have quite a number of examples to share. There are some entrepreneurship successes, such as Nino Sapina, who founded Realcast in 2017 after a successful career with UbiSoft. His start-up creates innovative solutions using augmented reality, and was a finalist at the Aurea awards 2020. Our graduates also either achieved positions of higher responsibility in their companies or entered new ones. I can mention Hermann Chenal, who became Head Supply Chain Director at LIM (Leather In Motion) Group, a mid-sized company with strong expertise and “savoir-faire” in leather, saddlery and tannery. He is based today in Florida, where he reorganised the entire LIM business in the US. Nadine Gouba became Purchasing and Project Director at Amaury Group, a family press group specialising in sports, and well known in France for its newspaper (and app) L’Equipe; or Dr Maximilian Hemgesberg, who became Global Head of Business Development Coatings-Adhesives-Specialties at Covestro (Germany). On a different perspective, Pierre-Jean Laine became Head of Procurement, Vehicles & Tactical Systems BL at Thales; or Max-Ariste Metadier, who took up the position of General Manager EMEA for Mercury Marine. There are many more examples, of course, of people who developed their competencies and displayed their leadership skills, reaching the next step.

KEDGE Business School houses a diverse and unique learning community and global network. What are the biggest challenges you have encountered in handling a multicultural group and addressing the varying needs of business leaders across the different industries, and how do you overcome them?

A big challenge is probably encouraging participants to be patient and open-minded with each other, especially when dealing with cultural gaps: differences in approaching business cases, or communication misunderstandings. Some participants are very sharp in the financial aspects, others in management, others have marketing and communications reflexes or international experience … but the fact is that everyone is bringing something different to the group, and there is always a period of adaption going on. A second challenge is to have them sharing these experiences and for everyone to assimilate and build on this knowledge. In the KEDGE Global EMBA programme, our aim is to refresh and update hard skills, but are very keen, too, on developing soft skills. This will ensure that participants are agile and adaptable, and able to cross-fertilise. We mix groups culturally, and forbid any use of languages other than English. The Negotiation course with Chinese and European participants is a big success in this regard.

How do you make sure that the participants and their organisations will gain the highest return on their investment in terms of knowledge acquisition, career advancement, long-term profitability for the business, and other measures of ROI for executive education?

This is a good point and let us be clear on this. KEDGE assures its EMBA participants of high-quality content and cutting-edge faculty members (all with doctoral degrees and work experience, or close to the business), offers optimal learning conditions, maximises exchanges, listens to participants’ proposals, provides opportunities to meet in France and abroad, and offers individual and group coaching. But in the end, an Executive MBA is what you make it through your personal involvement, work, posture development, open-mindedness, and your will to network.

ROI is measured not only in terms of salary increase (as demonstrated in the FT ranking), but also in terms of soft-skills development. Our last graduate survey (June 2019) shows that 84 percent of graduates developed their self-confidence, 88 percent felt an impact on their professional evolution within two years after completion of the EMBA (66 percent within a year), 80 percent developed their personal performance, and 75 percent their leadership. We’re rather proud of the fact that 97 percent of our graduates would recommend the KEDGE Global MBA to people looking for an EMBA.

Kedge Business School Paris campus

Today’s leaders need to adapt and respond quickly against the digital disruptors to generate new value for customers and to manage their workforce better. How does the Global Executive MBA programme help companies and leaders achieve their goals of creating a high-performing workforce in these fast-changing times?

To put it briefly, the KEDGE EMBA is not about making sure they become experts in blockchain, IoT, big data or Industry 4.0, etc. My job is to make sure that they understand what it’s all about, and how this can disrupt the business model of the company they work with or manage. I want to make sure that, with all the seminars and experience they gain from the EMBA, they can connect the dots between all pieces of information and assemble them as a result of their EMBA journey. Then, they can make sure to recruit, bring aboard and work with the real “technical” experts in these domains, to help them implement the strategy they come up with. It would be fantastic for many of them to be expert in everything, but somewhat impossible. However, we can help them to understand the big picture, and give them the knowledge and tools to catch the opportunities that our fast-changing environment generates.

You are also known for your research expertise on the interface between consumer behaviour, marketing research and integrated marketing. How does this help you in developing the KEDGE Global Executive MBA programme into a stronger international brand?

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to discuss the research expertise I have developed during these last 15 years. I spent five years at the University of South Australia, working at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, where empirical generalisation is the way of producing knowledge. As part of that, I analysed the real purchase behaviour of people buying wine and spirits. Although you may think this industry is far from an EMBA type of business, in fact it’s not. Part of my job is to make sure that the KEDGE EMBA brand is easy for candidates to “buy” and easy to think of when they look for an EMBA. In brief, along with various marketing and academic contents, I try to maximise the physical and mental availability of the KEDGE EMBA brand in the international EMBA market. Being well ranked by the FT is one such content, but just one of many.

As the director of KEDGE Global Executive MBA, what excites you most or what do you eagerly anticipate in terms of the programme’s present and future endeavours and partnerships with elite schools?

We look forward to welcoming more high-level foreign candidates to our programme and, to this end, I anticipate quite a few international exchanges in the context of our partnerships, which is very exciting. International partnerships are on the corner and the next few months will see the first intake of our Indian participants in Bombay, in partnership with Athena School of Management.

An exciting partnership is currently building in the form of an alliance with Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, and Bocconi SDA. I do believe in a coopetition world. But to develop efficiently, I believe that we need to partner with institutions that share similar values and similar challenges. In that perspective, alliances are a chance to have three brains and wills building the future development of our respective programmes, instead of just one. 

Based on your experience working with senior leaders and executives from different industries, what advice would you give to aspiring leaders and seasoned managers in terms of building a successful career? What do you think are the essential qualities a 21^st-century leader must have? Can you give any examples of leaders whom you consider to be inspiring?

You may be disappointed, but I don’t have in mind any leaders who are really inspiring, not because they don’t exist, but mostly because I don’t try to imitate or get into the shoes of someone who might be perceived as a successful leader. On top of that, a successful career is very personal. Long story short, I enjoy my job today because it gives me an equal opportunity to learn and a deliver knowledge… If I really have to give you a leader persona, it would be someone who accepts risk when building and developing a business.

The essential qualities of a leader today, to answer your question, would include understanding the big picture of the business environment you evolve in, anticipating and implementing the changes in your organisation that are required to survive tomorrow, demonstrate empathy for others and for society at large. 

Managing people is a different story… somewhat of a daily learning process and experience! You can be a good leader and a poor manager, and vice versa. We tend to focus a lot on managers, but having good people to work with is also important in that relationship and exercise.

Lastly, can you share with us what success means to you?

As the director of the Executive MBA, success means having the chance to congratulate EMBA participants onstage during their graduation ceremony – not because of the piece of paper with “MBA” written on it, but because of the transformational journey that they achieved. In that perspective, I would make mine this quote from Albert Einstein: “Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.” The KEDGE EMBA promotes values of innovation, sharing, diversity; it encourages participants to take risks. These values bring them out of their comfort zone, enable them to fail, and try again. This is what will make participants successful.

Thank you very much Professor Hervé. It’s a pleasure speaking with you.  

Executive Profile

Professor Hervé Remaud is the director of KEDGE Global Executive MBA and a Senior Professor of Marketing at KEDGE Business School. Following 5 years spent at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute of the University of South Australia, he took over the direction of KEDGE Wine and Spirits MBA in 2010. Herve obtained his Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Agricultural Economics and Management from Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Montpellier. He is the author of some 50 articles that are published in academic, professional journals and conferences. His area of research focuses more specifically on agrifood and wine marketing, brand perception and brand performance measure.

The post Cross-border and Cross-cultural: the KEDGE Global Executive MBA Programme has a Worldwide Reach appeared first on The European Business Review.

With seven campuses across five continents, Business School has already lived up to its goal to be THE global business school distinctively positioning itself as a centre for excellence, humanism, diversity, and innovation. One of its signature programmes, the Global Executive MBA, was established in 2014, and it has already made the top of French and international rankings through its quality and unique blended-learning framework and enhanced multicultural training.

In this enlightening interview, Director Anke Middelmann gives us a glimpse into just what makes the school’s business-educational programme so attractive to aspiring business leaders from all four corners of the globe.

Good day to you, Ms Middelmann. Thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity to speak with you. We would like to congratulate SKEMA for its 10^th anniversary this year and on the fact that the Global Executive MBA has been ranked among the 12 best Executive MBAs by Forbes. How do you feel about this achievement? What do you think are the unique features that set this programme apart from the others?

Thank you very much for the congratulations. We’re delighted with the ranking in Forbes because it’s another milestone for this relatively young programme. I think this is all due to SKEMA’s vision, and the dedication of all of the people involved in making the programme what it is today, including students, faculty and all other stakeholders that have brought us to this point so soon. I think it is also important to note that this comes in addition to the fact that we have the triple-accreditation from AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA, and we’ve just obtained a new EFMD programme accreditation for the Global Executive MBA.

What makes us so unique? I think it’s the fact that we’re truly global in our outlook. Our student body is about 91% international and our faculty has either lived and worked abroad or comes from other countries. This makes for a very vibrant atmosphere. Another unique aspect is that it’s a blended-learning programme, which means that our students, wherever they are located in the world can follow courses online, through webinars and other means. Then they meet face-to-face during the six residential weeks. Last but not least, the strength of the programme content not only enables us to give leaders tools to capitalise on but to manoeuvre and re-invent themselves in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

All these elements are important in today’s and tomorrow’s global business environments. So we have managed to recreate today’s typical professional environment and atmosphere in the programme. Our students find that this is a real strength and a major reason why they choose SKEMA.

As SKEMA’s Global Executive MBA Director, can you give us a glimpse of what your day looks like, and also can you share with us some of your favourite routines to ensure a productive day ahead?

My routine is that there is no routine! Given the international nature of the programme, with residential weeks on all of our campuses, in France, China, Brazil, the United States, and soon in South Africa, I constantly need to juggle with time zones. I can start my day with a conference call with the China campus, because they’re six to seven hours ahead, and might end it by exchanging with the Raleigh or Belo Horizonte campuses, because it’s the beginning of their day. My routine revolves very much around my ability to be adaptable and flexible. In short, it means that no day is like another, and that makes it a very exciting job. One key aspect of my job is to ensure that we, as a team, communicate as clearly and directly as possible with all our stakeholders, whether it’s about organisational matters, exchanging with faculty on course content, communicating with our campuses abroad to organise residential weeks, or our students and our business development team. 

You have an impressive and extensive professional track as a multicultural consultant of some major international organisations. Can you tell us something about your professional journey and what the transition was like when you shifted into academia?

My personal life journey is very much reflected in my professional journey. I’ve lived and studied in different countries from a fairly young age, and I’ve been in multicultural environments for most of my life. This has really heightened my curiosity about, and interest in, other cultures quite fundamentally. That set me on my multicultural career path. I’ve worked with quite a few global organisations, always with the goal of enabling people to understand the cultural differences and to overcome them to work together more effectively. Some of the organisations that I’ve worked with include, AXA, Rockwell, Siemens, DSK, business units within Airbus and Saint-Gobain.

At the same time, I taught at business schools and I found that really enriching, because I was able to take the experience from my multicultural work in companies into the classroom. It is something the students find valuable, because of course they are leaving the classroom to work for those international companies afterwards. 

The transition into academia was therefore quite smooth. In teaching multicultural management, I see the links between theory and practice at all levels, and it’s one of the things that I feel very passionate about conveying to my students. My desire is to enable individuals to become consciously competent in their international professional lives, so the opportunity to apply the practical side in an academic context is especially enriching for me. 

What do you think are the crucial aspects that need to be addressed in order to bridge the gap between academic learning and the practical needs of business leaders and industries across the globe?

They often feel like two worlds apart. Academic studies are tucked away in one corner and business is at the other end of the scale. But you can link the two quite successfully. What’s important – and this is what we achieve with the Global Executive MBA at SKEMA – is to create very vivid links between the theory and the practice. Academic learning is necessary because you need that crucial foundation; without a theory, how can you put things into practice effectively? But, at the same time, theory on its own is not complete without some form of practical context. We do this across the board, through case studies, student observations and feedback into the classroom, or hands-on business simulations.

We also achieve this through the way we teach. For example, Dr Philippe Chereau, Professor in Management Science on the Global Executive MBA and former consultant in the strategic management of innovation and business modelling, uses his experience, expertise and latest academic research to draw that bridge when he teaches on the Global Executive MBA. Students are encouraged to analyse and rethink their company’s business model through the theory of disruptive innovation to help create a rupture in their environment by developing a new innovative business model for their organisation. Students can apply the theoretical foundations in ways that enhance their critical thinking and their analytical and communication skills. We think of entrepreneurs as innovator-transformers.

SKEMA Business School impressively delivers its blended format, specialisations and flexible options for the Global Executive MBA programme across the four continents. How will this global experience enhance the executives’ or your students’ cultural competence and management skills?

Studying at SKEMA is a global experience at all levels. The student body and faculty are international, and the programme takes the students to five continents. The sheer force of this – different perspectives, different experiences – makes the programme a real multicultural laboratory, and students learn to deal with each other’s differences first-hand, both face-to-face and in the virtual classroom.

To enhance these cultural and management skills, students take a course called “Developing Global Mindset”, throughout the programme where we combine learning about culture & cultural differences as well as geopolitical and international economic issues. In this way students really get the whole spectrum of what it means to be in an international and intercultural environment.

Practically, students do a lot of their coursework in teams, both virtually and face to face during the six residential weeks. I always pay great attention to ensure that teams are made up of diverse groups of students to ensure a real balance between cultural, professional and gender diversity.

What are some of the common challenges that you observed amongst your participants or students in a multicultural environment, and how does SKEMA address the shifting market trends and the varying demands of executives from different countries and industries?

The challenges among our participants are very much the same as those faced by organisations working internationally and multiculturally. These can be language issues, as well as differences in attitudes and expectations, to name just a few. It is our responsibility to work on these issues; and we do this through our courses, team-building activities and by taking the time to listen to our participants, to understand what issues they may encounter, and to explore underlying assumptions and preferences.

In terms of shifting markets and market trends, our programme is very much aligned with SKEMA’s overall strategy, which focuses on globalisation, innovation and the knowledge economy.

For example, we have recently developed two hugely successful specialisations: entrepreneurship and innovation and project management. Both of these were developed in response to participants’ requirements to work on innovation and project management in a global context.

What are the types of organisations that would benefit mostly from the unique set-up of the Global Executive MBA, and so far what is the best feedback you have received?

While our participants come from many different professional, educational, and organisational backgrounds, they do have a few of things in common: they all want to move beyond their current professional levels. We offer them a rich learning environment that provides them with a helicopter vision of business from a strategic perspective; linked to this is are the strong leadership skills that they all need to break the ceiling they have hit in their career. In addition to formal courses and teamwork, we offer all our Global Executive MBA students access to professional coaching. They leave the programme equipped with a skill set that large and small companies need, and particularly those that operate at international level. Past participants have come, as examples, from large and medium size insurance, telecom or engineering companies. Others are start-up founders who come on the programme to develop, consolidate and validate their business model. We have seen graduates being promoted to executive level during the programme or soon after they graduate. Others have moved up to new and demanding positions in other companies or have successfully created their own businesses. Satisfaction amongst students is high and former students or alumni send us new students every year.

What do you think are the most challenging issues when addressing the different needs of your participants, and what are the different career paths of your students? Can you give us some examples?

Given the diverse nature of our cohorts, meeting needs and requirements could be very challenging. It is also very invigorating! One of the key elements for us is to provide a good learning and growth experience for all as well as to give them support, advice and individual attention, whether this is academic or personal.

To help them enhance their professional performance and impact, they work on a substantial final project called the Capstone Project, in which students develop their professional paths by linking their project to their current future professional situation. Therefore, students who want to stay within their current company are often supported by their employers, and will tend to develop practical recommendations for intractable business challenges. Students seeking a career change will focus on a final project that will give them the opportunity to really discover themselves, improve skills and define their preferences. One of our students took a leap to move from France to Australia to start a new business venture Down Under, utilising all the skills that she gained on the programme. Another has just set up his own business in his home country as a result of doing this degree. We are able to meet the individual needs and requirements of our students and we accompany them and give them support throughout their time at SKEMA. We encourage them to use this unique opportunity to develop and strengthen their academic and professional skills and knowledge.

The uncertainty and the hypercompetitive roles of today’s industries call for a leader who can create these strong and positive changes, not only for themselves but for the whole organisation as well. How does SKEMA’s Global Executive MBA help and shape the new generation of leaders, and what do you think are the important qualities of a leader of the future?

Leadership skills are something that all students feel they need. In response to that need, we’ve recently created a major new course within the programme, which we’ve called “The Leadership Lab”, a course that covers every aspects of leadership development and gives students the space to experiment with and develop their leadership qualities. This is complemented by the teaching of practical skills such as negotiation, public speaking, resilience and mindfulness. Additionally, students get access to an executive coaching package tailored to their needs and requirements. But leadership development also happens intuitively and tacitly within the programme, and students develop new insights about themselves by interacting with, and being challenged by, classmates. Passion, self-awareness, confidence and self-belief are also very important, as well as the ability to lead inclusively, collaboratively and with integrity.

By the end of the programme, students have a clearer vision of where they want to go, both as individuals and professionals.

On a lighter note, we are interested to know how you maintain a healthy work-life balance. People in the upper echelons naturally have a lot on their plate. How do you manage?

An important learning curve for me was to recognise that, while you can multitask, you can’t do everything equally well. Setting priorities is very important and I try not to spread myself too thinly.

To maintain a balanced professional and personal life, it’s extremely important to make a point of ending the work day and not being tempted to check emails at night. It is vital for any leader, and I try to practise this as much as I can myself, to spend some time on myself every day, whether that is self-reflecting, reading a good book, going for walks, or spending time with family and friends. These type of activities help me recharge my batteries.

One of the global advocacies that we have nowadays is to empower women for leadership roles across all industries. So as a female leader yourself, how do you think we can progress in such an endeavour?

This is a very pertinent issue and it has been for a while. I feel very grateful to be where I am today, because it hasn’t always been (and still is not) like this for women everywhere in the world. When I see the number of women in high positions today, in business or in government, compared with even 10-15 years ago, I feel that we’ve come quite some way towards the empowerment of women in the professional context. It is mirrored in our Global Executive MBA, where we have a very impressive and very gratifying rate of 40% female participants. Of course, having said that, much still needs to be done. I think we need to recognise that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Actions need to fit cultural circumstances; to give one example, we operate a female scholarship and we’ve noticed that it is proving highly attractive.

Lastly, what message of motivation would you like to get across to future and aspiring leaders, and what does success mean to you?

Success means something different to every one of us, and I can’t speak for everybody. For me, it means doing what I’m passionate about. And I have to say that running this international and multicultural programme with talented, highly motivated and passionate participants, and a wonderful team is exactly that, so I feel very blessed in that regard. If I were to advise or motivate any future aspiring leader (or, indeed, anyone really who’s not sure about what they want to do next), my message would be: start with yourself! Reflect on who you really are, listen to yourself and your intuition and you will identify that dream. And then, you should go for that dream, because if you’ve got the confidence and the determination, you will get there.

Thank you very much Ms Middelmann. It was a pleasure speaking with you.

Executive Profile

Anke Middelmann, Director of the highly esteemed Global Executive MBA of the SKEMA Business School, holds a Masters degree in Intercultural Communication from the University of Bedfordshire in the UK, and a Bachelors degree in European History from the University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. She also holds a coaching qualification from Coach U in the United States, and from the World Class Coaching Academy in the UK.

She is a permanent assistant professor in Multicultural Management.  Prior to working for SKEMA Business School, Anke Middelmann worked for the European Commission in both Brussels and Washington, DC, and as an independent intercultural trainer, facilitator and coach.

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