Executive MBA: Diversity, Solidarity, and Hard Work

Four participants of emlyon business school’s Executive MBA share their experiences in the program, their rationale for enrolling, the benefits of the unique nature of the cohort and course content, and how they have managed to juggle their work, studies, and personal lives. Ultimately, they paint a picture of a cosmopolitan group bonded by a shared and enriching learning experience, benefitting from the expertise of emlyon’s teachers and guest speakers. Interviewees: Jonathan Coll (Full-time EMBA & former Product Owner, Renault Trucks) Jérôme Clain (Full-time EMBA & former MBDA Project Manager and Thales Field Support Representative) Laurine Debauge (Part-time EMBA & Business Owner/Project Management & Project Controls Consultant, IPC2) Vincent Kouman (Part-time EMBA & Plant Design/Piping Manager, Technip Energies) Q. How do you manage balancing the EMBA program workload with your working and personal lives? Jonathan:Two words come to mind: organization and prioritization. I built a visual support with the milestones and assessment deadlines. This way I was able to better spread out the workload over time. Laurine:An important point for me was to remain very open with my family, friends, and workmates, so people could understand the reasons for my limited availability. Transparency about this major endeavor and the ability to talk about it was key for balance. Vincent:The workload requires a good level of organization between it, my professional work, and my family duties. It is very important for me to keep the right balance with my personal life, so I manage to always dedicate some appropriate time to share with my family every day! Q. What are the main highlights of the Executive MBA program? Vincent:The network. We are lucky enough to meet people from diverse backgrounds and with different aspirations. It is unique, and I have learned a lot from others. Laurine: It is a chance in a lifetime opportunity to extract yourself from your typical professional network and cross professional borders. It helps you build broader perspectives of what teamwork and contribution really are about and it helps you become a better leader. Jérôme: I would say how the teaching provides us with concrete insights into the impacts of decision-making, and also enables us to discover or rediscover fundamental concepts that encourage reflection and a sense of perspective. Q. To what extent is the diversity of the cohort an asset? Jérôme:The diversity of the cohort is a real asset. There are no two people in the same sector, or in the same profession. This offers an exceptionally rich learning environment, making for very enriching and instructive discussions. Jonathan: The cohorts are very diverse in terms of age, gender, background, experience, and personality. In this context, we are exposed to many different and interesting points of view and ways to proceed. This diversity is enriching and provides us with a host of new perspectives. Q. Did you have any fears when you first began your Executive MBA journey? Laurine: I would say I felt more excitement than fear. Maybe one concern was to lose some motivation over the 20-months, Part-time program. It can be a long challenge when combining work, school, and family responsibilities all at once, but fellow students are a great support. We are all in the same boat and can rely on each other. Vincent: Not really, I had the conviction that I would live a very transformational learning experience, which I can confirm has been the case. Q. Why emlyon business school? What else would you recommend about the program to prospective candidates? Jonathan:emlyon is a well-known business school in the region and it is gaining visibility worldwide thanks to its MBA program, its triple accreditation, and its involvement in so many global issues. Jérôme:Given the sector in which I am looking to pursue a career, it seemed appropriate to choose this school to start prospecting and start building a network here. If I had to recommend the school to future candidates, I would insist on the quality of the teaching and the speakers, but also on the awareness of social and environmental issues. Vincent:I chose emlyon because of its good ranking among all the Executive MBAs, its early makers spirit and the proximity to home, which is very important for managing my personal life and my work. Laurine:emlyon offers a very coherent and sound program allowing you to build a complete 360-degree view of business and its new challenges. It also triggers your mind about innovative thinking, the entrepreneurial spirit and sustainable societal value creation, which is very important in a world with so many changes and uncertainties.