Four emlyon business school participants share their experiences with the Executive MBA program, why they enrolled, the benefits of the uniqueness of their class and the program's pedagogical content, and how they managed to balance work, studies and private life. In the end, they paint a picture of a cosmopolitan group that is nonetheless united by the same rich learning experience, which allows them to benefit from the expertise of emlyon's professors and speakers.

Interviewees:

  • Jonathan Coll (Full-time EMBA & previously Product Manager, Renault Trucks)
  • Jérôme Clain (Full-time EMBA & previously Project Manager at MBDA and Field Support Representative for Thales)
  • Laurine Debauge (Part-time EMBA and Company Manager/Project Management & Project Management Consultant, IPC2)
  • Vincent Kouman (Part-time EMBA & Plant/Pipeline Design Manager, Technip Energies)

Q. How did you manage to balance the workload of the EMBA program with your job and your personal life? Jonathan: Two words come to mind: organization and prioritization. I made a visual aid for myself with deadlines for different stages and assessments. This allowed me to better spread out the workload over time. Laurine: For me, it was important to be very open with my family, friends and colleagues, so that they could understand the reasons why I was not available. Being transparent about the major effort it required of me, and being able to talk about it, was essential to keeping my balance. Vincent: The workload requires being well organized between training, my job as well as my family obligations. It was essential for me to maintain a balance with my private life, so I always knew how to share moments with my family on a daily basis!

Q. What are the highlights of the Executive MBA program? Vincent: The network. It is an undeniable chance to meet people from all walks of life with multiple aspirations. A unique opportunity: I learned a lot from others. Laurine: It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get out of your usual network and cross certain professional boundaries. It allows us to broaden our perspectives, to open up to what teamwork really consists of and the contributions of each person, to allow us to improve even more as leaders. Jérôme: I would say that the way of teaching allows us to have access to concrete knowledge, to discover or rediscover the fundamental principles that push us to think and allow a certain perspective.

Q. To what extent is the diversity of the class an asset? Jérôme: The diversity of the class is a real asset. No two people are from the same industry or the same profession. This creates an exceptionally rich learning environment, with very instructive and enriching discussions. Jonathan: The classes are very eclectic in terms of age, gender, education, experience and personality. As such, we are confronted with diverse, interesting points of view and other ways of doing things. It is this diversity that enriches us and gives us access to a whole host of new perspectives.

Q. When you started the Executive MBA, did you have any anxiety? Laurine: I would say it was more excitement than fear. Maybe I was worried that I would lose a little motivation over time, as the part-time program is 20 months long. The stakes can be high when juggling work, school and family responsibilities all at the same time, but the classmates are very supportive. We are all in the same boat and we can count on each other. Vincent: not really, I had the deep conviction that I was going to live a real transformation thanks to this learning experience, and I can now attest that it was really the case.

Q. Why emlyon business school? What other aspects of the program would you recommend to potential applicants?

Jonathan: emlyon is a renowned business school in the region, whose international visibility is increasing thanks to its MBA program, its triple accreditation, and its involvement in many issues on the international landscape. Jérôme: Given the sector of activity towards which I wish to develop my professional future, emlyon was a natural choice to start prospecting and building a network. If I had to recommend the school to future candidates, I would insist on the quality of the teaching and the people who teach there, but also on the strong sense of social and environmental responsibility that one discovers. Vincent: Of all the Executive MBAs, I chose emlyon for its good performance in the rankings, its early maker spirit and its geographical proximity to my location, an important element that allows me to manage my personal life as well as my professional activity. Laurine: emlyon offers a coherent and solid program that allows you to develop a 360-degree view of the company and its new challenges. It also gives the mind the trigger to think innovatively, to be entrepreneurial, as well as to create sustainable value for society, which is not insignificant in an uncertain and rapidly changing world.

Interested, like Laurine, Jonathan, Jérôme and Vincent, in a learning experience rich in lessons?

Learn more about the Executive MBA