Where are they now? Thomas Boisson class of 2013
1. Why did you decide to join the Executive MBA programme at emlyon business school? What were you searching to achieve?
After a career of 15 years in project and team management in a technical environment (telecommunications), I was lacking knowledge in strategy, marketing, finance and I came to a point where it became a problem to explain corporate decisions to my teams. I also wanted to take a bigger part in the important decisions of my company, and started to be interested in gaining a more decisional position in a smaller structure. I also wanted to compare my way of managing people with other points of views too.
2. Did the program meet your expectations or did you experience things that surprised you?
Completely, the programme exceeded my expectations. From a “hard skills” point of view this was really helpful, and gave me a more global and systemic view of the way companies create value. The surprise came from the entrepreneurship spirit of EM Lyon, that led me to become an entrepreneur and create my own company, after a first intrapreneurship experience.
3. How was the programme linked with entrepreneurship and did it help you with your own entrepreneurial venture?
Thanks to entrepreneurship courses, discussions with entrepreneurs from France and from other countries and the journey in general, I understood key points of the entrepreneurial mindset. It helped me also to have a very clear view of my strength and weaknesses before starting my adventure.
4. Are you still in contact with your cohort today?
With the “big cohort”: yes . I say big cohort, because it’s not only with the people that followed the Executive MBA with me, but with also other Executive MBAs I met and people from the other programmes too. I think I have several contact with this “cohort” every week.
5. How did the programme affect your professional activities and how did your career change after?
The career changed completely, I’m now co-founder and CEO of a small but growing agency helping companies to include digital in their strategy to grow their business. The most significant thing is the pleasure I take every minute in my work, with my team, with my clients and with my partners. I really think that the MBA gave me back my strong enthusiasm to work and this is a key point from the emlyon “Early Makers” statement: I don’t only feel like I’m working to work, but also contributing at my level creating economic and social value.
6. What is some advice that you would like to give to future participants?
Enjoy !
7. Are there any other thoughts that you would like to share?
You might think it’s too difficult (too much work, too long, you’re too old to go back to school...). Just trust yourself, you’ll see you can do it, and that is maybe the first big lesson of the MBA.