topmba career eguide spring 2013

Includes QS TopMBA Career Guide

SPRING/SUMMER 2013

Innovate your CV

Start early and reap rewards: targeting MBA employers

Destined for start-up success

Visa misconceptions dispelled

SPRING/SUMMER 2013

TOP MBA CAREER eGuide

www.qs.com/globalworkplace

Make your CV stand out to international reCruiters

Thinking of refreshing your CV? The new innovative CV can enhance your

appeal to discerning employers. Incorporate a video, attach projects, or case

studies. Get started by uploading an existing PDF or Word CV or import details

from your LinkedIn profile

We’ll also be bringing you tens of thousands of international jobs from the web

and you’ll have the ability to leverage your LinkedIn network by re-connecting

with companies that interest you.

more than

6 Targeting MBA employers come graduation: Start early and reap the rewardsEven for the most determined of MBAs, there is a great deal of soul searching needed before

transitioning business education to employment.

8 Past and present success at business school: QS MBA Scholarship winnersWith over US$1.2m in scholarships, many alumni have achieved their dreams with help from QS. Catch up with three previous winners.

10 Destined for start-up success: Entrepreneurial business school alumniBusiness schools excel in training the next generation of entrepreneurs. Catch up with three entrepreneurial MBA alumni.

12 MBA job availability and pay: QS TopMBA.com Jobs and Salary Trends ReportInsights and conclusions from QS’ primary research into MBA graduate career opportunities and pay.

14 Diversity MBA Article – Revisiting Your Personal BrandWhen was the last time you took a look at ‘Brand U’

16 The alternative route to business school, and beyondTestament to the emphasis upon diversity of cohort background, Rahim Fazal discovered his own, unique path to enrollment on his MBA.

18 PSW visa misconceptions dispelled: The UK, Canada, Australia and the USWhile many wish to work in the country they’ve studied in, post-study work visa opportunities can vary considerably.

21 The EMBA Hall of FameMeet Executive MBA alumni who walked the path you are considering

26 Recommended Reading...

Contents

ContentsEditors’ DeskNow in the throes of your job search, having spent either 1 or 2 years at Business School, standing out to employers is a priority and it’s not just about the GPA or which school you went to. The demand for jobs is increasing with the rise of MBA talent year on year. Employers are more discerning than ever, but what are they looking for?

“Generally we don’t look at GPAs,” says Erwin Chan, an MBA recruiter at Microsoft Seattle and a 2007 graduate of Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. “We don’t think it’s indicative of the talent we’re looking for. It’s just one data point.”

This is echoed by Deloitte Consulting. “GPA is one component that we’re looking at,” says Chris Franck, principal and national strategy and operations MBA recruiting leader for Deloitte Consulting. “A student’s ability to perform in an academic environment is important to us and our clients. It’s not an issue for us,” he says. “If we don’t have GPA, we can glean from the résumé the kind of involvement the student has on campus.”

Like most recruiters, Franck stresses that GPA is part of a bigger picture that he and his team look at when considering the employment of an MBA. They also want to see evidence of intellectual curiosity, leadership, confi dence, communication skills, professionalism, and a client-oriented mindset, he says.

High profi le MBA recruiters tend to stick mainly with on-campus recruiting. Campus recruiting leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Alissa Danaher, U.S. advisory confi rms that they tend to partner with top programs not only because they feel that they have high standards (this is not to say other programs do not) but because they have already been vetted.

Don’t throw in the towel just yet. At General Electric (GE), Chris Thomas, global recruiting director of the company’s experienced commercial leadership program looks for other proven achievements in the form of a candidate’s concentration or activities related to the business for which they’re interviewing.

What will the MBA market in 2013 look like?Dave Wilson is president and CEO of the Graduate Management Admission Council is seeing some fascinating shifts in the paths that MBAs and master’s degree graduates are pursuing after graduation. More and more graduates are eschewing the conventional positions in the private sector and increasingly are fi nding roles in not-for-profi ts entities, NGOs, charities, and the public sectors. All of these are organisations, and all require leadership and management.

Some of the world’s fastest growing economies are in the Asia-Pacifi c region. We’ve seen an increased demand for MBA new hires among fi rms in APAC - 80 per cent of companies we surveyed in the region were looking to bring on MBA talent in 2012.

Using your CV to stand out In the age of blogs and social media, it is all about personal branding. This goes the same with your resume. Branding your traditional resume with a personal touch is defi nitely a great way to make it stand out in the pile of competitors.

All resumes should tell the potential employer about your work history. Although past performance does not guarantee future success, it is a pretty accurate indicator of how well you will do. You can also showcase your experience by including projects that you’ve worked on and by doing employers will have immediate access to it.

No matter the medium, you must talk about your achievements. Employers care more about your prior achievements than your prior job duties. Your job duties may tell employers what you were required to do in your previous position(s), but it is your achievements that ultimately tell the potential employers what you have accomplished and ultimately what you are capable of. So do not be shy about your accolades, but do not overly embellish either.

All employers look for certain “buzzwords” in your resume. So be sure to mention them. You can decide the buzzwords to include in your resume by setting job alerts and reading the job description feedback to you and get an idea of what they want in an ideal candidate.

Employers love bottom-line numbers so it’s important to talk about them. It’s not good enough to mention that you saved your previous employer money as a budget analyst. You must tell them how much you saved them. These raw bottom-line numbers puts some objectivity into judging your past performance.

So as you are writing your CV/resume, it is important to pay attention to big trends. However, it is also just as important to pay attention to the fundamentals of applying for a job. Once you have the fundamentals of a resume down, then you can start thinking about getting creative with your resume.

Good luck

Meet the Team If you have any comments or feedback we’d love to hear from you

Feature writers

Thom Atkinson

Richard Macauley

Nunzio Quacquarelli

Richard Burns

Ian Lynes

Business DirectorCorporate enquiries, Media Partners and partnerships, Marketing

• Email: [email protected]

• Phone: +44 (0) 20 7284 7259

Ifi Ekong

Relationship ManagerBusiness Schools & Universities, General & Technical help

• Email ifi @qs.com

• Phone +44 (0) 20 7284 7230

Mike Holmes

Business Development Manager

Business Schools & Universities

• Email [email protected]

• Phone +44 (0) 20 7284 7232

Vlad Copaciu

Online Marketing & Marketing

Business Schools & Universities

• Email [email protected]

• Phone +44 (0) 20 7284 7224

Ian Lynes

Business DirectorCorporate enquiries, and partnerships,

•

•

Ifi Ekong

Relationship ManagerBusiness Schools General &

•

•

Mike Holmes

Business Development

Business Schools

•

•

Vlad Copaciu

Online Marketing

Business Schools

•

•

Part of the reason that the top MBA programs are the best in their game is because they ensure that their students are given every opportunity to secure their ideal post-MBA role. Here, the fundamental requirement from students is that they make themselves available for school-organized schemes, whether they be industry internships, networking events, on-campus recruitment fairs, access to specialist MBA job portals, or leveraging the contacts from business school.

Utilizing contacts made at

business school, plus those

inherited through alumni

networks, as well as their own

and those of their classmates

is the “name of the game” these

days according to Paul Lindblad,

assistant dean at the Paul Merage

School of Business, UC Irvine.

That, and nurturing the soft skills

needed to make new contacts

during brief encounters such

as those at school organized

recruiter events. “Developing your

informational interviewing and

networking skills which you will

utilize over a lifetime is part of

what you are gaining by earning

your MBA,” says Lindblad.

“What you aren’t getting is your

own personal executive search

service. Anyone who thinks this

is what business school can

provide MBA students is living in

a fantasy world, one that simply

doesn’t exist.”

Career services

All of the top business schools

have career services departments

that seek to provide their MBA

students with opportunities to

hone networking and interviewing

skills, help organize industry

internships, and place candidates

with a wide range of employers.

“We encourage our students

to thoroughly research all

employment options early on in

the course,” says Morea Josias,

careers services at the University

of Cape Town Graduate School of

Business (UCT GSB). “To do so, we

arrange sector networking early

on in the MBA – where students

can practice their networking

skills by meeting alumni who are

already working in the sectors

they are interested in.

“We then arrange a comprehensive

on campus recruitment program

later on in the year, where students

can listen to – and meet – recruiters

face-to-face to find out more about

their companies. Examples of this

are Bain, McKinsey, Google, Mr Price,

and Vantage Capital,” Josias says.

But while business schools excel

in ensuring the employability of

their students before placing them

in front of eager recruiters, they

can’t ensure that their student’s

make the right decisions for them

when the time comes.

“Ask yourself - what is the future

of this sector? What is the future

of this business? Speak to alumni

working in that company and

Targeting MBA employers come graduation: Start early and reap the rewards

Most applicants will apply to a particular business school with a clear career goal in mind. But even for the most determined of MBAs, there is a great deal of soul searching that needs to be conducted before transitioning from business education to employment.

Thom Atkinson

78 QS Top MBA Career Guide

| Editorial

find out what the career path

is like for an MBA student, the

salary structure and the whole

employment process – you want

to build as complete a picture

as possible,” says Javier Muñoz,

careers services director at IESE

Business School. “Of course this

takes additional time to your

studies, but it is truly worth it –

and this is what the careers service

is here to help you with.”

Career motivation

On a personal level, graduates

need to be realistic about their

true motivators, be they lifestyle,

security, financial gain, intellectual

challenge, or any other goal in life.

Susan Masson, associate director

of MBA career management,

McCombs School of Business at

The University of Texas, Austin

points out that: “employers are

looking for professionals who can

successfully do the technical work

required and who also fit with

the culture of the organization.”

Therefore, being honest with a

potential employer could reap

dividends, if they are indeed the

right fit.

Ian Christie, director of graduate

career services at Sauder School

of Business at the University of

British Columbia knows that

“most MBA candidates are early

in their professional career and

pursuing an MBA to take a bold

step up and make a significant

career change. With that in mind,

graduates should be looking for

roles and employers where they

can continue to learn and build a

solid foundation on their resume

post-MBA.”

Christie points out that the

foundational experience provided

on an MBA will influence a

graduates’ trajectory going

forward. Post-MBA learning can

come from a role that stretches

your abilities, where change and

growth are present, where formal

learning programs are in place and

perhaps most importantly, from

the right type of managers and

leaders.

One of the best ways to target

potential employers, Christie says,

is to really get to know the field and

players that you are purporting to

be interested in and then at a more

granular level, the company, job and

key hiring decision makers. And

that means being truly interested.

“The only way to do this is to

demonstrate it through actions and

outcomes, not words. Read what

they read. Attend what they attend.

Be an insider. Not an outsider. The

savvy hiring decision makers will

see that fire in the belly.”

MBA programs provide many

opportunities to meet employers

through career services events like

employer information sessions

and career fairs as well as through

student organizations. Students

should get to know their career

management team and resources,

get involved in clubs and activities

related to their professional

interests, and reach out to alumni

in their field.

“It is not only about doing well

in your favorite subject that

counts – demonstrating you are

enthusiastic and can work with a

range of people is important too,”

says Kate Herbert, alumni relations

at UCT GSB. “We encourage

students to interact with our

alumni – this is a great way to not

only find out about a job but also

potentially secure a job before you

even graduate. We organize alumni

breakfasts specifically to foster

these relationships.”

Keep up-to-date on MBA career news, advice, and research.

Visit TopMBA.com/careers

QS Top MBA Career Guide 79

True, very few people would turn down a free meal, and it’s the same case with scholarships. However, as you’d expect, obtaining a scholarship for an MBA program is a great deal harder than simply filling your belly on a gratis basis.

Business schools offer MBA

scholarships in order to increase

the cohort diversity of their

programs. In turn, this creates a

better, more valuable experience

for the entire class through greater

accumulative prior experience,

more varied methods of thinking,

and a wider geographical

background.

However, if you need somebody

else to help fund your time at

business school, you’ll have to

work for it. It’s not simply a case

of possessing the right passport,

gender, or prior experience. Often,

a successful MBA scholarship

applicant will have invested

almost as much time in the

scholarship application as they

have for their main application to

business school.

Each year, and in conjunction with

some of the world’s top business

schools, QS Quacquarelli Symonds

offers more than US$1.2 million

of exclusive scholarships to MBA

hopefuls in need of help to meet

the financial requirements of

business school.

Here, the QS Top MBA Career Guide

catches up with three previous QS

Scholarship winners at various

stages of their careers: current

MBA student Karan Rau; Monisha

Saran Toteja who graduated from

business school four years ago

and is now setting up her own

company; and graduate of five

years, Saul Casadio who works in

the global financial hub of London.

Past and present success at business school: QS MBA Scholarship winners

There’s no denying the value of enrolling on an MBA for would-be business leaders, but at the same time there’s a significant investment required in order to enroll. For many, the most attractive method of meeting the financial part of this investment is through MBA scholarships.

QS Scholarships: Visit TopMBA.com/scholarships to find out more!

Ashridge Business School Scholarships

EDHEC MBA Scholarship for Global Leadership

EDHEC Scholarships for Women

EMLYON Business School Entrepreneurial Scholarship

ESSEC Global MBA Excellence Scholarship

IE Business School Scholarships for Women

MIP Politecnico di Milano

QS Community Scholarships for MBA and Postgraduate Studies

QS ESMT diversity scholarships

QS Leadership Scholarship for MBA and Postgraduate Studies

QS Melbourne Business School International Scholarship

Sydney Business School International Scholarship

USC Marshall School of Business Scholarship

Vlerick Business School Scholarships


| Editorial

For Karan Rau, international experience was a big draw in applying for his MBA at NUS

Business School in Singapore. However, hailing from India meant the financial investment for

the program was inflated in real-terms due to disadvantageous variations between the two

economies.

“Going to study abroad to certain countries such as Singapore and the US, the currency is very

high value, so it becomes a major difficulty,” Rau explains. “Financial relief, such as scholarships

play a very important role, particularly for Indian students.”

In the end, Rau met the financial requirements of his program through a mix of funding – the

QS Scholarship, a further one from NUS Business School, his own savings, financial help from

his family, and a loan.

Rau places his success while applying for scholarships down to a great deal of hard work

during his application. For the GMAT in particular, the result of three months of study paid off

in an enviable score of 740. However, Rau’s essays proved more troublesome.

“I think this was probably the most difficult part of the application process,” he says, “even more

than the GMAT. At good business schools abroad, I think writing good essays is of paramount

importance. It’s very important to dig down deep and get to know what your achievements are,

what your strong points are, what your weak points are, before going and writing the first draft

of an essay, then going through 10-20 edits of that particular essay. So, it’s pretty hard work!”

But it was hard work that paid off, as Rau is now several months into his MBA at NUS. He aims

to use his time at business school to build upon his previous consultancy experience, perhaps

entering a different field of expertise.

“Before business school, I was mainly in consulting,” he explains. “I worked briefly with a

pharmaceutical logistics company, which was involved with sending pharmaceutical chemicals

for brands in Europe and Latin America from India and China.

“After that, I focused on consulting. I primarily worked with an Indian company, Tata

Consultancy Services. I was involved whenever a client needed some technical expertise and

solutions for their problems, that’s where I came into the picture and really worked on the

technical solutions that the clients needed.”

Looking to the future, Rau aims to return to work at his former employer Tata Consultancy

Services.

“I’d be delighted if I eventually become a CEO of a company, but that probably would be a very

distant prospect. In the short-term I’d be very happy if I could reach the management level of

the company I’m working for, especially in a strategy roll.”

Starting out at business schoolKaran Rau, NUS Business School’s MBA class of 2013


“I had started businesses in the

past, and was quite sure that

entrepreneurship was my future,”

says Howard Kingston, CEO and

cofounder of Future Ad Labs, a

company developing a disruptive

new form of online advertising.

“I wanted a qualification

that would give me the best

knowledge and foundation for all

the challenges I would meet on my

entrepreneurial journey ahead,”

he adds, explaining that this

was the decision path that took

him to study an MBA, eventually

at Durham University Business

School in the UK.

“Through the start up, I’ve earned

respect, fame, and status,” says

Frank Wang, founder of LuxSea

Boutiques, adding that starting

one’s own business comes with

great attractions in itself. “These

could not be achieved if I just

worked at a regular job,” he says.

Wang’s company LuxSea Boutiques

is a retail operation that exploits a

gap in the market for good quality

and mid-priced fashion and clothing

in China. “While the Chinese [have]

increasingly more disposable

income, they had only two choices

when purchasing clothes: items

that cost US$80 or those that cost

US$800,” he explains.

“Between those two price ranges

there is a lot of room for fashion

brands to market their products

and be profitable; there are

examples all over the world. So –

voilà! We were in.”

Wang graduated from his MBA at

China-based CEIBS in 2009 and

set up his company the same year,

drawing on from his experience as

an entrepreneur in California also,

where he earned his first US$1

million in e-commerce.

The skills that he gained from

his MBA have been put to best

use, he says, not in setting up his

operations but in the running of

the company.

For Roger Huffstetler, a Silicon

Valley based Harvard Business

School MBA alumni, it’s a different

story. Huffstetler is co-founder of

Zillabyte, a technological solution

to aid business to business

companies find more customers.

Having come from a US military

background, he says that the MBA

helped him to transfer the skill-set

he learned there, into that needed

to launch a start-up.

“In the military, I was in the

operations department so when we

deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan,

my job was to make sure the

processes were in place for my

unit, and that everything was

optimized. Sometimes I basically

had to rewrite what we were doing

to make it more efficient.”

This experience, he explains,

gave him the building blocks that

could be adapted on the Harvard

program. “There’s no way I could

be speaking the language of

start-ups, of computers, and of

management without the MBA.”

Currently, Huffstetler and his

co-founder are in negotiations

for investment through high

profile angel investors. Wang

Destined for start-up success: Entrepreneurial business school alumni

There has been speculation about the rise of the entrepreneur following the financial crash and recession of recent years, with much of it being focused on seasoned financial services employees eschewing the rat race in order to pursue long-awaited dreams of opening small-scale businesses. But there is another form of modern day entrepreneur not inspired by the recession and who perhaps graduated with an MBA despite, not because of, the downturn.

Richard Macauley


| Editorial

however chose a different path

for investment, one that utilized

the contacts he made through

business school.

In terms of gaining the resources

required for establishing a

company by oneself, Wang says

that it is the peripheral advantages

that an MBA offers students, and

not necessarily the direct courses

offered that enable fellow MBAs to

set up an enterprise for themselves.

“Many MBA programs provide

students with the skills needed to

work as part of a large company, to

find a job that pays more than the

job they had before they enrolled,”

he says.

“For students like me, who want

to start their own business, the

most valuable thing they can gain

from doing an MBA is the alumni

network, where you can find

business opportunities and co-

workers or partners.”

Kingston, however, presents a

different picture of the importance

of an MBA to those setting up

their own companies. Discussing

which skills and what knowledge

has proved most useful to him

when establishing Future Ad

Labs, he says that plenty came

from his MBA. “Being comfortable

with financials and being able to

strategically plan and forecast

are the most practical skills,” he

says. “However, I’ve found most

of the knowledge you’ll learn will

sink into your subconscious and

become frameworks to shape your

thinking.

“You won’t even know you’re using

them, but once you have them you’ll

speak to people with a confidence

and assurance that will inspire

them with the confidence they

need to trust and to do business

with you.”

Kingston too says that he sees his

MBA as gaining in relevance as his

business grows, and adds that it is

the financial modeling knowledge

gained during his studies that will

prove more and more useful in his

company’s future.

Finally, the location of the course

is a factor worth plenty of thought

when considering studying an

MBA. For Wang, choosing to study

an MBA in China was important

because he had been living,

studying and working outside of

his home country for more than a

decade. Once he decided to return

to China to establish a company,

studying an MBA was a great way

to create a network that could

later be utilized. “[Location] is

important,” he says, “especially in

my case where I had lost contact

with the local network for many

years and knew nothing about the

local business environment.”

“I’m a big advocate of new

experiences, people and places...

Every MBA is global and you’ll

still benefit from the support

of your MBA network no matter

where you are.”

Certainly, though each one has

taken a differing route, the three

entrepreneurs are celebrating

early success, and Kingston

finishes by explaining that his

own venture is just gearing up

for expansion. “We’ve just raised

a sizeable investment round from

venture capitalists which secures

our immediate future and puts us

in a really strong position for us

to realize our vision and have our

product used by millions globally,”

he says.

“That feels good.”

Discover which are the best business schools for entrepreneurs

Visit: TopMBA.com/global-200

Globally, the QS TopMBA.com Jobs and Salary Trends Report 2012/13 shows an overall 12% increase of MBA job opportunities during 2012. While this is less of an increase when compared to the previous year’s report, it’s certainly a sign that employers the world-over are continuing to embrace the talents and skill-set of MBA graduates even during tougher economic climes.

Of course, when looking into MBA

employer hiring and remuneration

trends around the globe, there are

considerable regional differences.

Middle Eastern MBA employers

reported a 21% growth in demand

during 2012, and a further 23%

growth forecast for 2013.

In Asia, the coming year is

expected to show considerable

improvements in MBA job

availability as demand increases

from 15% in 2012, to an expected

26% in 2013. Latin American

employers are continuing to

show their confidence in business

school graduates, reporting a 14%

increase in the amount of MBA

jobs on offer in 2012, coupled with

a further 9% during 2013.

In terms of MBA employment, the

more developed region of North

America shows an impressive

increase of 16% over the past

year. However, looking forward,

2013’s forecast growth is expected

to be just 2%. Whether this is a

case of employer reluctance to

over-estimate their employment

intentions during such choppy

economic conditions, or simply a

leveling out after previous years

of investment in MBA graduates

remains to be seen. What is true

is that North America remains one

of the largest markets for MBA

employment in the world, and

a 2% increase should translate

into many more jobs for MBA

graduates.

In Europe, many might expect

employer cutbacks in their hiring

of MBAs as a result of the Eurozone

crisis. But while this may be true

across many other job-seeking

demographics, as a general rule

for MBAs it hasn’t been the case.

During 2012, both Western and

Eastern European employers

reported increases, 5% and 7%

respectively. Looking forward,

predictions are more cautious, yet

are still set to increase, with a 2%

predicted rise in Western Europe,

and a 4% rise in Eastern Europe.

Within Europe, there is particular

demand for Chinese and other non-

EU graduates to work in European

headquartered companies seeking

to expand non-EU exports.

Denmark, Germany, France and

the UK all reported strong demand

for MBAs, while a select group of

MBA employers in Russia, mainly

within the energy and consulting

sectors reported a growth of 70%.

However, Greece, Italy, and Ireland

all reported a substantial fall-

off in MBA demand as austerity

measures hit local employers in

particular.

MBA job availability andpay: QS TopMBA.com Jobsand Salary Trends Report

Each year since 1990, QS Quacquarelli Symonds has published what is now the longest established, geographically broadest and most comprehensive global review of MBA jobs and salary trends. Here, the report’s author Nunzio Quacquarelli reviews some of the insights and conclusions from the QS TopMBA.com Jobs and Salary Trends Report.

Nunzio Quacquarelli

For MBA job seekers, work experience is vital


| Editorial

MBA job availability andpay: QS TopMBA.com Jobsand Salary Trends Report

MBA employers: experience matters!

The MBA recruitment market

is probably the most globally

flexible recruitment market of any

profession, with employers willing

to embrace career changers and

targeting an incredible breadth

of nationalities and skill-sets.

Our 2012 research reveals that

employers continue to seek more

experienced MBA candidates,

preferably with international

experience, combined with strong

interpersonal and ‘soft’ skills. It

also shows that employers are

increasingly willing to look inter-

nationally to find the right talent.

In fact, international study

experience is an extremely valuable

credential, with 67% of MBA

employers worldwide seeking it in

their new hires. Employers strongly

agree that screening for language

and inter-cultural communication

skills are an important part of the

hiring process for international

MBAs. They also agree that the type

and duration of study experience

is important, and perhaps most

significantly, they agree that

candidates with international ex-

perience out-perform those without.

For MBA job seekers, work

experience is vital. For the

fifth year in succession, there

has been a drop in employer demand

for MBAs with less than three

years of experience and especially

for MBAs with less than one year

of work experience, attracting

only 6% of employers in 2012.

MBAs with three to eight years

of work experience account for

60% of MBA employer demand

worldwide.

Demand for young and pre-

experienced MBAs is almost zero in

Western Europe and Latin America

– in both these regions there is

an above average demand for MBAs

with between five and eight years

of work experience. By contrast,

Asia-Pacific employers are much

more willing to recruit younger

MBAs with three or less years of

experience.

How much will your MBA earn you?

Quite predictably, average MBA

pay packages in North America and

Western Europe are higher than

anywhere else in the world, both

exceeding US$100,000 per annum.

Perhaps unpredictably however, is

the substantial increase in average

remuneration packages offered

to MBA graduates in emerging

markets.

Total compensation offered by

international employers for MBA

hires increased by 20% in Asia-

Pacific to US$79,000, by 19% in the

Middle East to US$65,400 and by

3% in Latin America to US$75,200.

The increasing pay packages in

emerging markets can partly

be explained by an increased

tendency for employers to pay

bonuses to fresh MBA hires.

Read the QS TopMBA.com Jobs and Salary Trends Report for free today!

Visit: TopMBA.com/jobs-and-salary-trends-report

As more employers compete in the

global market for top MBA talent,

we observe an equalization of

MBA salaries across regions – a

trend that has been on-going for

over a decade. Western European

and North American salaries

remain very similar overall

and across most industries.

The gap between the highest

international MBA salary region

(North America) and the lowest

(Latin America) is now only 30%,

compared to a 50% gap a decade ago.

Further, the gap between

Western European and Eastern

European salaries is now just

20%, with MBA salaries in Russia

exceeding salaries in some Western

economies.

Each year, across all of QS’ primary

research into the MBA world,

we see the gradually increasing

impact of internationalization.

Whether that is through MBA

salaries, job availability, or

employer demand as noted here

in the QS TopMBA.com Jobs and

Salary Trends Report; heightened

interest among MBA employers for

graduates from emerging global

business schools in the QS Global

200 Business Schools Report; or

MBA applicants slowly spreading

their interests further afield

when deciding which region they

should study in, as noted in the

QS TopMBA.com Applicant Survey;

it’s clear that this is a trend that

is likely to continue to shape the

coming years, even decades.


38 TopExecutive Guide www.topmba.com/emba

EXECUTIVE MBA MBA Branding

What has your brand done for you lately? It’s a question you should ask yourself on a periodic basis. Why?

Great personal brands, like great company and product brands, stand the test of time. And the owners of those brands know when to adapt to ensure they maintain the appeal necessary to captivate their target markets. There’s added value in today’s competitive job market in understanding what sets you apart and whether that distinguishable factor is top of mind with those you’re trying to impress or influence.

Building a personal brand is a thorough process, but not a one-time event. It involves understanding and appreciating what you stand for, what you have to offer, and what your target audience wants. It requires that you get feedback on how others perceive you, to determine if others’ perceptions mesh with how you are attempting to portray yourself. It requires a lot of thinking about and testing what differentiates you from others, how to make that come to life, and assessing how effective you are at it.

In revisiting your brand, it’s important to understand who your target market is. In personal branding, your product is you, and your audience consists of those with whom you need to gain visibility, trust, and influence, and stay top of mind. The needs and interests of this audience will tend

to evolve over time. There is also the possibility that it may change altogether. Depending on your role in your organization, your target audience may have started out as your manager and co-workers, and may have evolved to include other functional areas, and internal and/or external clients. As your career matured, the audiences may have extended to senior executives, boards of directors, and possibly the national or global community. Understanding who you are trying to influence or “sell” to is a critical first step in revisiting your brand’s effectiveness.

How often should you revisit your brand? In general, it’s advisable to think about your goals and the direction your career is taking on an annual basis. Performance development and planning discussions with your manager or an executive coach can facilitate this. Additionally, set aside some time to reflect on all aspects of your life and identify how the career piece of the puzzle is fitting in. Ask yourself if your personal brand is effective, has failed, or has just become stagnant. In all likelihood, you may need to start with whether or not you even have a brand.

There are probably clear markers when your brand has failed, but you may need to do some additional testing to determine if your brand is effective or stagnant. A stagnant brand has no traction. While it may not necessarily work against

you, it doesn’t work for you. Some indications of a stagnant brand include the fact that individuals aren’t reaching out to you as often. You seem to be overlooked when promotions, assignments, or networking opportunities arise. People aren’t aware of your contributions. You’re chosen for the same type of non-growth projects time and time again. Like the careers of some actors, you may have become typecast.

Aside from an annual review, other times your brand should be revisited include when you have transitioned to a new role, have moved to a new company or business unit, or have received consistent feedback that doesn’t connect with the impact you feel you are making.

While a career setback may signal the need to reevaluate your brand, it doesn’t always mean you need to change it. You may simply need to reinforce it and bring it back to life. Dig deep to understand what contributed to the setback. Was it performance-related, skill-related, or political? In today’s economy, it could simply be the luck or misfortune of the draw. How much was within your control? When the answers begin to point to your overall visibility (or lack of it), your effectiveness in connecting with key stakeholders, or the level to which people understand what you do and stand for, you then have reason to suspect that your personal branding efforts have missed the mark.

Do you have a personal brand? If not, there is no better time than the present to start thinking about creating one. As an EMBA candidate a strong personal brand can have a powerfully positive impact on your getting into the program of your choice. (This article was first published in Diversity MBA Magazine). By Charmon Parker Williams, PhD

Revisiting your Personal Brand

Today’s workplace demands innovation, creativity and high-performance to achieve ultimate success. diversity MBA Magazine offers answers to the most pressing questions of the day by focusing on the multiple dimensions of the diversity experience delivering compelling strategies and best practices to ensure your ultimate success. www.diversitymbamagazine.com

40 TopExecutive Guide www.topmba.com/emba TopExecutive Guide www.topmba.com/emba 41

EXECUTIVE MBA MBA Branding

So much has been said and written about authenticity. There are many words you can substitute for it — real, genuine, faithful, true, bona fide, etc. But behaviorally, what does authenticity really imply? Is it following your bliss? Being true to yourself? Saying any fool thing you want because you’re over 50? Well, yes and no. Individuals described as authentic are willing to express or share themselves with others, in spite of who may disagree or question. This doesn’t mean that introverts need to become extroverts, but it does imply that they’re able to communicate confidently on where they stand, how they feel, and what they think about a particular issue.

Your brand should reflect you and your core values, passions, and strengths. Even great brands develop over time. One well-known personal brand — Oprah Winfrey — is a case in point. Her brand has evolved through the years, yet stayed true to a consistent, overarching set of values. She has dist inguished herself in the talk-show venue as c o v e r i n g inspiring and p e r s o n a l m o t i v a t i o n a l stories when many other hosts jumped on the scandal/scoundrel bandwagon. She has distinguished herself as a humanitarian. Her career and entrepreneurial efforts — her television and movie productions, philanthropic efforts, magazine, and satellite radio show – have a thread of consistency running through them that creates a trust factor and level of predictability. Her audience knows what to expect and can rely on the product she delivers. But Winfrey’s product has still evolved to meet the growing needs and interests of her target market — ordinary women from ordinary walks of lives, and she has a team of researchers that stay in tune with its changing pulse.

Fulfilling your brand promise is what creates a trust factor between you and your target audience. This implies staying true to your brand. It is as much about what you say “no” to as what you say “yes” to. For example, if you’re promoting yourself as a great salesperson who knows how to bring people and opportunities together, but haven’t attended a networking event in the last six months, there’s a disconnect. If you’re trying to build or sustain a leadership brand, but avoid

taking a stand on tough issues, there’s a disconnect. Look for gaps and determine how and where you need to adjust your behavior. Your brand is reflected in what you do, your personality, your associations, and your surroundings.

Questions to reflect upon as you revisit your brand include: What do I think my brand is and what do I want it to be? How has the industry I’m in changed in the last couple of years? How have I changed? Is my brand authentic to my core values? How do others perceive me? Is my brand

relevant to my target audience? Who is that audience and how have its needs and interests changed in the last year?

Let’s assume your target audience is senior leaders. If your company has just been acquired or merged with another, the key stakeholders in your audience may have shifted a bit and their primary concerns, fears, and focus may have changed. Is your brand of steady and non flappable still the one to promote? Will the audience be looking for a more maverick or “change leadership” brand? Know your audience and shine the light on those aspects of your brand that have relevance to it.

Engage others in the process. Let them know what type of image/brand you’re trying

to convey and ask if that’s how they view you. Be open to candid feedback. Valuable lessons can also be learned from those who have turned their situations around. Study brands that have reinvented themselves when you feel the need to reengineer your own. Get feedback on how you portray your brand with someone you trust — a family member, friend, or close business colleague. Here’s an exercise to work through: Bring up a situation the two of you were involved in the recent past, one where you were interacting with a group of individuals. Ask

the other person to write down his/her take on it and then to write down

what he/she thought your take on it was. Do this for two or three

scenarios. It should be enough for you to see a

theme or pa t te rn e m e r g i n g . A t

minimum, you will s e e t h a t t h e “reality” of any situation is in the e y e o f t h e beholder. You will also be able to see how far a p a r t y o u r reality is from someone else’s.

This gives you b a s e l i n e

information so that y o u c a n m a k e

changes, if necessary, to the brand you want

to project.Your brand, like your

signature, is your differentiator. It sets you apart. It’s your “wow”

factor. I t goes beyond your performance, transcends your role,

communicates your value proposition. It keeps you top of mind when your target audience has a choice or decision to make about plum assignments, promotions, awards, retention, who to invest in, etc. With effective branding, you become the go-to person, and get matched with opportunities that align with your interests and goals because individuals know what you value and uphold.

Becoming a household name to your target audience gives you the ability to advance in your career as well as staying power. Just like choosing between Coke and Pepsi, it gets down to finding that important differentiator about yourself that will create a brand legacy. It’s imperative that you be responsible for shaping your brand, lest you get branded by default.

imply that they’re able to communicate confidently on where they stand, how they feel, and what they think about a particular issue.

Your brand should reflect you and your core values, passions, and strengths. Even great brands develop over time. One well-known personal brand — Oprah Winfrey — is a case in point. Her brand has evolved through

on the scandal/scoundrel bandwagon. She has distinguished herself as a humanitarian. Her career and entrepreneurial efforts — her television and movie productions, philanthropic efforts, magazine, and satellite radio show – have a thread of consistency running through them that creates a trust factor and level of predictability. Her audience knows what to expect and can rely

the recent past, one where you were interacting with a group of individuals. Ask

the other person to write down his/her take on it and then to write down

what he/she thought your take on it was. Do this for two or three

scenarios. It should be enough for you to see a

theme or pa t te rn e m e r g i n g . A t

minimum, you will s e e t h a t t h e “reality” of any situation is in the e y e o f t h e beholder. You will also be able to see how far a p a r t y o u r reality is from someone else’s.

This gives you b a s e l i n e

information so that y o u c a n m a k e

changes, if necessary, to the brand you want

to project.Your brand, like your

signature, is your differentiator. It sets you apart. It’s your “wow”

factor. I t goes beyond your performance, transcends your role,

communicates your value proposition. It keeps you top of mind when your target audience has

Rahim Fazal commenced his entrepreneurial career at a young age, selling his first company, a web hosting business for US$1.5 million during his senior exams in high school. Because of this, the uninitiated might wonder whether business school was really a necessity for him, but as the youngest student ever to be admitted on the Richard Ivey MBA, Fazal certainly feels strongly that his business education paid off dividends.

“At business school, you develop a

very solid framework for solving

problems. As an entrepreneur with,

up to that point, just practical

experience, you develop your own

methodology for building your

business, interacting with others,

and solving problems.

“But being able to compliment

that with an academic framework

and really round out a more

robust, flexible, and scalable

problem solving system - it

made me tremendously better at

solving problems and operating a

business.”

The results of Fazal’s MBA

education speak for themselves.

Six years after completing his MBA,

he sold Involver, the social media

management software business he

co-founded to Oracle Corporation.

“We started Involver at the

beginning of 2007,” Fazal recounts.

“It was an incredible journey. We

had a really big idea for trying to

do better in social media. We felt

that all the banner and text ads

that were popping up on MySpace

and Facebook were taking away

from the experience, and not

giving brands an opportunity to

truly take advantage of the social

media opportunity by developing

relationships with brand new

customers.

“So we built a platform that would

take video and other mixed content,

and build interesting campaigns

around that content. Things like

contests, quizzes, surveys, video

galleries, and so on. And we began

offering it into the market. We grew

that customer base to over 1.2

million companies on Facebook.”

In that time, Fazal, alongside co-

founder Noah Horton, were named

in Inc. Magazine’s Top 30 Under

30, and Fazal has also been named

one of the world’s Top 25 Digital

Thought-Leaders by iMedia. Add to

this guest speaking appearances on

the TEDx program, and an award

at the White House for both his

entrepreneurial success at Involver

and his dedication to nurturing the

next generation of entrepreneurs.

Failure breeds success

However, it wasn’t always success

for Fazal. His second business

suffered during the Dot Com

Bust and had to be wound down.

Possessing more of a vocational,

rather than an academic

background, Fazal credits much

of his success to biting the

metaphorical bullet as a result and

returning to the world of education.

That, plus a lucky encounter.

The alternative route to business school,and beyond

Testament to the emphasis upon diversity of cohort background on MBA programs, Rahim Fazal discovered his own, unique path to enrollment on the Richard Ivey School of Business’ MBA program. Having only recently sold his start-up company to global technology giant Oracle, Fazal tells the QS Top MBA Career Guide how his entrepreneurial skill-set was perfected during his MBA.

| Alumni Interview

“It was pretty difficult to start

back at ground zero and take

introductions to computers,

accounting, and business

economics after having this

successful company and taking

another one public. But I still went

and did it.

“I was about 20 at the time and

about six months into it, one of

the instructors in the business

program told me that she had

marked my exam and thought that

I had cheated because I had done

so well. We walked through my

answers and she realized they were

all from personal experience, and

then she remembered that I was in

a newspaper she’d read a couple of

years prior – she had talked about

me in her class.

“She gave me tickets for an alumni

dinner for the Richard Ivey School

of Business, where she was a

graduate. I went there and by

great fortune, ran into the dean of

the school and had a really brief

conversation with her - I told her

that I wanted to be in her program.

“The dean was intrigued and said:

Alright, give me a call. But then

she came back a few minutes later

and said: Why don’t you meet me

for lunch tomorrow at my hotel

before I leave? When I met her,

we had a great conversation for a

couple hours and at the end she

said: We’ve never done this for any

student before, I mean, the school’s

been around for over 80 years. I’m

going to go bat for you and I’m

going to try to get you in the MBA

program.”

Nine months later, Fazal was

enrolled and proving his worth to

the school by sharing his wealth

of entrepreneurial experience

with his cohort, while at the same

time perfecting his own business

acumen.

The value of business school

“Ivey is 100% case study based.

All the experiences that we would

read about are all real life, practical

experiences. The benefit of being able

to connect with what I’m reading,

one way or another really made the

lessons come alive. It really takes

learning to a completely new level.

“Another highlight was the people -

both your classmates as well as the

alumni that you become a part of.

There are classmates I still keep in

touch with - we’ve all moved on and

they’re all living in different parts

of the world doing amazing things.

“It’s pretty substantial alumni

network too – when I travel, I’m

able to connect with someone

here or a group there, and become

part of a club that I wouldn’t have

otherwise been a part of had I not

got on the MBA.”

With Fazal, like with many other

MBAs around the world, it’s the

experience prior to business school

that really made the program

worthwhile, and enabled him to

gain from it. Though Fazal enrolled

at an unusually young age, and

lacking an undergraduate degree, it

was his prior experience in setting

up two companies, with a healthy

mix of both success and failure,

that then enabled him to succeed

both during and after his MBA.

“It really helped having the

entrepreneurial experience before

getting to Ivey, because by itself,

an MBA doesn’t really give you

the full value of being able to

learn from the past – a mix of

academic background and practical

experience works. It really helps

you develop a context of what

you’re learning about.”

When it comes to the issue of applying for work visas, it’s often considered a lengthy, mundane process. While the visa application process for many countries is quite rightly aimed at tripping up fraudulent applications, an unfortunate side-effect is that some genuine applicants are dissuaded from considering working in a country because they don’t think they’ll meet strict requirements.

However, for MBA graduates that

have studied in the country they

are applying for a PSW visa in, the

process can often be considerably

easier than many believe.

UK: Recent visa rules create mass-confusion, but doors to the UK still open

Well reported around the world,

the British government recently re-

worked the PSW visa system for all

non-EU students studying in the

UK. For those students with an EU

passport, on the most part a PSW

visa is not needed, as EU rules allow

for citizens to work within any EU

country.

For non-EU citizens though, the

system can seem complicated and

off-putting.

“There is a perception that the

UK is closed to non-EU students,”

explains Conrad Chau, head of MBA

recruitment and admissions at

Judge Business School, University

of Cambridge. “The reality is that

there are no caps on non-EU student

numbers and so long as a non-EU

student accepts a job offer from a

UK company during the period of

their student visa, they can still

work in the UK.

“In fact, the current visa regime

makes it easier for UK employers

to hire non-EU students with a UK

MBA compared to their non-EU

counterparts who studied outside

the UK.”

An unfortunate affect from the

government’s decision to re-work

the PSW visa system has been a

noticeable drop in the number

of non-EU MBA applicants to

British business schools, says

Mark Stoddard, accreditation

projects manager at the UK-based

international MBA accrediting body

the Association of MBAs (AMBA).

“However, it is important to note

that the changes to the UK student

visa system do not restrict MBA

students from studying an MBA at

UK business schools.”

“While the new system no longer

gives an automatic post study work

route option to graduates, there are

still opportunities in the UK,” he

says. “There is an offering of places

for MBA graduates who want to

start up their own business in the

UK and the opportunity to work for

an employer following their degree

has not gone away.”

PSW visa misconceptions dispelled: The UK, Canada, Australia and the US

It’s all very well and good finding the perfect school and spending up to two years studying a traditional full-time MBA, but what next? If, like many you’ve opted to study abroad with the aim of commencing your post-business school career within the country you’ve studied in, then you’ll need to do some research into post-study work (PSW) visa opportunities. A lot of research in fact.

Richard Burns

The opportunity to work for an employer following their degree

has not gone away


| Editorial

PSW visa misconceptions dispelled: The UK, Canada, Australia and the US

Canada: New rules unlikely to affect post-MBA work opportunities

Canadian PSW visa rules have

also created some confusion for

applicants in recent times, though

many in-the-know argue that the

likely-to-come changes will be a

mute point for MBA graduates, as

the ease of obtaining permanent

residence status is becoming easier.

Canada relaxed its rules in 2008

to allow international students

enrolled in a two-year MBA

program to stay and work for three

years following graduation, while

students enrolled in a one-year

program may stay and work for

one year after graduation, with the

possibility of extending this stay in

the future.

However, new legislation has placed

the length of these working permits

into question, Shai Dubey, director

of the full-time MBA program at

Queen’s School of Business explains.

“Currently for students enrolled

in graduate programs, they can

receive work permits equivalent

to the length of the program,” he

says. “There is some confusion as

to whether a person, for example, in

a two year MBA can receive a three

year work permit. The legislation

indicates not.”

However, “the length of the permit

is not really all that important as

getting permanent residence (PR)

status is becoming easier for skilled

workers and those who attend

certain graduate programs (MBA

programs qualify) in Canada.

“Several provinces, such as Ontario,

have provincial nominee programs

that can fast track PR status,” Dubey

continues. “Most of the foreign

students who graduated from the

Queen’s MBA in May 2012 have

applied for and are in the process

of receiving or have received their

Canadian permanent residency

status in Canada. It is not clear

how long the provincial programs

will stay in effect but there is no

indication that they will be shut

down in the near to medium term.”

Australia: Recent developments bring clarity and ease

Gaining an MBA PSW visa in

Australia is by many accounts a

very painless process. Similar to

the current Canadian system, MBA

graduates whose program lasts for

a certain length are awarded a PSW

visa lasting two years.

“In essence an MBA student, or any

Masters student must complete an

Australian quali� cation which has

a CRICOS course [Commonwealth

Register of Institutions and Courses

for Overseas Students] for at least

92 weeks, completed in no less

than 16 months,” explains David

Senior, director of career services at

Melbourne Business School.

“If the full-time MBA program is

completed in less than 16 months,

then a further module of another

program which compliments the

MBA program should enable the

student to a work visa. This visa

is valid for two years. Students do

not need to have a job offer before

applying this visa.”


Though it hasn’t always been

the case, Sue Mathews, business

manager at Sydney Business

School, University of Wollongong

points out that recent changes have

made the PSW visa system far less

complicated for MBA graduates.

“It is true that Australia has often

been perceived as a complicated

pathway for potential migrants, be

they directly into the workforce or

via higher education pathways,”

Mathews explains. “However, the

more recent legislative changes have

brought us much more in line with

the Canadian system whereby all

students undertaking post graduate

two year packages of learning,

qualify for a minimum of two years

post graduation stay in the country

with eligibility to work.”

USA: MBA applicant pull-factors create lengthy PSW applications

As the number one destination

for over 60% of MBA applicants

according to the QS TopMBA.com

Applicant Survey, the USA can

afford to, and in many cases needs

to be selective with whom it grants

working visas to. In the case of MBA

graduates, it’s less likely to result

in a denial of a working visa, as

studying a highly regarded MBA

program in the US for around two

years shows both business acumen

and a willingness to immerse

oneself with the US culture.

However, as many would expect, it’s

usually a lengthy process obtaining

a legal right to work in the country

come graduation.

“All students who come to study

from outside the US are required to

hold an F1 student visa,” explains

Nicole Hall, director of the Graduate

Business Career Management

Center at Wake Forest University

Schools of Business. “If they desire

to work in the US short-term, they

can use their F1 status to apply

for optional practical training

(OPT) with the US Citizenship and

Immigration Services (USCIS), which

permits them to work in the US for a

period of up to 12 months following

graduation.

“If a graduate seeks to continue

employment beyond the 12 months,

they must identify an employer who

is willing to provide a work visa,

typically an H1B, to permit them to

maintain long-term employment. In

order to sponsor, the employer must

follow a few steps: 1) Seek prevailing

wage information to ensure a

market appropriate wage, 2)

Submit the position and associated

wage to the US Department of

Labor for approval, and 3) prepare

and submit the H petition to the

USCIS. Processing time takes three

to four months and requires the

employer to pay a sponsorship fee.

Graduates can maintain this visa

for up to three years with the option

to renew for another three years.”

Notice: All of the information contained in this article is believed to be correct at the time of going to press, however visa rules are complicated

within any country. The information contained in this article should in no way be considered a substitute for conducting your own research.

While the author, the people quoted in this article, and QS Quacquarelli Symonds have provided this information with the best of intentions, all parties consider it a necessity for MBA applicants to conduct their own

research regarding the topics discussed.

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EXECUTIVE MBA EMBA Hall of Fame

In these next pages are the voices of experience: Executive MBA alumni who have walked the

path that you are considering. They tell it like it is and share that the EMBA is not an easy choice nor is it an easy course. One thing each and every alumna and alumnus does agree on though is that the EMBA is life-changing.

From building their professional networks, to gaining a truly international outlook, to

innovating in a group setting, our featured alumni found their pursuit of an Executive MBA to be a rich and multi-faceted experience. The hard work pushed them to test their limits and each of them was pleasantly surprised by what they found on the other side of those self-imposed barriers. So how about you? Is it your turn to take the EMBA plunge? The EMBA Hall of Fame may just convince you it is!

EXECUTIVE MBA Hall of Fame

Jenny Ying Zhang MANNHEIM & TONGJI EMBAClass of 2013

Florence Klein

TRIUM Global Executive MBAClass of 2005

A welcome challenge Current EMBA participant, Jenny Ying Zhang has discovered the best way to learn something is to ‘just do it!’“It is human nature to want to learn, to be excited by situations that put us out of our comfort zone,” says Jenny Ying Zhang, “and that is exactly what an EMBA will do.”

A location IT manager, Ying Zhang acquired a range of new skills during her Executive MBA experience. “I learnt new management skills and techniques to move towards increased responsibilities; strategic thinking, critical analysis and a ‘bigger picture’ understanding; and better communication and team building skills,” the Chinese national says.

Acquiring such skills and experience has meant an immediate return, not only for Ying Zhang but her manager as well. “I can put all of my learning into practice and use a holistic approach to understand and solve business problems,” she says.

Ying Zhang primarily wanted to do an Executive MBA because she had reached a critical point in her career. “I needed to develop more management skills, so that I had a more comprehensive understanding of the enterprise as a whole,” she says. “The EMBA was the route, not only to further develop my own business knowledge and [gain] access to the forefront, but also to hone my managerial skills.”

The flexible program structure of MANNHEIM & TONGJI’s Executive MBA not only gave Ying Zhang the opportunity to experience studying abroad, but as a woman, allowed her to manage the balancing act. “One tip I would give to other female candidates is to prioritize what matters most. For me it is family and though I still have to work, they are at the top of my list. Set time aside to jot down what matters most in your life, and then rank those items.”

She also advises female EMBA candidates to play for more enjoyment. “Stop planning your schedule with required activities and inject a little relaxation and enjoyment into the timetable,” she says. “During the program, business schools have already considered this and plan for many ‘edutainment’ projects.”

A transformative experienceTRIUM’s Global Executive MBA helped Florence Klein not only grow in her job but make the right decisions in her investments and career orientation.

Florence Klein knew she wanted to do an MBA but it took two years of searching to find the right program.

“At the time I was anchoring a TV show on Bloomberg, interviewing heads of state about information technology and the internet economy, so I wanted to broaden my knowledge base. My educat ion was mainly in international political science and law, but I wanted to f ind a high- level ye t pract ica l curr iculum in international business,” she says.

However, Klein’s career didn’t allow for an 18-month hiatus in the business school classroom. “Eighteen months in TV is like a century!” she says. “But I wasn’t ready to give up on my idea of an MBA, so an EMBA that allowed me to continue my job and complete my studies at the same time was a great opportunity.”

Klein was also looking for a truly international program that would reflect the reality of globalization. “I really feel if you miss this trend you will be left behind,” she says. The global element of TRIUM’s EMBA program turned out to be one of the highlights o f Klein ’s EMBA, which she descr ibes a s ‘ a transformative experience’.

“You grow up a lot by being exposed to so many cultures, so much high-quality information, and pressure. Even though all of us had stressful careers with long hours, no one could imagine we had the inner resources to do it all. You have to develop survival skills to give your best everywhere, in your studies and of course at your job. It is a real commitment, a two-year period where your life changes but it was the greatest thing I did for myself.”

Jenny Ying Zhang Florence Klein


Raed N. BakhrjiHult International School of Business, Executive MBAClass of 2011

Mario ChimentoHult International School of Business, Executive MBAClass of 2012

Numerous benefitsReturning to school was a greater pleasure than Raed N. Bakhrji had expected. Colleagues and professors offered new insights and challenges making for a truly rich EMBA experience. The fact that he was promoted twice while attending the program was an added bonus.

With a background in the oil and gas industry, Raed N. Bakhrji joined Hult’s Executive MBA program in Dubai

in 2009. During his EMBA studies, Bakhriji was promoted from Business Development Manager for the Gulf at Baker Hughes, to U.A.E. Country Manager, and finally Gulf Geomarket Wireline Services Product Line Manager, a position he continues to hold.

Would Bakhrji have been promoted without pursuing his EMBA degree? Possibly, but it is clear that he gained more than just job advancement. According to Bakhrji, he couldn’t have made a better decision in pursuing his EMBA, and the benefits were numerous.

“The EMBA program at Hult was perfect for me, as I loved the idea of being able to get the quality of an international education in Dubai. The atmosphere on campus was very vibrant and energetic. Hult was home to a wide variety of people, with different cultural backgrounds opening up and sharing a wealth of information,” says Bakhrji.

“I was truly impressed by the entire faculty at Hult. I was especially taken with our Professor of Innovation, Hitendra Patel; he was very energetic and really good at challenging students to achieve.

Not only did Bakhrji benefit from the classroom knowledge he also enjoyed the opportunity of putting that knowledge to the test. “I found the Action Project at Hult the most rewarding because it allowed me to put into practice all the theory we had learned as part of the program in just one hands-on project.

“My most memorable experience at Hult though, was at graduation; the speech by the Dean and the tears of the registrar. I remember hats flying everywhere and looking around I realized that, after two long years, we had achieved our EMBA. We had done it!”

A remarkable opportunityMario Chimento knew studying for an Executive MBA was going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity to widen his skills and competencies, so he gave it his all.

“Right from the outset, I wanted to ensure I benefitted as much as I could from this major personal and financial

investment,” Mario Chimento says of his Executive MBA. “My motivation to learn and my commitment to taking advantage of this great educational challenge meant I had a truly positive attitude towards my studies. This approach allowed me to really get the maximum from each course.”

An experienced senior private banker in Italy, Chimento joined Hult’s EMBA program in 2010, after having started an entrepreneurial venture in the U.A.E. as a Business Development Manager for the Italian food and beverage sector. “I’m now armed with the right tools and background to tackle obstacles and grasp career opportunities, including returning to the corporate world and joining a major organization,” he says. “Wherever I choose to go in my career, working either as an entrepreneur or as an employee for an established company, the tremendous experiences I had during my EMBA program mean I am equipped with the right attitude and discipline to push myself far beyond my comfort zone.”

Chimento believes he has both his fellow EMBA students and Hult faculty to thank for preparing him for future challenges. “I was inspired by several faculty members,” he says. “Hult’s teaching staff is made up of professors with a wide range of academic and professional competencies. I have taken the opportunity to leverage their knowledge and experiences in order to enhance my personal skills and improve my out-of-the-box approach. This was definitely a great experience in helping me develop both academically and personally.”

Over the two years, Chimento also had the chance to share many memorable moments with his classmates. “Hard work in a fun context is what keeps you motivated every day when embarking upon such a large undertaking,” he says.

Mario Chimento Raed N. Bakhrji


Harald Trautsch Global Executive MBA, WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business)/University of Minnesota: Carlson (WU/UMN)Class of 2012

Ragnvald NaeroExecutive MBA IMD LausanneClass of 2011

A 360 degree viewDespite a wealth of international experience, Harald Trautsch found value in pursuing a Global Executive MBA.

There were a number of reasons Harald Trautsch chose to pursue a Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) from WU/UMN,

but one of the most compelling was the idea of a virtual team project instead of a ‘standard’ Master’s thesis.

“I already had a lot of international experience before joining the EMBA program, leading teams in Brazil, US, and Europe, however the Virtual Team Project was a totally different animal,” Trautsch says. “We had to work over three time-zones with four completely different cultures without any pre-defined roles, hierarchy, or even a specific topic. Nevertheless we built a real product (www.ivoting.co) with real investment, led an external developer team, and created a compelling business plan. All this without any personal contact but only phone calls and video conferences. Had someone told me I would be doing this before, I would have bet a lot of money that this would have never worked.”

Such a feat was perhaps made possible with the skills Trautsch learned in the business school classroom. “It [the WU/UMN GEMBA] gave a 360 degree formation in all the necessary management skills, including finance, statistics, accounting, operations management, etc,” he says. “But most importantly we had the opportunity to apply the content in real life and have it ‘audited’ by our professors.”

Having had such a positive experience, it’s no wonder Trautsch would recommend a GEMBA to other professionals, but when does he believe is the right time to pursue such study?

“There comes a moment when you feel there is ‘something more’ out there than you can get access to in your everyday environment. That is the right moment,” he says. “Then, find out whether you just need a holiday or if you are serious to committing a significant amount of time for an EMBA program.

“I would also say awareness and basic knowledge about today’s economy and political situation is important. So start reading international newspapers, kiss the kids good-bye, and get down to it!”

Taking things to a new levelRagnvald Naero likes to be challenged and his Executive MBA studies did just that.

Naero knows his degree will have an impact on his career – he’s just not sure in what form it will take. “I am relaxed about that,”

the Executive MBA alumnus says. “But when the right opportunity is there, I will know it for sure, and I will be ready to jump!”

However, Naero already has a career of accomplishments to boast of. He has an MA in history from the University of Oslo; 13 years experience in journalism working for leading Norwegian daily, Aftenposten; has held several positions as information director working for, among other organizations, the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority; and since 2001 has worked for Statkraft, the largest generator of renewable energy in Europe where he is currently the firm’s senior vice president of demand side management.

“Of course, I should have done this many years ago,” Naero says of his Executive MBA. “I had just turned 57, but when I checked the program I soon concluded; why not? Maybe I am still able to learn.

“The best part of going through the program is the insights you get of business administration and the knowledge about your own leadership skills,” he says. “I have gained an awareness of weaknesses, but also great guidance about how to become a better leader.”

Although, there is one thing Naero wishes he’d known about before starting his EMBA. “The workload,” he says. “It takes more time than you expect, and there are no shortcuts. You have to spend time on the modules, the methodology and analyze, analyze and analyze again.”

Throughout his career, Naero has rubbed shoulders with a diverse group of people, but he found just as much diversity in the classroom. “You meet people you have never met before, people who think differently, and people who inspire you,” Naero says. “Even though you have been around for a while, the friendship and fellowship in this group takes everything you have experienced earlier to a new and higher level.”

Harald Trautsch Ragnvald Naero

Rosario García PecciESCP Europe European Executive MBAClass of 2012

A whole new world

Rosario García Pecci believed a European Executive MBA (EEMBA) was the best way to introduce herself to an international career… and she was right!

Prior to stepping into the business school classroom, Rosario García

Pecci had been working as an internal auditor for five years. However, the ambitious Spaniard wanted to improve her career path and gain a better understanding of business and managerial skills. “I thought about studying a Masters in Audit and Finance (because I liked my job and I wasn’t thinking about changing) but I chose the EEMBA because it was a more general program, high quality and very international,” she says.

The international element has since paid off and despite not intending to change her job, Pecci was offered a position she couldn’t refuse; one that has come with a salary increase, a welcome bonus after paying for her Executive MBA personally.

“A headhunter called me to offer me a position as Senior Internal Auditor before finishing the EMBA but I told him I was not interested at that moment,” Pecci recalls. “He insisted on doing a phone interview and when I told the interviewer I was finishing an EMBA, suddenly the offer changed to Senior Compliance Manager at the headquarters based in Germany. The international background, the managerial skills and the ability to manage different projects at the same time have been key factors in my new job,” she says.

Pecci has since moved to a different country (languages, culture, and environment), a different sector (from energy to pharmaceuticals) and a different position (internal audit to compliance). “I am sure the EMBA gave me the courage to face everything,” she says. “I was more conf ident o f my sk i l l s and capabilities. Everything is thanks to the EMBA and I am really happy to have taken this step.”

What’s more, Pecci was able to share her experiences with her

EMBA cohort, within which she has made some good friends. “You embark on an EMBA because you want to learn new things, find a new job, increase your networking opportunities and develop your career in general, but you never expect to find such good people.

“I have made very good friends and we are still in contact. I have also learned a lot from their experience and knowledge, and a lot about myself. It is not just a question of business and career development; it is an amazing personal development [journey] where you start thinking about your past, present and future and what you really want in your life.”

While Pecci wasn’t juggling family life with work and EMBA studies, she does say it is important for female EMBA candidates to have people who can help at home as well a s in school . “We are not ‘superwomen’ and we have to learn how to delegate some responsibilities, but [with the EMBA] you will become more efficient and will focus on the important things.

“It was a very difficult 18 months in terms of personal life,” Pecci admits. “Almost every weekend I was studying on one of the campuses or working on assignments from home. I didn’t have much time to spend with my family and boyfriend, even though I live with him!”

Many alumni speak of the EMBA as a CEO’s toolkit, so what tools has the Executive MBA provided Pecci? “I think I have learnt how to prioritize and be more efficient, both in my professional and personal life,” she says. “I can understand, identify and solve problems more quickly (very important in my former and current job) and manage teams in a better way. I have improved the quality of my projects and I am more efficient. It is not just a CEO’s toolkit; it is a life toolkit.”


William T. Valenta, Jr., Assistant Dean, EMBA Worldwide & The Center for Executive Education, University of Pittsburgh, Katz Graduate School of Business

The Science of Serendipity: How to Unlock the Promise of Innovation by Matt Kingdon“While so much of the glory of innovation goes to the founders of start-ups, the type of innovation that happens within organizations is just as meaningful. In language that is easy to understand and unobstructed by jargon, the book breaks down the anatomy of innovation and gives us the tools to innovate in our own lives. Additionally, the book gives examples of modern innovations – some of which were meticulously plotted out, others that were miraculously stumbled upon – that changed the fortunes of companies.”

Michael Gibbs, Faculty Director, Executive MBA Program Clinical Professor of EconomicsUniversity of Chicago Booth School of Business

Fault Lines by Raghuram Rajan“Every executive and EMBA student must grapple with the financial crisis reverberating through the global economy. The best book on this topic is Raghuram Rajan’s Fault Lines, winner of the Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award. Raghu voiced serious concerns several years before the crisis occurred. In this book he provides a thoughtful and thought-provoking analysis of the economic, political and demographic causes.”

Launching the Innovation Renaissance by Alex Tabarrok“Innovation and growth are needed to address the problems facing the global economy. A nice short book on this is Alex

Tabarrok ’s Launching t he Innovation Renaissance, which discusses reforms to patent l a w , e d u c a t i o n a n d immigration to create a more dynamic economy. The lessons are relevant for any economy.”

Race Aga ins t the Mach ine b y E r i k Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee“Erik Brynjolfsson a n d A n d r e w McAfee’s Race A g a i n s t t h e Machine explores how the information technology revolution i s t r a n s f o r m in g organizations, work, and the labor market. These changes began a r o u n d 19 8 0 b u t con t inu e t oday, w i t h impor t ant implicat ions f o r h ow t o d e s ign and manage your organization, and your own career. They are a l s o h a v i n g f u n d a m e n t a l effects on society – the sweeping historical changes emphasized here play a role in the two other books mentioned above.”

Now that you are considering heading back to the classroom, it might be a good idea to brush up on your reading skills. In a typical Executive MBA program you will be required to read much more than the average person’s daily reading level. From case studies to workbooks to texts and online research, the workload is heavy but it does not have to be unpleasurable. Why not start right

now by finding a business topic that genuinely interests you and dive in? You can slowly get back into the habit of reading to learn so that from day one of your EMBA program you are a step ahead. To help you with the task we went to top business schools and EMBA experts to get their recommendations. So pull out your Kindle, iPad or smartphone and let the reading begin.

EXECUTIVE MBA Reading

TopExecutive Guide www.topmba.com/emba 25

EXECUTIVE MBA Reading

Amy Hillman, Executive Dean, W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University

Thinking, Fast & Slow by Daniel Kahneman “Kahneman is a Nobel Laureate who wrote an easily accessible book on decision-making. This is a must-read for all in business and all who want to understand (and avoid) decision-making biases.”

Sophia Leong, Director, Telfer Executive MBA Program Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa

The 360 Leader by John C. MaxwellLeadership expert Dr. Maxwell believes you can

influence and lead from anywhere within an organization. In The 360

Leader he shows how to o v e r c o m e t h e

challenges, and teaches you the skills you need

to become a true leader.

D i f f i c u l t Conversations

by D o ug l a s Stone , Bruce

Patton, Sheila Heen and Roger Fisher

Harvard Law School professors Stone, Patton, Heen and Fisher provide a step

by step approach to having tough conversations, whether they be with an underperforming employee, disagreeing with a spouse, or negotiating with a client with less stress and more success.

The Leadership Moment by Michael UseemAuthor Michael Useem, director of the Center for Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, has long used poignant real-life examples of people facing their “moments of truth”--regardless of the setting--to teach students how best to perform under the pressures they will face in the business world. In this book he focuses on nine real life stories to teach his leadership lessons.My blog recommendations:Brad Feld Thoughts - www.feld.comGuy Kawasaki- How to Change the World - blog.guykawasaki.com

Dr Steve Seymour, Director of MBA ProgrammesAshridge Business School

The Inner Game of Work by W. Timothy Gallwey“Not a new book [except on Kindle] but one too few people know about. I am a big fan of his sport related books - in particular the Inner Game of Golf - which deal with the mental rather than physical approaches to sport and this does something similar related to work. It is a book which offers advice relevant not only to work, but to life in general. Definitely worth a read.”My blog recommendation: Business Insider : www.businessinsider.com

Ann Graham, Senior Writer QS TopExecutive

How will you measure your life? by Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth and Karen Dillon“Clayton M. Christensen is a world-renowned innovative expert. Invited to address Harvard Business School’s 2010 graduating class, his speech proved a catalyst to this book in which he reflects on both business and personal challenges to answer a series of challenging questions. With thoughts and inspiration on topics including career satisfaction and personal relationships, Christensen writes for an audience seeking happiness and fulfillment.”

QS TopExecutive TeamQS TopExecutive Passport by Hina Wadhwa, Dawn Z Bournand, Ann GrahamCreated by the QS TopExecutive team, Passport is your essential document for entry into the world of Executive MBAs. A unique and indispensible tool that provides you with the key steps to begin your Executive MBA journey, Passport is available to all QS World Executive MBA Tour attendees at the registration desk or for purchase at your favorite online bookseller.

topmba career eguide spring 2013

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