Philippe Fezans always wanted a dual education in engineering and business, but he knew right from high school that he’d go into engineering first. He would then gain an MBA to accelerate his career further down the track. “Early on I worked with some great companies – Orange, Renault and GE – before moving back into a project management role at Renault Sport, where I managed some excellent and fast-paced projects. Ultimately though, engineering provides limited career options outside highly specialised roles,” he says.

Philippe decided to do the EMBA-Global Americas & Europe to develop new skills and open up professional opportunities outside his existing scope. To advance his career, he needed wider cross-organisational understanding and a less “France-centric” background. The joint London Business School/Columbia programme offered the curriculum toolkit Philippe wanted across two top business schools; a monthly block week structure that suited his working life; and a deeply collaborative learning environment.

“EMBA is intense – you travel, work and socialise together – and you don’t sleep much! The geographical diversity in my class saw people flying in from locations as far afield as New Zealand, India and South Africa. We’re talking about extraordinary people from different cultures and with a broad range of perspectives,” says Philippe.

By the time Philippe finished the programme he had abandoned his original, more traditional plan to head back to a large organisation. Instead, he took advantage of the US training visa that EMBA-Global offers and jumped straight in to developing a car sharing start-up in New York City. This first experience led to an exciting new opportunity with a fellow MBA in an industry closer to Philippe’s computer science background. He’s now back in France working as chief operating officer for a start-up in biometric identification for transactions. 

Philippe says he wouldn’t be helping launch a new venture if it weren’t for LBS. “EMBA-Global generated entrepreneurial opportunities that I could never previously have dreamed of. The skills I learned on the programme are invaluable, but in an increasingly more global and mobile world, my best piece of advice is to network, network, network. It’s the network that provides the opportunities to use your knowledge and really shine.”

Katie Jenkins has what many might consider a unique job. As Southern Europe Manager for YouTube’s Creator and Artist Development team, she manages five people who mentor people with 100,000+ followers for their respective online channels.

Before joining YouTube in November 2018, Jenkins worked at Google as a consultant to luxury brands, helping them manage their media strategy and digital transformation. At that point in her career, Jenkins wanted a management role but she needed to develop the skills and frameworks to lead others. That realisation inspired her to join LBS in 2015 for the EMBA-Global Americas & Europe programme.

“I specialised in luxury and media and wanted to take the EMBA-Global programme to open my eyes to other industries,” Jenkins says. “That was one reason for studying at LBS; the other was to move into a management role. I wanted the formal business training, management theory and operational rigour that this programme would bring.”

During the two-year programme, Jenkins studied in London and New York and graduated with two MBAs – one from LBS and the other from Columbia Business School. In that time, she also visited Shanghai for her Global Business Assignment and attended the Paris Trek with the LBS student-led Retail and Luxury Goods Club. She regards the exposure to different cities, cultures and classmates from diverse industries and cultural backgrounds as invaluable.

“Everyone says it, but my classmates were one of the best things about the programme,” Jenkins says. “I met people from different industries, many of whom were already in very senior positions, developed my cultural awareness and got a range of perspectives from people who have worked in different markets.

“The discussions and debates that arose in class between faculty and my peers taught me a lot about how the theory we learn plays out in different industries and countries. Generally speaking, I’m certain that this experience has made me a better, more understanding and more versatile manager.”

When reflecting on her time at LBS, Jenkins says studying for the EMBA-Global is a big commitment. “You don’t get much free time, so it’s really important to have an understanding partner, friends and family. But while on the programme, you’re constantly stimulated and inspired. The whole experience was incredible.”