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A collection of career development and leadership insights from INSEAD
Episodes
Wednesday Jan 11, 2023
Wednesday Jan 11, 2023
Committing to ongoing professional development is crucial for executives looking to thrive in today's rapidly changing business landscape. Without a dedication to personal growth, leaders risk falling behind their peers and becoming obsolete. To stay ahead of the competition, executives must stay informed about current trends, technologies, and best practices. In this episode, we're joined by Mike Wort, Assistant Director of Executive Career Development and Career Coach on the Europe Campus, to discuss the importance of investing in executive career development and the potential long-term rewards it can bring.
Our Guest
Mike Wort has made multiple career changes to his work countries, sectors, and functional roles and has worked with INSEAD for 10 years.
Mike holds a Certificate for Coaching for Leadership and Professional Development from the Tavistock Institute in London, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and BA in International Business and French. He is also an INSEAD alumnus having graduated from INSEAD’s Management Acceleration programme in 2018.
Monday Nov 07, 2022
Monday Nov 07, 2022
The business world is often associated with stress and anxiety, but there is an increasing interest in mindfulness as a way to promote well-being in the workplace.
Mindfulness is about being present in the moment and paying attention to your thoughts and feelings without judgment. It can help you cope with stress, boost your concentration, and improve decision-making. There is evidence that mindfulness can be beneficial for both individuals and businesses.
For businesses, mindfulness can improve employee productivity and engagement. In addition, mindful companies are more likely to be creative and adaptable, traits that are essential in today's ever-changing marketplace. As more businesses begin to adopt mindfulness practices, it is clear that this ancient tradition can offer modern companies a competitive edge.
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Our guests:
Joa Scetbon (Mindfulness Facilitator, INSEAD Psychological Services)
Our hosts:
Angela Rachel (Student Life Officer, INSEAD Degree Programmes)
Eva Laporte (Student Life Officer, INSEAD Degree Programmes)
Resources:
INSEAD has an international team of psychologists to work with students, staff and faculty in times of personal challenge or crisis. We offer individual and couple consultations, as well as Mindfulness groups, on the Fontainebleau and Singapore campuses. We also run workshops on various psychological issues for MBA students.
We work both in-person and remotely.
Appointments are completely confidential and free of charge.
Timestamp:
01:10 - About the guests and role at INSEAD Psychological Services
01:45 - What is Mindfulness, and why is it important to practice this in our daily lives
05:55 - The difference between mindfulness and meditation, and some common misconceptions
09:38 - Common themes and why students and staff attend the mindfulness sessions at INSEAD
11:30 - How to adopt mindfulness practices in your personal and/or professional lives
13:26 - Practical ways to apply these practices to your life
18:35 - Benefits of learning mindfulness practices in person or workshops as compared to via digital apps
22:30 - Takeaway tips for those thinking of starting their mindfulness journeys, and sustaining these practices
Wednesday Oct 05, 2022
Wednesday Oct 05, 2022
In today's business world, it's more important than ever to have a strong online presence. One of the best ways to achieve this is through the use of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens. NFTs are unique digital assets that can be used to represent anything from ownership of a piece of digital art to a stake in a company. NFTs can be bought and sold like any other asset, making them a valuable addition to any business's portfolio.
Businesses are embracing this new technology and it will only become more essential to the way we do business in future. MBA students are looking to take advantage of their year here by creating knowledge, experimenting with technologies like blockchain and building networks of key movers in the technology.
Today we discuss The Savvy Salamander Study Club (SSSC), founded by five MBA friends and INSEAD looking to explore the intersection among fundraising, education and tech. The club vows that 100% of the net NFT sales will be spent on scholarships and the building of SSSC.
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Our Guests
Alex is a former McKinsey Consultant with 22 years’ experience. He now wears three hats: he runs an executive search firm, does HR consulting, and is a career coach.
He has 12 years' experience in placing Chief Strategy Officers and other C-Suite roles where a top-tier consulting background is critical. Alex focuses on high-impact roles where the risk of making the wrong hire is big. He helps companies improve their HR and esp. talent acquisition processes. He offers interim management, benchmarking, salary surveys, HR diagnostic and transformation. He is passionate about improving the candidate experience. He also offers outplacement services for senior staff.
Outside of work, he trades options, dances salsa and bachata and loves to try exotic foods. He tweets about crypto and blockchain topics.
Ferdinand manages Government Affairs and Comms for Helsing, one of Europe’s fastest-growing tech companies in new defence. In previous roles, he has led communications and marketing for two of Germany’s most prominent industry associations (BDI, VDA) and rebuilt the brand of Europe’s largest automotive and mobility fair (IAA).
Together with Joning Lee, Jack Ni, Michelle Yu and Rodrigo Pérez Antolin (all MBA 22Js), Ferdinand co-founded the NFT club on campus. After the INSEAD MBA Programme, he moved back to Berlin where he enjoys his spare time with his wife and two-year old son.
Oktawian is Head of BCG in Poland. He is an experienced international leader specialising in transformations and large-scale value improvement programmes across industries. He has helped leading players substantially improve their bottom line and accelerate growth across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas leveraging innovative approaches and cutting-edge technology and advanced analytics. Oktawian is the author of several innovative strategies and tools for improving the resilience and adaptability of companies in volatile market situations and highly competitive environments.
Oktawian is also a husband, father of two, and motorsport and racing enthusiast.
The Savvy Salamander Study Club (SSSC)
SSSC is a collection of unique generative collectibles bred on the Ethereum blockchain. The club is a community of crypto pioneers that look to connect, explore, and shape the future of crypto and tokens while doing good. 100% of the net NFT sale will be spent on INSEAD scholarships and the building of SSSC.
The Salamander NFTs work as a token for club membership that will grant access to member-only events and networks.
Resources
NFTs as a Force for Good: The Case of the Savvy Salamanders
A recent article on INSEAD Knowledge on How a group of MBA students built a community of crypto pioneers and a unique approach to fundraising.
Leveraging our team of leading academics researchers, corporate partners and global alumni network, digital@INSEAD probes this rapidly evolving space and offers insights, strategies, and value for individuals and businesses to thrive in today’s digital age.
Read more on INSEAD Master, Executive as well as Open and Customised Online programmes
Web3 projects by INSEAD MBAs include:
Messari: Crypto Research, Data, and Tools
Gain an edge over the crypto market with professional-grade data, tools, and research.
BCG recognise that solving the world's biggest problems requires instinct and imagination. They are building the future of business by bringing together a broad set of data, digital, and technology capabilities.
Timestamp
2:26 - Tell us a little more about yourself, how did you get to where you are in your career today?
7:43 - Can you share one of your proudest career achievements with us?
11:57 - Can you describe the way you have been able to interact with the INSEAD network to help embrace the opportunities offered by blockchain?
13:48 - What are NFTs to you and what has been your experience with them to date?
17:45 - Can you tell us how the SSSC came to be and can you describe the moment that you and the team decided to make the club a reality?
24:23 - Introducing the Salamander NFTs and their function as tokens for club membership and the benefits of joining INSEAD’s crypto family.
28:56 - Can you outline how the net NFT sale will be spent on scholarships and the building of SSSC?
34:50 - On the topic of investments, what is the most meaningful investment you have made in the last year?
38:25 - How can businesses and individuals use NFTs to their advantage?
44:44 - What resources can you share with listeners who want to know more about the blockchain and NFTs?
Monday Jul 04, 2022
Monday Jul 04, 2022
INSEAD Student clubs are run by students and supported by the school. They play a vital role in the student experience.
Our clubs cover a broad range of topics from Professional, Social to Sports. A large proportion of the student population is honing their leadership skills by being the management team of clubs. There are 40+ clubs at INSEAD.
Campus activities or on-line events are organised by MBA student clubs and help to sharpen your leadership skills and enable you to explore and pursue new interests or old passions by becoming a member.
Professional clubs
A wide range of student-run professional clubs works closely with the INSEAD Student Life department and the INSEAD Career Development Centre. They organise regular networking and speaker events on campus, as well as webinars, competitions or "career treks" further afield. Some of the larger clubs also organise prominent annual forums and conferences, like the Private Equity Conference, the Women in Business Conference and the Global Luxury Forum.
Non-Professional clubs
In addition to our gyms offering regular fitness classes on both campuses (and the squash court in France), we have many clubs offering a wide variety of sports and leisure activities to network and enable you to pick up valuable new skills. There are also opportunities to represent INSEAD at inter-business-school events, such as the MBA Regatta and the MBA Golf Challenge.
Our guests:
Amanda Michel (co-president of the INSEAD Women in Business Club)
Matt Disher (co-president of the INSEAD Football club)
Timestamp:
01:30 - About the guests and their career backgrounds
03:10 - Decision and motivation to pursue a particular club
05:20 - Becoming a club leader, including process and timelines.
08:00 - Important considerations when becoming a club leader and challenges
10:35 - Time management tips
13:20 - Benefits of joining a club and being an active member
16:25 - Key events organized and important takeaways
19:47 - Working with Alumni and types of support from the alumni network
22:08 - Collaborating with other participants (MIMs and GEMBAs)
25:00 - Collaborating with departments within INSEAD and types of support (I.e. Student Life, CDC, Centres of excellence)
27:35 - Describe your experience as a club leader
Monday Jun 13, 2022
Monday Jun 13, 2022
Belonging is knowing that you are a part of the world around you. It's about fitting in, finding your place, and feeling like you belong with the people around you.
But some may have difficulties in identifying a sense of belonging to a certain place, or with certain groups of people, especially after international experiences or careers that may have shaped the way they think, behaves, or addresses any challenges, they are faced.
So let’s discuss the importance, or lack thereof perhaps, of having to find your place and assuming an identity and belonging.
After all, isn’t it the goal for us all to create more inclusive communities where one is accepted no matter where they are from, or where they believe they belong?
Our Guests
Aya Imai
Aya is the Associate Investment Officer at International Finance Corporation (IFC). Aya joined IFC's Financial Institutions Group in 2019 after working in management consulting and M&A advisory in the private sector. She is involved in executing new investments and the portfolio management of existing investments in the West and Central Africa region, after spending 2.5 years in Amman, Jordan, with IFC’s Middle East and North Africa team. Most recently, her team has been working on equity investments to fintech companies in Africa, small loans to women entrepreneurs, including Syrian refugees, and loans to SMEs that could contribute to climate change mitigation. Aya is an EMFIN'23Feb participant.
Stephanie Daudier
Stephanie is the founder of The Inspiration Lab, a consultancy working for global companies to strengthen diversity, inclusion and leadership at work. Stephanie started her career as a researcher in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and a teacher in survey theories at Paris University. Stephanie also 25 years at L'Oréal, in the Luxe Division, in marketing, sales and general management and then at 50, I decided to go back to learning and studied NLP at UCSC University of California Santa Cruz, and Organizational psychology at INSEAD with EMC programme.
Thursday May 05, 2022
Thursday May 05, 2022
Generation Z, the generation born from 1994 onwards, wants their leaders to be positive, according to “Generations”, a study of more than 18,000 working professionals and students across the world. This study conducted by INSEAD, Universum, and MIT found that the ever-increasing speed of technological change is opening up fissures in both generational expectations of leaders and their expectations for their own paths to management. The mix of aspirations and demands from the different generations presents challenges that will have to be carefully managed.
Our Guests Todays
Alexander Eissler
Alex completed his Bachelor’s degree in Business and Economics at Vienna University of Economics and Business. The programme’s international approach and culturally diverse student body taught him a lot about the importance of a global perspective and encouraged him to collect professional experiences across the globe. Alex has worked in different countries and industries from consulting to pro-bono and even entrepreneurship with his own start-up and is passionate about cars and tennis.
Robin Duppui
Robin Duppui is a German student, born and raised in Stuttgart with several years spent living abroad in Mexico and Australia. Looking for a leadership career in business management, he studied Business Administration and Economics at the University of Hohenheim (Stuttgart), graduating with a Bachelor of Science. Alongside his studies, he has gained professional experience in several industries such as automotive, industrial automation, logistics, software-based medical technology and academia, mainly in sales and strategy-related roles. He is a passionate guitarist and an avid snowboarder.
Ruxandra Tosun
Ruxandra is passionate about building success stories and helping individuals reach their full potential, with a taste for international environments and is a Career Coach at INSEAD. Ruxandra tests how digital innovation can support the higher education sector and the coaching world enabling her to create new strategies and an interactive career journey for her clients.
Friday Apr 08, 2022
Friday Apr 08, 2022
Are you curious about what the future of work might look like? You're not alone. Many people are wondering how work will change in years to come. Some believe that we'll see more jobs in fields related to technology and science. Others believe that work will become more flexible, with more people working from home or remotely. In this episode, we'll discuss some of the best skills to ensure we are ready for the future of the workplace and the importance of pursuing purpose.
Our Guest Today
Lisa Barrett MBA'13J
Lisa has been working at the forefront of learning and digital innovation for 20+ years. After more than a decade as a leader in some of the most innovative education transformation organizations in the United States (TNTP, TFA), I spent the last 10 years at the highest levels of the British government, to the leadership of organisations redefining what is possible through education and technology (Coursera, Multiverse). Lisa Graduated from INSEAD as part of the MBA’13J Cohort.
Thursday Mar 10, 2022
Thursday Mar 10, 2022
If you're a mother-to-be considering pursuing an MBA, or if you're already in the midst of your MBA program and expecting a baby, today's episode is for you.
Our guest for this episode is Kemi Ogunlesi from the 21D cohort, and she shared her experience of getting pregnant with her second child during the course of her INSEAD MBA. Kemi shares some tips on how to manage both pregnancy and an MBA programme successfully. Being a student while pregnant can be challenging, but it's definitely doable with the right planning and support system in place.
Our Guest Today
Kemi Ogunlesi MBA 21'D
Kemi is an Operations Management professional with a background in Engineering and 8 years of experience delivering complex technical projects in the offshore drilling industry to drive peak operational performance.
Friday Jan 07, 2022
Friday Jan 07, 2022
Technology change and innovation affect every domain of business, changing the face of the industry at an accelerating pace. With the start of a new year, it is often customary to look to the future and try and plan how we can become a better version of ourselves. To help share insights on the future we held a discussion with an INSEAD MBA alumnus who has dedicated his professional life to engineering, the global economy and futuristic fields like transhumanism and life extension. Join us as we discuss the future of work, life, innovation and mindsets.
GUESTS:
José Luis Cordeiro is a Venezuelan-Spanish engineer, economist, futurist, and transhumanist, who has worked in different areas including economic development, international relations, and life extension. José is an international fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science, vicechair of HumanityPlus, and director of The Millennium Project and graduated from the INSEAD MBA programme in 1991.
Timestamp:
01:40 - Tell us who you are, where do you come from and how did you get to where you are today.
02:45 - How did you progress from engineering to studying and predicting the future?
05:14 - Tell us about some of the key highlights in your career.
07:04 - How do you view the future of the world and what are some of the activities that excite you in the pursuit of a better future for humanity.
11:12 - At a Talk with Google event in 2014 you said to Forget flying cars and robot butlers. The future will be a far more interesting place. Many people may be thinking they cant even imagine a world with flying cars so how can we prepare our lives and our careers for a largely unknown future?
15:29 - How can we find out more about these technologies and future trends?
17:41 - What changes have you observed over the last couple of years that might signal the future of the workplace?
21:12 - What are some of the skills and mindsets businesses and leaders should be discussing to help themselves prepare for the future?
24:33 - You are also one of the founders of the recent TransVision Future Summit that occurred in Madrid in October. Can you tell us about some of the key topics discussed at the summit and what insights our listeners can take away from these concepts?
28:56 - How can our listeners prepare for unpredictable change, and learn to lead in tomorrow’s world and understand the future direction of technology?
30:18 - What have you changed your mind about in the last few years? Why?
35:23 - What is the worst advice you see or hear being dispensed in your world?
40:08 - What resources can listeners use to discover more about the future of work?
Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
INSEAD’s student life is diverse and transformational. A cultural melting pot of experiences that triggers students to re-shape their perceived reality beyond the classroom; from sports activities to unforgettable travel experiences, or from cheerful parties to intimate heartfelt dinners.
GUESTS:
MBA Student, versatile problem solver, interested in Sustainable Innovation and Strategy. 5 Years Experience in a vareiety of Operations and Manufacturing roles. Passion for Consumer Goods and People Management.
Results-driven go-to-market strategist that is passionate about technology and global leadership. I grew from Sales Executive to a Global Director with Lightspeed HQ, a SaaS POS provider that experienced employee growth of 100 – 1500 employees, 9 acquisitions, $347M in funding and went public on TSX and NYSE.
Timestamp:
00:00 - Career backgrounds and what brought you to this point in your careers?
02:41: The main motivation for wanting to partake in the MBA programme at INSEAD as compared to other schools. What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
04:09 - What are some of the preparations you made before coming to INSEAD, and would you have any tips for future MBA students thinking about applying?
06:37 - Challenges faced and how did you overcome them
09:38 - What would you say your week usually looks like as an MBA student at INSEAD?
13:28 - Most exciting moments about being in the MBA programme
16:54 - What are some of the things you did to occupy your free time in either campus?
20:40 - What would you say the classroom experience was like and your interactions with the professors?
24:15 - Were involved in any leadership opportunities while pursuing the MBA? And what was the experience like to be part of that?
28:28 - How would you describe the INSEAD MBA culture?
31:28 - What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of December 2021?
34:00 - If you had to summarise your experience at INSEAD in three words or less, what would it be?