In The Know by INSEAD

Balancing an MBA and Pregnancy - Student Life Feature - ITK#27

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.

The World of Tomorrow - Possibilities & Opportunities - ITK#26

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?

The Life and Experience of an INSEAD MBA Student - Student Life Feature - ITK#25

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:

Jad ANTOUN MBA'21D

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.

Shruti MAHESHWARI MBA’21D

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? 

The Future of Business Education - ITK#24

Welcome to series three of In The Know. Over the course of this academic year, we will continue to discuss the latest career advice like the future of the workplace and inside the mind of a recruiter while also covering many leadership insights featuring episodes on business in the Middle East and managing generation Z.
To kick off series three, we are joined by our Associate Dean of Degree Programmes, Katy Montgomery, as we look to build on the start of a new academic year and share what the future looks like for business education.

How Understanding Yourself Can Lead to Transformation - ITK#23

Most people are strangers to themselves; many of them resort to the manic defence – filling their calendar with a flurry of activities meant to prevent them from having any time to reflect. They are always running, without knowing what they are running for or running towards. Also, they feel drained, but they don’t understand why. Others, having reached the pinnacle of professional success, fail to find meaning.

Today we discuss the Executive Master in Change programme and how understanding yourself can lead to transformation.

Our Guests

Sini Dimitrios Parampota

Sini is a global citizen with 25+ years of diverse experience, using career development to build bridges, promote DEI and drive change. She is a lifelong learning enthusiast and digital geek, currently researching the impact of infertility on women leaders’ career aspirations.

For the last decade, she has worked with the Qatar Career Development Center, a member of the Qatar Foundation. She is the proud founder of Thrive Lab Qatar.

An avid explorer, Sini enjoys travelling around the world and meeting new cultures. She is fluent in Greek, English, German and has practical skills in Arabic and Italian. She is married and lives in Doha with her Qatari husband.

Patrick Parker

Patrick is the Director of Specialised Degree Programmes at INSEAD and also an EMC graduate. Patrick has gained over 20 years of international business education experience and specialises in people management, programme management and design, and candidate admissions.

Pushing Beyond Your Career Limitations - ITK#22

We live in a world of constraints - some are physical, some cultural but they are always personal. These mindsets limit our human potential to achieve great things in life and hinder experiences that not only enrich ourselves but also benefit society at large.

INSEAD celebrates women who have dared to push beyond their own limits and conquer obstacles in their lives to create positive change.

Welcome to another episode of In The Know where in today’s episode we celebrate the incredible feats of our five guests with a digital roundtable discussion.

Our Guests

Tade Fayomi – MBA’19J

Finance & Strategy Consultant @ BCG

Straight from university, Tade joined Goldman Sachs. She worked there for eight years and rose through the ranks from Analyst to Associate, and Vice President while being moved to work in the organisation’s London, New York, Singapore and Dubai offices. Tade went on to complete her MBA and work with the Africa Finance Corporation in 2018 before landing her current role as a Finance & Strategy Consultant at BCG.

Isavella Vitou – EMC’21

Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer @ Allianz Greece

Isavella joined Allianz in May 2021 as the Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer. Before joining Allianz, Isavella worked for Egon Zehnder and gained valuable experience in C-level executive search and assessment. In her mandate, she supported the growth of the business and successfully managed rapport with both candidates and clients. Before that, Isavella worked for Eurobank, Ernst & Young and at the Ministry of Tourism acting as a Consultant to the President of the Greek National Tourism Organization at the Ministry of Tourism.

Sofia Arhall Bergendorff – MBA’03D

Director, Platforms and Partnerships, Northern Europe @ Google, Denmark

Sofia is the Director of Partnerships in Northern Europe for Google, managing the relationship between Google and publishers when it comes to ad markets. Before that role, Sofia spent seven years in a Google strategy operations team in the Nordics and globally with the publisher business.  Before Google Sofia spent many years in management consulting and working with start-ups.

Maria Pereira – MBA’18D

Chief Innovation Officer @ TISSIUM

Maria Pereira leads the Innovation Hub at TISSIUM. She co-invented the development of Tissium’s range of biomorphic programmable polymers technology while a PhD student at Prof. Jeff Karp’s Laboratories. She has been recognized for her research by MIT Tech Review’s “35 Innovators Under 35” in 2014, as well as Forbes in its “30 under 30” selection in Healthcare in 2015. Maria holds a PhD in Bioengineering from the MIT-Portugal program and an MBA from INSEAD.

Chiara Lepora – EMBA’18Dec

Head of the Manson Unit / Deputy Medical Director of OCA @ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

Chiara trains people in the design, planning, implementation and management of humanitarian medical interventions; security management; networking and negotiations; project management, especially in emergencies.
Chiara also provides consultation services in the topics of ethics of medicine in non-ideal circumstances; ethics of research; ethics of public health; bioethics; global health; allocation of scarce resources.

References

https://herminiaibarra.com/books/

https://hbr.org/2020/12/how-to-lead-when-your-team-is-exhausted-and-you-are-too

https://www.ted.com/talks/frances_frei_how_to_build_and_rebuild_trust?language=en

Time Stamp

01:25 - Guest background and career aspirations

08:31 - What do you consider your greatest achievement?

17:10 - What does limitless mean to you?

22:18 - Can you describe some of the limitations you have faced and the tipping point that motivated you to take action against those limitations?

32:27 - What are some of the most meaningful skills young women can learn today to help them achieve their ambitions?

39:15 - What is one tip you can offer to help build a more inclusive and diverse workforce?

39:49 - What one piece of advice would you give our listeners to help break through their barriers and become limitless?

40:38 - What insights can you offer for women looking to advance their careers?

40:55 - Why are you optimistic about the future of women in business?

42:00 - Who do you look to for inspiration and can you recommend any sources of inspiration our listeners can follow, read about or watch?

The Life of a Pioneering MIM Student - Student Life Feature - ITK#21

INSEAD's Master in Management (MIM) programme is designed to empower the next generation of innovative individuals who are ready to positively impact society. If you are a young professional with zero to two years of work experience looking to learn beyond theory, acquire practical skills and maximise your career potential, INSEAD's MIM is one to explore. Discover more about the programme as we discuss the INSEAD MIM student experience with a couple of pioneering MIM students on topics ranging from class experience and diversity to career services, academics and more.

Our Guests

Raag Sudah

Raag is the Founder of an integrated education hub with a demonstrated history of working in the education management industry. Raag has honed her skills in Nonprofit Organizations, Analytics, Communication, Management, and Leadership.

Jeffery Dong 

Jeffery's career highlights to date include conducting due diligence for early-stage startups, interviewing founders, startup operators & venture capitalists and researching & analyzing parallels between the ‘kingmakers’ of Hollywood and Silicon Valley. Jeffery also co-launched Wrapped Up, a curated weekly newsletter to give you insights into the world of startups and VC, from the East to the West.

Time Stamp

02:39 - Guest background and career aspirations

03:42 - What does it feel like to be a part of the Pioneering class of MIMs at INSEAD?

04:57 - The main motivation for wanting to partake in the MIM programme at INSEAD

07:35 - The preparation done before coming to INSEAD, and tips for future MiM students thinking about applying.

10:42 - Challenges faced and how did you overcome them?

14:24 - What does a typical day look like for a MIM student at INSEAD?

17:58 - Most exciting moments about being in the MIM programme

21:39 - What are the things you did during your free time, and how did that change after moving to Singapore?

26:35 - How was it like to mix and interact with the MBAs on each campus?

29:01 - Tell us about your cohort and how the international/global aspect affects the dynamics of the classroom

31:44 - What would you say the classroom experience was like?

34:15 - How did you organise your workload and studying? Did you study more in groups or individually?

36:19 - How would you describe the INSEAD MIM culture?

39:34 - If you were to go back in time and do things differently in MIM, is there anything you would change?

42:20 - If you had to summarise your experience at INSEAD in 3 words or less, what would it be?

Coaching and the Art of Giving Back - ITK#20

Successful executives seldom get to the top alone. Even the most talented need the help of other people to reach their true potential. As the workplace becomes more competitive and interactive, the practice of leadership coaching and mentoring is becoming more common as ambitious individuals seek guidance, and senior executives realise the importance of helping people reach their full potential by sharing knowledge and insights. Today we're going to delve into a successful career coaching partnership and discuss the differences between the many roles people can play in guiding us in our careers, and the benefits that can bring the individual.

Our Guests

Nicolaas Woudenberg

Nicolaas is a Consultant at BCG and the CEO & Founder of Strōm which is a Human Performance coaching platform that energizes people to thrive through an offline coaching marketplace integrated with a digital journey of gamified micro-learning and habit building.

Gene Cleckley

Gene is a Career Coach in INSEAD’s CDC. He worked with hundreds of clients from all over the world, leveraging a 25-year career in global management, leadership development, corporate and organisational culture. Gene holds an academic and training background in organisational behaviour, psychotherapy and counselling, while also being an INSEAD EMC graduate.

Career Strategies in 2021- ITK#19

“Don't wait for the future to tell you what to do. It is better to make mistakes in a strategy than having no strategy at all.” - José Luis Álvarez, INSEAD Senior Affiliate Professor of Organisational Behaviour. In episode 19 we discuss the importance of having a strategy or at least an idea ready for implementation and what career strategies look like in 2021.

Our Guests

Sonal Bahl

Sonal is the Founder and Career Strategist at SuperCharge, a career advisory firm specialising in helping senior CSuite executives with their career challenges. Sonal is also the creator and host of the podcast How I Got Hired, which is a show aimed at inspiring 400 million jobseekers, looking to revive their work careers affected by the pandemic. Sonal is an MBA’09J and was an active member of INSEAD Women in Business Club and was responsible for Sponsorship, Marketing and Campus Liaison activities.

Christos Manolis

Christos is the Head of HR Benelux, Germany, France for PepsiCo and Human Resources leader with experience in the consumer goods industry in a variety of HRBP and specialist roles with UK, Europe and Globally. Christos leads a talented HR team at PepsiCo and partners business leaders across 7 western European markets supporting the growth of a $2bn portfolio and the organisation's transformation. Christos is an MBA’09J and was the President & Career Representative for the Consumer & Luxury Goods Club.

  

 

Pursuing an MBA with your Partner and Children - Student Life Feature - ITK#18

Partners and children enrich and enliven our community and we try to make sure that everyone benefits from the INSEAD experience. Through the availability of on-campus support, activities and the INSEAD Partners' community INSEAD children even get their own network of international friends, just like mum and dad. Plus, both Singapore and Fontainebleau are child-friendly places to live.

Our Guests

Ana Val Romera

Ana is a supply chain specialist with bachelor and master degrees in industrial engineering. Before pursuing her MBA, Ana joined Daimler in 2014 and managed Daimler's largest spare part procurement team and oversaw 40% of Daimler’s global spare part procurement worth a total of €820 million.

Tim van Vliet

Tim is the Co-founder of an alternative protein start-up INSEACT www.inseact.com. His start-up has received many awards, including the INSEAD Venture Competition, INSEAD Social Impact Award, Most Disruptive MBA Start-Up of 2019 (Poets and Quants) and the MBA Start-Up to look Out For In 2020 (Business Because).

 

Visit https://www.insead.edu/master-programmes/mba/student-life/partners-families to find more information about partners and families within the INSEAD MBA programme.