2016 MBAs To Watch: Ziad Moubarak, IESE Business School

Ziad Moubarak

IESE Business School

Age: 30

Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon

Undergraduate School and Degree: BS and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from the Lebanese American University

Where did you work before enrolling in business school?

GlaxoSmithKline, Medical Representative

Human Capital SAL, Business Development Consultant

Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? The Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) in Casteldefels

Where will you be working after graduation? The Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) in Casteldefels

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

Club Officer in the Innovation & Design Club, the Healthcare Club, the Middle East and North Africa Business Club, and the Music Club

Founder, License Holder, and Co-Curator for TEDxIESEBarcelona

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Launching the first TEDx event at IESE, known as TEDxIESEBarcelona, with nine speakers and viewed by an audience of roughly 1,200 people (present at venue and livestreaming).

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Launching two medium-sized innovative European medical device companies in 10 different markets across the MENA and Gulf regions, via development and execution of expansion and market entry strategies.

Who is your favorite professor? It is Carlos Garcia Pont and Alejandro Lago because of their passion and ability to gracefully orchestrate a class discussion.

Favorite MBA Courses? New Product Development, Strategy and Sustainability, as well as the Business in Africa Course module we attended in Nairobi.

Why did you choose this business school? Coming from a health care background where my role was mainly customer-facing, I wanted to learn as much as I could about strategy and analytics in a two-year case method approach-based MBA program that was based in a wonderful city. IESE fit all these criteria.

What did you enjoy most about business school? I enjoyed collaborating with fellow students from different nationalities on various projects within the core MBA curriculum, as well as on case competitions and extracurriculars. The biggest reward was the camaraderie that resulted from working with amazing people.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from business school? The biggest lesson I gained was understanding the role I wanted to play in my future career, as well as the ability to understand the roles others should play. I accomplished the former by allowing myself to become introspective. I accomplished the latter by building close relationships with many of my extraordinary classmates, each of whom has different motivations and passions.

If I were ever in a position to hire people for a project, I ultimately learned how important it is that I select each person for the specific roles they were meant to play rather than those they just simply had to play. It makes all the difference if you are passionate about your work.

What was the most surprising thing about business school? The most surprising thing was how much I learned from other students inside and outside the classroom as opposed to my professors.

What was the hardest part of business school? The hardest part of business school was coming to terms with the fact that I did not possess the intellectual capacity to master all the subjects. The learning I achieved is the realisation that I did not need to master everything, because partnerships in the future are meant to complement intellectual gaps.

What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? If you don’t have a business background, make sure you prepare some business basics before starting school in order to benefit the most from case studies and class discussions.

“I knew I wanted to go to business school when… I realized I wanted to contribute to a larger cause outside the borders of my own country.”

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be… trying to understand the intricacies of business development by myself.”

Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire? It is Luis Von Ahn, the creator of Recaptcha and Duolingo. I admire entrepreneurs who come up with simple solutions to solve complex problems.

What are your long-term professional goals? My long-term goals are to be an integral part of as many impactful projects as possible, in the realms of health care technology and education. In other words, my hope is that I will become a serial entrepreneur on projects of my choosing, based on their potential for impact and disruption.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? My family, for supporting me throughout my career choices.

Fun fact about yourself: I can improvise blues song lyrics on the guitar on the go.

Favorite book: American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Favorite movie: La Vita Es Bella by Roberto Benigni

Favorite musical performer: AC/DC

Favorite television show: “The Sopranos”

Favorite vacation spot: Lisbon, Portugal

Hobbies? Guitar and music theory. Traveling. Reading

What made Ziad such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?

“Ziad is another amazing IESE student who is dedicated to making a positive impact on society, an integral part of IESE’s mission. He holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Lebanese American University. Prior to joining the MBA program, he worked in pharma and medical device business development across the Middle East, Gulf, and North Africa. Ziad’s contribution to the IESE community includes a very important milestone in the school’s history: launching the first TEDx event at IESE, known as TEDxIESEBarcelona, with nine speakers and viewed by an audience of roughly 1,200 people (present at venue and livestreaming ). We are grateful for his continued commitment to the IESE community in the classroom and beyond.”

Marta Escardo

Faculty and Dean of Students

IESE Business School

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