Mees Middelweerd

IE Business School

“Outgoing, positive mindset, willing to learn, and on the water kitesurfing when conditions are right.”

Hometown: Amsterdam, Holland

Fun Fact About Yourself: Crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a Class40 (race sailing boat).

Undergraduate School and Major: BSc & MSc in Econometrics at the University of Amsterdam (UvA)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Boston Consulting Group, Consultant

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I won the annual ‘Most impressive personal development’ award, which is part of BCG’s strength-based development program. I am an avid believer of strength-based development, and thus I was honored to win this award and contribute to the program.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? From the start of the program, I have felt, from my classmates, an enormous drive to deliver, a willingness to share experiences in order to increase learnings, and a true entrepreneurial mindset. Combining this with the innovative approach of teaching and the diversity of the MBA class both professionally and culturally (for which IE is known), this produces an environment in which the exchange of inspiring – and simultaneously confronting – ideas amongst classmates. Such an environment helps to put one’s own ideas and professional experience into perspective.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? IE Business School’s relentless focus on diversity – from a geographic and cultural perspective as well as in regards to educational and professional backgrounds – really appealed to me. I believe that the exchange of ideas and visions that ensue from diversity creates a unique atmosphere that helps individuals explore critical thinking and understand different values. Moreover, approximately 50% of IE’s MBA program can be tailored and I find this really exciting!

Personally, I plan to take as many analytics, big data, and tech-related electives as possible. As the business environment is rapidly changing, I believe that data will not be a differentiator but a table stake for success. I find it therefore necessary to understand the full range of sophisticated analytics that data engineers and data scientists have at their disposal. This way I will be able to both generate deep insights and translate these insights into impact at scale.

IE Business School calls itself “An “MBA out of the ordinary.” How has IE’s curriculum and activities been out of the ordinary from what you expected or what you experienced in other educational institutions? Three things really stand out for me: 1) IE’s focus on entrepreneurship is not only through dedicated ‘entrepreneurship’ classes but the entrepreneurial spirit is also embedded in all of our professors’ teaching; 2) the importance of class-participation, which in my view serves as the catalyst for students’ learnings; and 3) the program’s focus – inside and out of the classroom – on the importance of developing soft skills in order to be an effective leader.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? What is, in your view, an unsustainable industry?  Why and how would you try to change this?

If I remember correctly, I answered this question in two ways. The Oil & Gas industry is a key driver of economic development of the global economy and this makes us very dependent on it. The use of fossil fuel is unsustainable because of the limited supply, CO2 emissions, and other factors. Still, what I find more interesting is the role of petrochemicals. Petrochemicals are becoming the largest driver of the world demand for Oil & Gas and it is the prevalence of petrochemicals in everyday products (including products needed for renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines, solar panels, etc.) And this leads me to the second part of my answer: according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the influence of petrochemicals needed for future energy trends on future oil and gas demand will be greater than that cars, trucks, and aviation. This dependency I find interesting and, I’d argue, unsustainable.

What do you see yourself doing in ten years? I strive to become a leader who inspires others. In what industry, role or position: that is to be decided!

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