Meet The MBA Class of 2022: Sila Beste Tekin, CEIBS

Sila Beste Tekin

China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)

“A millennial nomad.”

Hometown: Istanbul, Turkey

Fun Fact About Yourself: Since July 2019, I have been totally homeless, living out of my suitcase and pretty much on the move every month.

Undergraduate School and Major: Architecture – Istanbul Kültür University

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Hospitality Project Manager, KOKAISTUDIOS

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the MBA curriculum or activities that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? It is the best b-school in Asia, located in the heart of an economic megalopolis and it has the most sophisticated industry knowledge and network of world’s fastest-growing economy. I come from a rather unconventional background for an MBA – architecture and design – and a well-rounded curriculum was crucial to develop my business-IQ from scratch.

What is the biggest appeal of earning an MBA in China? In my opinion, China is unquestionably the most exciting place in the world right now. Particularly the ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation is basically in its own league at this point. I simply could not justify it to my future self if I missed out on the party.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I designed and implemented the core concept of an upcoming chain hotel brand. So far, more than a dozen hotels have been built, implementing my designs over thousands of square meters around the world.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? Surviving it.

What quality best describes your MBA classmates and how do they demonstrate this quality in your interactions? Bright. At work, I get to see the intelligence and talent of my colleagues, but rarely see them face completely unfamiliar challenges outside of their expertise zone. In the MBA program, it is what we do every day and almost every day I am pleasantly surprised and impressed by the genius perspectives and diverse thinking of my MBA peers.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? None, because my aim was clear from the start: CEIBS.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Architecture is an ancient discipline. Despite innovations in applications and materials, the practice of design itself still follows the apprenticeship method. It takes years of experience to deserve credentials and have executive power. As an impatient millennial, I simply decided to take the reins in my hands and develop myself with much needed business knowledge to become a deserving leader, and do so within a few years instead of a few decades as the traditional trajectory of an architecture career dictates.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE CIEBS MBA CLASS OF 2022

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