Karina Ikhsan

IESE Business School, University of Navarra

“Ambitious, resilient, savvy; an entrepreneur in the making.”

Hometown: Almaty, Kazakhstan

Fun Fact About Yourself: Growing up I used to be a professional gymnast, winning three gold medals.

Undergraduate School and Major: Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, International Hospitality Management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Digital Spring Ventures – Investment Analyst

What makes the case method so attractive as a means to learn and become a better manager? I believe in a practical way of learning, stepping away from theory and getting into the shoes of the decision-maker. The case method allows you to participate in engaging discussions in a very diverse environment, challenging yourself and others, and getting out of your comfort zone. Voicing your opinions in a room of highly intelligent individuals teaches persuasion and the ability to state your case. Also, exploring real business problems in various industries is a great advantage.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the school’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The one aspect that really differentiated IESE from all other schools was its supportive culture and values that they stand by. I could sense it from the moment I started my application process. With every encounter and discussion that I had with the admissions team, students and alumni I fell more in love with the school. Also, IESE has one of the most diverse cohorts, which will provide me with the opportunity to learn from classmates who come from different countries, backgrounds, industries, and professions. Lastly, the location of the school is close to none; having the opportunity to learn a new language, graduate with a bilingual degree, and immerse myself in a new culture while studying in a top MBA program will allow me to grow both personally and professionally.

What club or activity excites you most at this school? It would be the Entrepreneurship Club because it will give me the opportunity to meet like-minded people who have been, are or aspiring to be, entrepreneurs. Also, I’m excited to join the Women in Business Club and Tech Club.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I think that the aggregate of my experiences is my biggest accomplishment so far. I had the privilege of working in various organizational structures, industries, and countries. However, joining a VC firm with no financial background or experience is probably one of the biggest milestones for me. It was tough at first; I had to learn on the go, take multiple courses, and push myself very hard in order to prove to myself that I could do it. And all this effort was truly worth it.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? The desire to start my own company. Metaphorically speaking, I see the path to my goal as a mountain. Surely, I could start climbing it now on my own, but it would take me a lot of time to reach the top. I believe that an MBA will provide me with tools and equipment to climb that same mountain more efficiently and will help me avoid a lot of mistakes that I could have made without this experience.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? LBS, HEC Paris.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? “If you were the dean of IESE for one day what would you do?” – try answering it now.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? First, I did a lot of self-reflection, and this is something I would recommend to all future applicants. I realized that I thrive in diverse and multicultural environments, so European business schools were the only ones that I considered, because of their 90%+ international student body. I wanted a two-year program so that I could fully prepare myself for my entrepreneurial journey. Once I figured the continent and length of the program that I wanted, culture became my main priority. Although the schools do a great job at communicating their culture through websites and brochures, nothing beats an interaction with current students or alumni. This is where you get the real feel of the school. Once I’ve done that, it was pretty easy to short list the schools and choose which one was the best fit for me and vice versa.

What was your defining moment and how did it prepare you for business school? There wasn’t one defining moment that prepared me for business school. All the opportunities I’ve had and challenges I’ve faced throughout my life had an impact on who I am today and prepared me for this new chapter. Having parents of different nationalities and cultures taught me inclusivity and tolerance. Being the eldest sibling in a big family taught me responsibility. Professional gymnastics taught me persistence. Working as a waitress taught me humility. But the most important lesson that life taught me is going after your goals.

What is your favorite company and what could business students learn from them? There are a lot of companies that I admire, but if I had to pick one, I would pick Nike. The reason why I chose this company is not because of their brilliant branding strategies or their ability to innovate and create the best running shoes in the world. It’s because of their founder: Phil Knight. I would highly recommend his book, Shoe Dog, to everyone reading this. What business students (and anyone quite frankly) can learn from Nike and Mr. Knight is that:

• You should not be scared to follow your dreams even if everyone else thinks you are crazy
• Doing things differently can be a great advantage
• Culture is more important than talent

DON’T MISS: MEET THE MBA CLASS OF 2022 AT IESE BUSINESS SCHOOL