Isabelle Schenk

University of Manchester’s Alliance Manchester Business School

Hometown: ​Wald, Zurich in Switzerland

Fun Fact About Yourself: ​I have a really good ear for languages and accents – I am a multilinguist and I have a knack for guessing the right origin of people based on their accents in any of the languages that I can speak.​

Undergraduate School and Major: ​Swiss Hotel Management School Lucerne, Hotel and General Management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Manchester International Festival, Head of Hospitality and Guest Relations

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Alliance Manchester’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school? Why was it so important to you? It was the applied learning, such as the live consultancy projects or the M&A simulation project (also AMBS is one of the top business schools in the world). If it was just theory, I would not need to go to business school. Applied learning turns the thought theory into tangible learning outputs. Here, you are working in teams and having to adjust and manage all different elements at the same time. Hence, I was learning to prioritise and manage my time effectively, which were some of the most valuable lessons on the Manchester MBA. My undergrad was also an applied learning program and I remember so much of it. As a result, I was able to draw from the experiences in my professional life. 

What club or extracurricular activity excites you most at this school? I am in the Pharma and FMCG Club as well as in the consulting and Women in Business Club. I thoroughly enjoy all the interactions and learnings I gain from the clubs. There are many networking opportunities and whilst most of it is virtual, these sessions are really important to broaden my general knowledge and network. Exposure is so important for my career and professional future. 

What makes Manchester such a great place to earn an MBA? How have you taken advantage of Manchester to further your business education? It’s Manchester – we do things different here! I moved here in 2016 and I love the city. With all its grit and edge, it is a very vibrant place full of energy and people are always pushing for the next endeavor to elevate the city to the next stage. There is a big community of entrepreneurs and many tech startups, but also well-established firms have moved to Manchester in the past years. I think this really cements Manchester’s appeal of the new place to be in the UK and as a global hot spot.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far? ​Prior to moving to the UK, I led the expansion and turnaround of a private bank’s hotel portfolio. It was overall a fantastic opportunity. but the turnaround and opening of a 4-star resort in the Swiss Alps was one of my proudest moments. But there are many moments in my career where I felt very proud and accomplished. My background is in hospitality. The experiences and interactions in this industry are priceless and have taught me an enormous amount in regards to leadership, the importance of relationships and networks, and the importance of guest satisfaction.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? ​I originally wanted to do the MBA five years ago, but I had my son around that time so I decided to postpone. The reason for me to embark on a full-time MBA was to be able to pivot into a different industry and the MBA is a great opportunity to do so. I have been accepted on the IRDP internship at Johnson & Johnson, which starts mid-June for three months. This goes to show that it is indeed possible to change industry and country by doing a full-time MBA.​

What was your defining moment and how did it prepare you for business school? ​As mentioned above, it was on my career development list for a while but the start of the pandemic pushed me to apply for the Class of 2022. However, the ambition to embark on an MBA really was instilled years ago. Some of my managers and also family members who had an MBA told me how valuable it is and the great opportunities they were presented with after graduating from an MBA program. So I knew this is something I would like to achieve as well.

DON’T MISS: MEET ALLIANCE MANCHESTER’S MBA CLASS OF 2022