Meet INSEAD’s MBA Class Of 2024

P&Q: What are some key elements in your teaching of leadership? What types of options does your school offer that deepens student experience with leadership and makes them more competitive in the marketplace?

Peyer: “In 2017, INSEAD introduced a Personal Leadership Development Progamme (PLDP) with leadership coaching – the largest such programme offered at any business school. It is designed to provide INSEAD MBA students with a new standard of excellence in personal and interpersonal awareness, as well as communication effectiveness. The PLDP programme runs parallel to the MBA and consists of personal and group coaching as well as introduces a set of tools and experiences throughout the MBA programme that will give students opportunities to enhance your short-term and long-term career success.

It starts before the student arrives on campus and continues throughout the MBA programme. It consists of personal and interpersonal assessment tools, communication awareness, leadership-skills development, as well as professional and peer-based feedback on existing experiential learning opportunities, such as simulations, role plays and group exercises. Grounded in adult learning theory, it follows the Learning Cycle of engaging in, reflecting on, concluding and planning for an experience.

The PLDP complements two OB core courses and a large number of very popular leadership and leadership communication electives. Two electives frequently winning the best elective teaching award are in the leadership domain:  Psychological Issues in Management   and Power and Politics.  What makes those leadership courses especially interesting at INSEAD is the different perspectives students bring to the courses.

Both, the academic courses and the PLDP help students to become more reflective and open leaders of diverse teams.”

P&Q: Two years ago, P&Q asked you to share how you’ve integrated AI, STEM, analytics, and digital disruption into your programming. Since then, what types of enhancements have you made in these areas?

Peyer: “INSEAD has built the largest VR library in the world for management education,  with 20 VR experiences on teaching areas in leadership, strategy, sustainability, innovation, entrepreneurship and many others. Recently the school also hosted the First Annual Meeting of the Global XR Management Community at our Middle East Campus in Abu Dhabi with 42 scholars from 24 institutions from around the world.  The goal is to start building a community of scholars who are already using these new technologies in their teaching or research.

The school’s Digital@INSEAD aims to be a catalyst for global digital transformation. The initiative focuses on leveraging digitalisation and digital transformation for positive impact on businesses and society. New electives are introduced provide students with the opportunity to gain insights into emerging technologies, AI, STEM, analytics and digital strategy.  Some of them include:  Data Science for Business, Ethic of Algorithms, Digital Entrepreneurship, AI Strategy for Startups and C-Suites, Service‐as‐Strategy: Competing Through Services In a Digital World, The Future of Digital: NFTs, Web 3.0 and the Metaverse,  Digital Transformation of Society, Industries and Companies, Analytics For Responsible Management, Pricing Analytics, Product Management in a Digital World and more…

In addition, regular webinars (Tech Talk Series, InTheCase) workshops, forums (INSEAD Future Forum, INSEAD AI Forum), workshops and panel discussions are organised to bring together leading experts, industry leaders and students to discuss and debate the challenges and opportunities presented by digital transformation. These events also provide a platform for networking, knowledge sharing, and collaboration.”

P&Q: How many courses outside the business school can MBAs take during your program? To what extent has your business school embraced coursework from other schools and departments at your university? Are students from other schools and departments at the university allowed to take MBA electives?

Peyer: “INSEAD’s key advantage is to provide an INSEAD experience across all our campuses in the world. As a stand-alone business school, we have a few professors that would usually be in non-business school departments of universities (eg, political science; AI) and as such we do provide our students opportunities to learn from other fields – although always with a perspective of how this field is relevant for business. Some courses to bring in students from other disciplines. For example, the elective on Design Thinking hosts students from the Pasadena School of Design. But as a one-year MBA programme, our educational focus is firmly on topics relevant business decision-making.”

P&Q: What is your biggest student-run event of the year and what does it reflect about your school?

Peyer: “One of the biggest student-run events of the year is the Robin Hood Scholarship Campaign. It is an INSEAD student tradition around solidarity while championing diversity and equality. Led by our MBA students, this fundraising campaign aims to provide a need-based diversity scholarship to one deserving candidate from the following intake.

Funds raised through the Robin Hood Campaign will help turn someone’s dream into reality and give a future candidate the chance to live the life-changing INSEAD experience. The award is granted to a candidate who demonstrates critical difficulty in raising sufficient funds for the year at INSEAD. Each recipient must then take an active part in their own class on-campus fundraising appeal and to drive the initiative amongst his/her own classmates — paying it forward.

The Robin Hood Campaign brings together the INSEAD family (students, partners, faculty, staff, network and more) around a noble cause. Since its creation, 38 students have benefited from this initiative. The awards vary from €15,000 to €20,000.

5 REASONS TO CONSIDER INSEAD

1) One-Year Program: “While an MBA will definitely set me up for more impact, speed, and accuracy of execution mattered to me. The duration of INSEAD’s MBA made a huge difference. I love being in the “game” and I love the work I was doing prior to INSEAD. So, I really want to get back into the “game” as soon as possible. INSEAD is getting things done in record time (10 months) and post-MBA outcomes for alumni have spoken to the accuracy at which they were doing so. I feel that this level of accuracy speaks to the level of refinement of this program, which is very much aligned with the qualities I aspire to build for the next lap of my career.”
Mikah Edwin Nuilondea (’24)

2) Sustainability: “I aspire to drive positive societal impact through sustainable investing, so what first drew me to INSEAD beyond academic excellence was being one of the first top business schools offering sustainable finance electives, and the Hoffmann Institute’s Sustainable Development Goals expertise. Currently, the MBA programme offers over 10 electives specifically on sustainable business models, economics and financing, and is increasingly integrating this theme into all core courses as well. INSEAD’s focus on contributing to society, reflected by motto “Business as a force for Good”, aligns with my values and commitment to sustainability, volunteering and philanthropy.”
Rebecca Chandler (’23)

3) Entrepreneurship: “The entrepreneurship realm resonates deeply with my aspirations. Beyond the immersive treks to innovative hubs like Israel and Silicon Valley, the Corporate Entrepreneurship class particularly piques my interest. Its focus on navigating the complexities of launching new ventures within established organizations aligns seamlessly with my inclination towards innovation and creative problem-solving. Also, engaging with entrepreneurially-minded classmates and harnessing their insights are bound to foster an environment of dynamic learning and collaboration.”
Ana Maria de Carvalho Pavanello (’24)

4) Leadership Development: ”The Personal Leadership Development Programme (PLDP) holds immense appeal for me. The opportunity to embark on a journey of self-discovery to amplify my self-awareness and fine-tune my leadership skills resonates profoundly with my growth-oriented mindset. Guided by expert career coaches, I anticipate this experience will empower me to become a more effective and authentic leader, ensuring that my journey at INSEAD culminates not only in academic growth but also in personal transformation.”
Ana Maria de Carvalho Pavanello (’24)

5) Courses and Events: “[The Master Strategy] event allowed us to apply our strategic thinking and problem-solving skills to a real-life company facing significant challenges. This year, we had the opportunity to work with Chateau de Fontainebleau, which was an exciting and insightful experience. In diverse teams, we leveraged our individual strengths and backgrounds to analyze the Chateau’s current situation and provide innovative solutions. The event provided a unique opportunity to engage with the company’s management team, learn about their business first-hand, and network with industry professionals. My team might not have won, but I take great comfort in knowing a team from my section won – Go E9!!”
Albert Kweku Gyamfi(’23)

“We have amazing and passionate teachers at INSEAD. Therefore, it is not easy to choose, but I always enjoy classes with Ella Miron-Spektor, our professor for Organisational Behaviour in P1. This course centres on the impact of human psychology and theories that could, in other hands, seem very nebulous and hard to grasp, but she carefully creates immersive practical exercises for each class to role-play the theories in real life. We’ve done a virtual simulation of climbing Mount Everest as a team competition; negotiated with movie studio execs to produce a film; and negotiated for master’s scholarships using email only, just to give some examples.”
Rebecca Chandler (’23)

“ISIF (Student Impact Fund) is a student-run venture capital fund that invests in early-stage social enterprises with the potential to make a positive impact on the world….

Peers and other partners included, ISIF provides an opportunity to learn from some of the brightest minds in the social impact. ISIF’s portfolio companies are led by passionate and experienced entrepreneurs who are working to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. I cannot wait to learn from them and to contribute to their success. The nature of investments made by ISIF also offers the opportunity for outsized returns given its high growth focus. This means that ISIF investors have the potential to make a significant financial impact on the world, while also making a positive social impact.”
Kudirat Olateju (’24)

ADVICE TO PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

“Focus less on “hacking” the ideal INSEAD candidate and strive to show what makes you unique—even if weird. That unique voice might be what INSEAD will like to bring onboard, to enrich the class where you’re applying. Each profile and nationality is a minority at INSEAD.”
Mikah Edwin Nuilondea (’24)

“Not everyone at INSEAD has a lot of international experience. But you must be able to demonstrate your ability to fit in well in an incredibly diverse environment, with qualities such as openness, flexibility, curiosity about other cultures, interpersonal skills, maturity – all these elements help.”
Cassandra Pittman, Fortuna Admissions

“Most INSEAD students are making some significant changes in their careers, but the 10-month program doesn’t afford a lot of time for mulling over infinite options. Be ready to make decisions about your future direction quickly, and to juggle an intensive academic schedule with an ongoing and regular investment of time in your job search.”
Cassandra Pittman, Fortuna Admissions

MBA Student	Hometown	Undergraduate Alma Mater	Last Employer
Karolina Adamkiewicz	Warsaw, Poland	University of Cambridge	Great Britain’s National Health Service
Daniel Tuan Anh Hoang	Ha Tinh, Vietnam	Vietnam National University	Unilever
Benjamin PIERRE	Paris, France	French Air Force Academy	French Ministry of Defense
Deema Bin Homed	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	King Saud University	Eli Lilly and Company
Ana Maria de Carvalho Pavanello	Vera Cruz, Brazil	University of Campinas – Brazil	McKinsey & Company
Catherine Dimitroff	London, United Kingdom	University of Oxford	AQR
Chyngyz Ibraimov	Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan	Kyrgyz State Law Academy	PwC
Mark Jordan	Dublin, Ireland	University College Dublin	Western Sydney LHD
Mikah Edwin Nuilondea	Nkwen, Bamenda	Ecole Nationale Supérieure Polytechnique de Yaoundé	GSK
JD (John David) Nunez Hurtado	Quito, Ecuador	Tufts University	Panacash
Kudirat Olateju	London, United Kingdom	Imperial College London	T. Rowe Price
Julia Zhang	Frankfurt, Germany & Shanghai, China	Mannheim University	McKinsey & Company