Alexandra Merkel

EDHEC Business School

“I’m a change agent who enjoys motivating those around me. I bring lots of energy!”

Hometown: Munich, Germany

Fun fact about yourself: I have a Bavarian heart and love the Bavaria region. I was part of a Bavarian culture group when I was younger. The biggest event of the year was May Day, May 1, when we erected a traditional Maypole with ribbons and decorations. In Bavaria, we honor our past by re-enacting cultural rituals, and the Maypole is an excellent example of how Bavarians strive to keep our cultural heritage alive, even today. People enjoy dressing in traditional clothing, walking through the streets, and sharing their pride.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Technical University – TUM School of Management, Munich, Technology and Management (B.Sc.)

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Capgemini Invent – Management Consultant & Interim Head of Marketing, Capgemini Invent, Munich, Germany

Where did you intern during the summer of 2023? NA

Where will you be working after graduation? I will go back into consulting in strategy and digital transformation, but I want to start my own company eventually.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

During my MBA, I was elected by my peers to represent the class in meetings with program administrators and professors. We also created a Class Charter with norms on how to work and learn together. This is important in an MBA program with 30 nationalities represented. My fellow class reps and I wanted to ensure everyone felt seen, heard, and respected. This role also required me to take care of my fellow classmates, listen to their concerns, offer them a helping hand, and, in times of worry, a shoulder to cry on. When I took on this position, I knew it would require hard work and dedication, but I didn’t anticipate the intimate conversations I would have with my classmates, conversations that have had a profound impact on me as a human being and as a leader.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? During my undergraduate studies, I spent a semester in Istanbul, and it was an incredible experience. I found myself in a completely different culture, a culture that challenged fundamental beliefs I took for granted as the absolute truth. I looked at my home country, as well as my career trajectory, differently after this experience. At EDHEC, I continued to dream about working and living abroad. With the help of program administrators and staff, I applied to and was accepted into a competitive exchange program hosted by IPADE Business School in Mexico. After my MBA at EDHEC ends, I will travel to Monterrey, Mexico to participate in 3-month academic program to learn more about Finance and HR Management. I’ll also take intensive Spanish lessons.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? When I was with KPMG, I worked to grow a community of consultants from 450 to 1.700. This community was focused on motivating team members to network more actively with internal colleagues (even in different departments) and to be more active on LinkedIn This effort did a lot to build KPMG’s brand reputation on the social media platform, and the timing could not have been better. A few months later, the world shut down due to COVID-19. As a result, the KPMG consultant community was well-positioned to progress despite pandemic challenges. This project won an HR Excellence Award in 2019.

Why did you choose this business school? A mixture of things made EDHEC the right choice for me. I have always appreciated French culture, so the idea of doing an MBA in France was attractive. I love the school’s location in Nice, on the Cote d’Azur of France, which is a beautiful region. However, I was sold on EDHEC after speaking with the program director, Sandra Richez. She was so friendly and supportive; I felt that EDHEC was a school with a heart, which was important to me.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Professor Inge de Clippeleer teaches the EDHEC Global MBA Lead 360 course, which cultivates leadership and teamwork and helps participants identify their core personal strengths. Professor de Clippeleer’s hands-on teaching style and interactive classroom activities helped me realize that I still have much to learn about managing others. Knowing this is helpful to me because I have identified the steps I need to take to improve. Professor de Clippeleer had us do a lot of role-playing, which can be difficult, but she was always supportive and encouraging. There were some uncomfortable conversations, but that’s the best way to learn.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My favorite course during my MBA was Leading People in Organizations, a course taught by Associate Professor Fabian Bernhard. This course taught me about motivating people and avoiding classic management errors, which can significantly impact staff retention and recruitment. Professor Bernhard presented different leadership styles to us, leading me to think about how authentic I want to be with my team. Should a manager ever show weakness in front of their team? How much friction in work relationships can I handle? In the end, I realized that learning to become a good leader never ends, and this is exciting because it means there are still challenges ahead.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? One of the first activities we did together as a class was to take a boat to the Island of St Honorât, off the coast of Cannes. We divided into groups and did a scavenger hunt to discover the island’s beautiful coves and beaches and to learn more about each other and how we work best with others. And, of course, since EDHEC is in France, we took a break at noon for a typical, laid-back French meal. We tasted French wines and played pétanque. I felt immersed in the local culture and welcomed into the EDHEC Global MBA. It was a great way to kick things off.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I wouldn’t change anything.

What is the biggest myth about your school? EDHEC is renowned for its Finance programs, so I was expecting those courses to be top-notch, and they were. However, I also discovered that EDHEC is a thought leader in other academic areas, including Marketing, Strategy and Entrepreneurship.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? Nice is full of friendly people. You could say that people from Nice have sunshine in their hearts. They are very charming.

What surprised you the most about business school? No matter how much people warn you about the intensity of an MBA program, I was still surprised by how intense it was. But this is what I was after when I decided to do an MBA, so I am not disappointed.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? My classmate Carly Stanway inspires me because she is using her MBA experience to restart her career and, in many ways, her life. I admire her courage to take such a leap of faith. She is stepping away from a successful career in Canada to contemplate her next steps and dream big.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? I want to start my own company to bring positive change to the world and live and work outside Europe.

What made Alex such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“I was thrilled when Alex decided to choose EDHEC for her MBA. She took time and care to discuss her plans, asked good, specific questions, and challenged us on what her MBA experience could deliver. She took a very personalized approach, and that really struck a chord with me and the MBA Admissions team. Alex has proven to be an incredibly valuable member of her cohort – her frank, direct, and personal approach earned her a leadership role as a Class Representative, where she works with a team to smoothly manage MBA Life for an unbelievably diverse cohort. In this role, she listens, reflects, and finds solutions to make the MBA experience better for all. But don’t be fooled by Alex’s sunny personality and easygoing nature; she can be tough and rigorous, and this brings her outstanding academic results. Alex is an avid traveler with an adventurous spirit – she has deep curiosity and respect for other cultures. She was selected for our prestigious academic exchange with IPADE Business School in Mexico, where she can continue her studies and explore the wonders of Latin America, bringing her one step closer to the goal of a successful global career.”

Sandra Richez
Director of the EDHEC Global MBA

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