Sophie Delaye

INSEAD

“I am a kind, driven, and enthusiastic doctor and mother-of-one.”

Hometown: London, UK

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am a general surgeon and much of my time during my career has been spent standing in theatre operating rooms, removing appendixes and fixing intestines!

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Bristol, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB ChB) & Bachelor or Science (BSc)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Homerton Healthcare NHS Trust, Colorectal Surgical registrar

INSEAD is one of the most culturally and professionally diverse MBA programs in the world. How do you see these global perspectives enhancing the value of your business education over the next year? As a doctor for nearly a decade, I have a deep understanding of the intricacies of patient care and the management of the UK NHS healthcare system. It is a narrow but very specialist point of view. I am eager to bring this viewpoint to my cohort and, more importantly, to learn from my peers’ diverse experiences. I am excited to integrate into a cohort with such a wealth of experience and use this opportunity to challenge both our own and our peers’ ideals and points of view. Learning from my peers could potentially take me beyond my planned career path, opening up new opportunities and insights.

Why did you choose a one-year program over a two-year program? How do you see an INSEAD MBA giving you an advantage in the marketplace? As someone in my early thirties, I wanted an MBA programme that would allow me to re-enter the workforce quickly and maintain positive career momentum. Additionally, as a mother with a young child and a family to support, the shorter duration of a one-year programme was particularly appealing.

I see INSEAD’s incredible network as a significant asset for re-entering the marketplace post-MBA. The Career Development Centre offers numerous opportunities to enhance one’s profile, network with leading global companies, and prepare for a successful career transition. INSEAD’s impressive post-graduation statistics speak for themselves!

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of INSEAD’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? A key factor that drew me to INSEAD’s MBA programme was its global footprint. My post-MBA aim is to work and live in Europe. Although we have built a home for our family in the UK, my husband is French and has worked in France for the last four years. Therefore, I was committed to choosing an MBA programme with a strong interface into the European job market to help me springboard into my career. The MBA will also allow us to build a new home in Fontainebleau, bringing my daughter closer to her French heritage. INSEAD’s comprehensive curriculum and global approach perfectly align with my career goals and our family’s aspirations.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at INSEAD? The club I am most excited to join at INSEAD is the Healthcare Club. I look forward to collaborating with others who share my passion for healthcare. While my experience has been primarily within the healthcare provider sector, I am eager to expand my knowledge and work across different areas of the industry. Specifically, I am interested in networking and collaborating on projects related to the Medtech and Pharmaceutical sectors. I believe the Healthcare Club will foster a positive and dynamic environment for students with a shared vision, enabling us to create impactful connections and innovative solutions.

What has been your first impression of the INSEAD MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best INSEAD story so far. If I were to describe my first impression from interacting with INSEAD MBA students and alumni in three words, they would be ‘accomplished, humble, and inclusive.’ My favourite event was attending the celebration of International Women’s Day. We heard from both men and women who shared a variety of professional and personal stories highlighting the importance of gender balance. The diverse professional backgrounds of the speakers, ranging from science to the fashion industry, demonstrated the prevalence of imbalance and underscored the necessity of supporting workforce equality across all sectors.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My greatest professional achievement was working on the front line during the COVID-19 pandemic. I vividly recall eating my pre-night shift meal on March 23, 2020, as our Prime Minister announced the nationwide lockdown. The fear I felt driving to the hospital that night was undeniable. Within an hour, my night team of three doctors had reduced to just me, as my colleagues were redeployed to other areas. In the ensuing months, I endured operating in layers and layers of PPE—at one point, we were even briefly recommended wearing two of everything, including shoes and hats, based on the interpretation of initial studies from other countries.

One of the most poignant moments was holding the hand of a dying patient whose daughter, my own colleague, couldn’t visit due to restrictions. This was a low point.

The challenges were immense, but despite them, the experience taught me the profound value of camaraderie and teamwork. The bonds I formed with my colleagues during those unprecedented times are lifelong, and the resilience we built together will continue to guide me throughout my career.

What do you hope to do after graduation (at this point)? My short-term goal is to establish a comprehensive toolkit to feel confident and prepared for any managerial role. To date, I haven’t had the opportunity to re-evaluate my career choice and have primarily focused on moving through the ranks as a doctor. I am keen to use the MBA from INSEAD to gain exposure to wide breadth of industries and people alike, allowing me to potentially assess a career path beyond the NHS. Fundamentally, my long-term aspiration remains to work in a healthcare related field where my passion lies, and my work can make a positive impact on people lives.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into INSEAD’s MBA program? My advice would be to prepare early, be yourself, and attend local events to meet past MBA students.

I spent a good eight weeks preparing my application for submission. Balancing a full-time job with MBA applications was incredibly challenging, so I recommend starting early, researching the application questions, and drafting your responses well in advance.

Being true to my authentic self was also very important. INSEAD embraces diversity and doesn’t look for a ‘one size fits all’ approach. They want to get to know the real you, and I promise that is enough.

What particularly sold me on the INSEAD programme was attending pre-application events and speaking to alumni. They were all incredibly inclusive and friendly, genuinely interested in getting to know you without any judgment. Seeing myself aspiring to follow the journey they had taken spoke volumes, more than any sales pitch ever could.

DON’T MISS: MEET INSEAD’S MBA CLASS OF 2025