Andry

My name is Andry and I am a Managing Consultant at a Private Consultancy. Prior to this, I worked as a Senior Business Analyst for Soft Computing and a Senior Consultant for Altran. I hold a Masters Degree in Marketing, Economics and Business Strategy from the SKEMA Business School.

I had been working in the telecom industry for a long time and I realized that it was time for me to move on to something else. My parents are entrepreneurs in Madagascar and they have a holding company that owns hotels, farms, car dealerships, etc. I aim to go back someday and take care of the family business.  But the type of qualification, formal training, and experience I have is not something that would help me to manage a holding company in a developing country. Hence I decided to go for an MBA to help me develop the skills required for such an endeavor.

IMD is very entrepreneurship, family business and real solution-oriented and it was the right match for me bringing me the exact tools that I needed for my situation. Also, the student body at IMD is slightly older than the average age at HEC or INSEAD and so I was surrounded by people who had a lot of experience, demonstrated leadership In management.

The most difficult part of the process was definitely the GMAT. My education prior to this was mainly technical which I had completed over ten years before. Also, the MCQ format was pretty new for me. Thankfully, Dr. Hubert Silly and MBA Center supported me through their classes and I was able to get a good score in my GMAT.

The school puts a lot of focus on the learning experience of its students. There are a lot of clubs and activities adapted to the specific class cultures. You can network within the campus with various other people in your own specific line of work.

The classes are intense and the state of the art facilities on the campus help you focus on your path of self-discovery and leadership development. Moreover, the location of the campus, amidst the lake and mountain views, the numerous local festivals and outdoor activities available to students to help them have a varied and exciting life.

First of all, the MBA is a very prestigious degree and a lot of people feel intimidated but the students and by the way the schools market themselves. But you need to be able to go behind the mirror and see what it really is. You need to gain confidence and realize that these students are just like you.

Second, Be patient and take the time to prepare. I gave my first GMAT after six months which I failed. Then I had to go back to Madagascar and I was unable to continue with my studies and MBA Center also did not have an e-learning system at that time. And finally, when I got back, I managed to take classes and clear my GMAT. This whole process took me over two years. It is a highly unusual situation and I do not think many people will find themselves in my position, but if you do, be patient.

Lastly, I’d like to say that a good manager should always be surrounded by good professionals to be successful and MBA Center is definitely the right choice in this regard as I found them to be highly proficient and expert in their field and they have been of great help to me in my application process.