Anne Cecil

Hi, I am Anne. Having completed my Master in Business Law and DESS, Tax Law, I began working as a lawyer for CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre. After four years spent there, I decided to move forward in a new direction in my life and thought about getting into the hotel business, something I had always had an interest in.

As a lawyer dealing with tax issues for my clients, I realized that I wanted to do something more valuable than helping big companies pay less tax. I was always interested in entrepreneurship preferably in the luxury industry and realized that it could be the thing that could add more value to my life and the lives of others.

What did you find the most difficult in the application process?

Being a lawyer and quite used to writing long briefs for my clients, completing the application with my coach was not the most difficult part. However, as someone with a liberal arts major, I found the GMAT quite difficult. So I spent long hours with my instructor to reach a score of 650 that I needed to have a competitive profile needed to be accepted to ISE. Preparing for the GMAT was definitely the better part of my life, but thanks to the goodness and patience of the teachers at the MBA Center, I managed to enjoy the process though it was really tough.

From the first moment I got in touch with the people at IESE I found them to be very collaborative and helpful. The academia, staff, and students at IESE are very welcoming and they made my stay at IESE very joyful. Over 80% of the student population is international students. As such you are surrounded by hundreds of cultures and traditions and diverse ideas. Moreover, IESE itself is located in Barcelona which has a rich history and culture of its own. Living the student life at IESE was a great experience for me, something I hope many others get to enjoy too.

The first thing I’d like to say to anyone preparing for an MBA is to be prepared for the most traumatic part of the entire process, which according to me is the GMAT. Even with very low mathematical skills, I managed to get a 650 so I believe that everybody can get 650 too. It is just a matter of time and organization. Prepare for the GMAT well in advance especially if you have a liberal arts background.

Secondly, attend the GMAT courses at the MBA Center. I say with absolute conviction that Dr. Hubert Silly and his team at the MBA Center can be of great help to you just as he has been to me. They offer a great combination of e-learning tools, private tutoring and group classes which could be of great help to the students.