My name is Paul and I hold a Masters in Finance from the Solvay Brussels School. I am bi-national, being both Belgian and British. After my graduation, my career has been mostly in finance and I first worked as a Senior Consultant in Financial Services and Organisation for Ernst and Young and then joined Iwoca, a FinTech start-up as a Financial Analyst
Apart from that I am fond of field hockey and play every weekend with my friends. I speak four languages Dutch, English, French and Spanish.
What prompted you to apply for an MBA?
I really enjoy my career as a consultant in Finance but I believe that at the core I am an entrepreneur. I want to create my own company in the FinTech sector which is a very innovative sector. I also want to be a part of the change that is sweeping the world and want to contribute to the change.
To do so I need to be much better equipped with knowledge than the very theoretical knowledge I received at Solvay Brussels School. I need to find my network of leaders and I believe that I can find both of these at INSEAD. Being Belgo-British, I have a good knowledge of the European market and I believe it is time for me to explore a new continent. INSEAD is one of the only schools with two campuses. My objective is to do an MBA from the Singapore campus and take advantage and gain experience outside Europe. I already have a Masters in Finance and Economics and don’t believe that a two year MBA program is suitable for me. INSEAD, with its one year program, is an apt choice for me. Moreover, it also has various business plan contests that will allow me to find investors for my project, which is very important for me.
What did you find the most difficult part of the application process?
I will never forget the first time I met Dr. Hubert Silly. I had prepared the GMAT at a test prep Center in Belgium where I just managed to get a 540 and the GMAT teacher there told me that given my level it would be impossible for me to get more than that and that I should give up on my project.
When I met Dr. Hubert Silly he found the words to talk to me and reassured me on my level and capability to do well. I had simply been badly trained and he managed to convey in a few words that someone who is bilingual like me and a graduate from Solvay Brussels School should have more than 540. It was more likely that the man from the other Center was far from being an expert at GMAT. Dr. Hubert Silly and his team were extremely patient with me. The format of the GMAT did not suit me but Dr. Hubert Silly and his team were extremely patient with me and helped me get the score I needed for INSEAD
What I liked about the MBA Center was that in addition to group classes, we have a lot of workshops and team-work and because of the many facilities they provide and we can come 7 days of the week and work with other students.
This really helped me in my preparations and funnily enough, I found three of these guys who I was working with, at INSEAD, six months after.
What is life like at INSEAD?
INSEAD is well known for being the best-ranked school in Europe. The classes there and academia contribute to that a lot. Life here at the school is a great blend of studies and activities designed to help students in their future endeavors. I was very happy with the various student-centric programs that the school would host which gave me a lot of opportunities to meet people and create my own network of professionals.
What would be your advice to someone applying for an MBA program?
Never give up. Have confidence in yourself. Had I listened to the person at the other GMAT Center I would have simply given up on my dreams believing that I was too stupid for an MBA program. Believe in yourself. I was lucky to have met Dr. Hubert Silly who had faith in me and helped me realize my potential.
Be ready to invest more time than you have originally planned for. The application is something that can be managed but the GMAT is an aptitude test and you never really know how long you will take to reach your level. I saw people who took three months to prepare for the GMAT at the MBA Center and others who needed six to nine months to reach the 700 that they need. I don’t believe that Dr. Hubert Silly is a bad teacher but some people have difficulty with the format of the GMAT.
Finally, I am a typical example of someone who would never have been able to make it without Dr. Hubert Silly. The classes that he took were very useful for me but above that the learning environment at the MBA Center where we have access to classrooms all days of the week and can practice with other students who are like me and aiming for INSEAD, LBS, IMD, etc,. is also very essential help for the students.