Alexei Beltyukov

“I first heard about INSEAD in 1995, through an advertisement in Izvestia (considered one of the more "liberal" newspapers in the Soviet Union). I hung on to that ad, then filled it in and mailed it to the school.

The MBA experience was brilliant. For a former provincial doctor it was such an opening of the horizon that it's hard to compare my INSEAD experience to any other. I still remember the relief when the P1 and P2 marks came in, the unbelievable international crowd and the extraordinary fun of the final periods. It's no surprise that I go to all the reunions and stay in touch with classmates. In fact I'm still married to one of them!

Through INSEAD and good luck, I've since launched new ventures in railcar leasing, asset management, real estate, processing associated petroleum gas and car repair shops. Not all of them were equally successful, but all brought important lessons and paved the way to something new. Without my MBA I wouldn't have had the breadth of understanding of different businesses to make the big jump, first to leave the medical world and then to become an entrepreneur.

I'd recommend starting a new business venture to any future INSEAD MBA. Just do it. It`s fun and worth trying. Even if you fail, at least there will be something to tell your grandchildren.”