Christian Filipovic

Tell us about yourself. 

I'm half Croatian and half Armenian. I was born in Switzerland and grew up in Zagreb. I did classical Croatian schooling with Latin and Ancient Greek, then the International Baccalaureate. I studied International Economics and Management at Bocconi. 

During my degree, I interned with KPMG in Zagreb and with McKinsey in Poland, where I worked on a government bank restructuring and on downstream oil and gas. After graduation, I spent about two and a half years in mobile gaming at Flexion Mobile as a Product Marketing Manager. I built go-to-market plans, launched titles on alternative app stores beyond Apple and Google, worked with developers and distribution partners, and owned advertising and growth metrics. 

Right before INSEAD, I moved to CNN as an Ad Sales Assistant covering Africa, Southeastern Europe, parts of the Middle East, and the CIS. Two weeks after leaving London, I was in Fontainebleau starting P0. 

Why a Master in Management, and why INSEAD? 

I want to stay in gaming and move toward management and business development. That means strong interpersonal skills and a generalist toolkit across strategy, operations, and finance. INSEAD gives that, and it does so in a truly international setting. My cohort contains over 40 nationalities, and I have seen how culture shapes organisations first-hand. 

Flexion was Swedish-founded and very flat, while CNN felt more hierarchical. Both worked well, but in different ways. INSEAD lets me study those differences in class, then practice them in teams. I also value the France to Singapore journey and the alumni reach. This week alone, I am speaking with two alumni in the United States, another in London, and a friend from MIM’22 in Croatia. 

How have the first weeks felt? 

Busy and turbulent in the best way, while being very satisfying. We went through seminars and intense home-group work, then shifted to a steadier academic rhythm.

The learning feels immediately applicable. I am also meeting MBAs and even participants from executive education, which adds new perspectives to the same campus conversations.

What skills or courses have already stood out? 

Our home group is French, Croatian, Chinese, Indian, and Slovenian. The dynamics are fascinating. Workshops have been highlights. Negotiations in P1 and P2 are very hands-on. The brand and pitching workshop forced me to craft and deliver a clear story about myself. Organisational Behaviour is a favourite. I like understanding how to read a room and make people comfortable. 

In the L.E.A.D. seminar, we used the Culture Map, a cultural framework from a book by INSEAD Professor Erin Meyer, which I had already read twice, and applied it to how our teams actually function. 

Describe a memorable learning moment. 

The Everest team simulation. Each teammate had private information and personal objectives in addition to the team goal. We had to decide what to share, when to compromise, and who would lead. Three of us summited. Two did not because we missed a constraint. The debrief made the lesson clear.  Success is not only about the loudest idea, but about surfacing hidden information, aligning incentives, and accepting trade-offs.  

Anyone unexpected who made an impression? 

I have a classmate from Kamchatka, Russia, who is ethnically Kurdish. Hearing how he grew up on a far eastern peninsula, studied in Moscow, and then came to INSEAD gives me a very different lens on my own path. Last week, we did a 20-kilometre hike in under five hours and planned a mushroom-picking trip drawing on what he learned as a kid. 

What is life like in Fontainebleau? 

It feels like a small social capital. On Sundays at the market, you bump into MIMs and MBAs while buying pretzels, fruit, and the occasional apple tart or flan. The town is compact, so you see your classmates in cafés and on the way to the château. When we want a change of pace, the train to Paris is quick and inexpensive, which makes a dinner run or a stock-up at the Asian market very practical. 

Are you looking forward to Singapore? 

Very much. I have been to Hong Kong, Bali, and Japan. Asia felt like a complete reset in the best way.

I am excited for Singapore’s pace, food, and international energy, and to experience it with the friends I have made here. 

Where do you want the MIM to take you after graduation? 

I would like to return to the gaming industry. I like building products that carry emotion for players and keep friends connected across the world. I want to move into business development and strategy, where you map new revenue sources and user segments, translate market insight into product choices, and hear from players in places as different as China, USA, Brazil, and Portugal that what you shipped matters. 

How is the Career Development Centre helping? 

My coach has me working on a targeted company list and a networking plan, including what to say and how to follow up. The core message is to be authentic. If I love gaming, lean into it. We are shaping my narrative so conversations move beyond “nice to meet you” into deeper curiosity about specific projects and skills. 

What do you do outside class? 

Golf and tennis have been lifelong hobbies. Golf is my way to reset in nature with family and friends. I play classical guitar and enjoy finishing a full flamenco arrangement, start to finish. I earned my open-water scuba certification and want to use it while in Asia. Here on campus, I hike a lot, cook for friends, and play tennis. I did not bring golf clubs, but I plan to buy a simple classical guitar this week to get back into practice. 

What is your advice for applicants? 

Be authentic, be open, and be kind. Use your own words, show you are ready to learn, and remember that kindness costs nothing and is valued everywhere.

A message to yourself from four weeks ago. 

You are in the right place.