Eric Escale

Why did you choose INSEAD’s EMFin, amongst other programmes out there?

In September 2009 I carefully attended the INSEAD in-house local event in Fontainebleau to traditionally present the MBA Programme. I instantly realised at this specific moment that INSEAD represents the only business school I sincerely wanted to be part of.

After 10+ years working in the finance industry and with the goal to deepen my knowledge, the EMFin programme is the one that adequately satisfies my goals.

Completely finance-oriented, and with a chosen on-the-go cohort, the programme remains the appropriate one for a career boost. 

What made you decide to embark on a Master programme with the pandemic situation going on?

The opportune and suitable moment is ordinarily something we seek but in such an exceptional situation there is no ideal instant anymore. Even if we are constantly wondering if we are in the suitable time to do something, the pandemic reshuffled all the cards. Even more in this specific context than usual, we must properly focus on what we still can realistically achieve and not thinking about what we cannot do anymore. 

How was your module 1 experience on Zoom?

To be completely honest, it was finer than expected and obviously not as good as in-person can be, that’s obvious. But I would not have had the same answer if the access to the Abu Dhabi campus would have not been possible.

Thanks to a good organisation with people in the cohort and the administration, we decided to meet in Abu Dhabi, as Singapore was not conveniently accessible. It was certainly the best decision we all made as we’ve been able to network and attend altogether the Zoom sessions in the same amphitheatre. 

Given the time difference, how did you manage module 1, work and family?

The time difference represents a truly legitimate subject I would wisely say. Waking up every day at 3am to prepare and get dressed is not the best thing for body and mind on a two-week period.

The programme is as intense as we desired it to be.

I properly managed to stay focused and to carefully keep the pace thanks to a flawless organisation. I have inserted a 45-minute slot of jogging every day after class.