Fabien Lussu

Could you share a fun fact about yourself – perhaps something unexpected about you?

I wanted to become a professional ice hockey player and my vision for my life was to spend it in this sport but things did not go as wished and I became an accountant instead. Not the same line of work obviously but given that some of the challenges are quite similar (e.g. time pressure, constant training to stay up-to-speed, team work, struggle in balancing professional and personal lives – to name a few) it felt like a good choice for me. 

Can you tell us a little more about your personal and professional career journey so far?

It became clear to me – early on in my career – that I would not be able to do both: have a family and have a career. I ended up focusing my energy on my career and even if, at least at the start, I did not know what I wanted, I knew that I wanted to make an impact. 

How did you get to where you are today?

Hard work, lots of sacrifices and a massive amount of luck have helped me get where I am today.

So, what made you decide to pursue the EMC, and why did you choose INSEAD?

The decision process took a few years and it was driven by different aspects of my personal and professional lives.

One day, I was attending a conference, and one speaker came on to the stage and his first words were “85% of you will lose their jobs within the next 5 to 10 years if you do not adapt”.

I remember being moved by what he said and I started to see myself being jobless, homeless, and completely lost. When the second speaker spoke, she talked about all the changes we were going to experience in the near future and this is when I started to think about my options in my line of business. I came up with two: I either become a data scientist or I focus on people. I decided to go for the latter and to search for a programme which would help change my career and, as it turned out, my life.

If you were to describe your experience on the programme what would it be?

What I experienced at the EMC helped me answer some of the questions I had about myself. It also gave me the tools I needed to start a change in my professional life.

How would you describe your classmates, the courses, the professors?

We have been a strong community of people wanting to go on this journey together from the first day. The programme pushes us to first look into “ourselves” and exchange our views in groups before we have a deep look at the theory and I find the approach of using “oneself as instrument” in a first step is extremely powerful.

I was never afraid to share personal thoughts with my colleagues because I felt that I was in a protected space to do so and our discussions helped us learn from one another. I was able to also benefit from the experience of our professors who have all worked (and still do) as consultants; the stories they shared were extremely insightful and have helped me better understand some of the challenges I have faced at work . 

Has the EMC helped you in your career so far?

Not yet but it was only the first step in my change process.

Do you foresee the EMC changing your perspectives or outlook towards life?

The EMC – and everything else I did for that matter – has indeed contributed to changing my perspectives. I have now a clear view on where the focus of my life will be for my remaining years on earth.

What advice would you give to someone who might be interested in pursuing an INSEAD Masters programme?

I would make the following statement first: If you think that you know things, believe me, you don’t.

As for my advice, it would depend on the person and the dialogue we would have but I would definitely recommend to use “oneself as instrument” and to test what one feels in discussions with others. We all need help and asking family members, friends, colleagues, and even unrelated people for their views, can be very helpful.