Karim Awad

Can you tell us a fun fact about yourself:

I am quite partial to a good glass of Port!

So, what made you decide to pursue an EMBA, and why did you choose INSEAD?

I felt the programme would cater for a well-rounded professional and personal development experience, whilst bringing together a pool of highly capable people to learn from. INSEAD, with its established curriculum and strong reputation especially between Europe and Asia, was well suited to achieving this purpose.

If you were to describe your experience in one sentence, what would it be?

TIEMBA is an experience that has really helped me to better understand myself, whilst broadening my perspective.

Has the EMBA helped you in your career so far?  

There have been several areas I've been able to directly apply back into my job, and the people I've met on the programme or through INSEAD's Alumni network have been invaluable in facilitating different initiatives.

This has removed elements that previously served as blockers in taking things forward, and helps me to anticipate both risks and opportunities beyond my core function, harnessing these components to improve outcomes at work.  

What are your thoughts about the multi-campus experience?

This was an attraction when applying, and reinforces the objectives of the programme to help participants gain a better understanding across cultures, to better support not only international business engagement, but more genuine interactions. I look forward to travelling to both Fontainebleau and Abu Dhabi, and seeing this in practice!

Could you tell us more about the Leadership Development Programme experience?

This remains an important element of the programme, and challenges you to consider not only your strengths and weaknesses, but to evaluate a series of latent personality elements that may have held back development. These insights help to accelerate your wider personal and professional aspirations.

Being within your group requires a sense of openness and candour, but achieving this can feel really uplifting - not only for yourself, but also in helping your classmates reach their potential. 

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

The GEMBA programme is a journey - it will require sacrifices, the support of family, and a lot of perseverance.

However, what you personally invest in the experience will genuinely mirror what you're able to both take from, and share with, the programme. If you genuinely desire to self-improve, but crucially want to support your future classmates on their journey, then this experience will prove vastly rewarding.