Kota Ageiwa

What made you decide on the INSEAD MBA?

Through my business experience, I came to know that Japan needs more leaders who are capable of managing international and diverse teams, and I thought I should be one of such leaders. Therefore, I looked for a programme that is international, diverse and at the same time very competitive. In addition to that, I did not want to invest more than one year out of my career in school education. INSEAD was the only school that met all of my criteria.

What happened after INSEAD?

I have switched industry, function and geography after graduation. I now work for a professional firm that does M&A advisory and equity investment in Prague.

Was there a particular module that you enjoyed most, and why?

I liked Organisational Behaviour classes such as “Psychological Issues in Management” by Jennifer Petrigrieli, “Power and Politics” by Kaisa Snellman and “Management Decision-Making” by Jordi Quoidbach. The reason is that these classes provide you with not only hard skills but also soft skills and ways of thinking that are required for leaders.

How has the INSEAD MBA changed your life or perspectives?

I met a lot of impressive people during the programme including classmates, teachers and legendary individuals such as Warren Buffet. One day, I noticed that the most attractive people have one simple thing in common; they live their own life, not someone else’s life. I myself have always been following my instinct and passion without giving them much thought, and I was never sure if that was the right thing to do. But thanks to my new findings, now I feel much more comfortable with myself.

Any advice for our future MBA students?

You should be clear about what you want to get out of the INSEAD experience, since the year will be intense and you definitely cannot get everything. Then relax, open up and be genuine and you will achieve what you want.