Mark Sasongko Adiwinarso

Can you tell us a fun fact about yourself?

I like Haribo, a lot. 😉

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

When my wife and I moved to Paris from Jakarta in 2019/2020, we did not have a lot of professional networks in France or even Europe in general. In addition to that, I was assigned to build a startup incubated by the investment group I was working for, which put me outside of my comfort zone (going from real estate investment to venture building). We decided to pursue an EMBA because it would facilitate us to build a professional network in Europe and, in addition, help put some structure in 12+ years of work experience.

We decided on INSEAD because it was one of the leading business schools in Europe with an international pedigree. In addition, the admissions experience (with Pierrette Doz-Perdrix, Associate Director for Recruitment) was exceptional, it really convinced me to make the decision to invest in the effort.

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

INSEAD is helping me come of age as a business professional.

Has the EMBA helped you in your career so far?  

The simple frameworks taught in class helped me do research and create compelling investment and strategy arguments. The leadership experience helped me to be positive, mature, and confident at work. I look forward to the fruits of labour that come out of this transformational experience.

What are your thoughts about the multi-campus experience?

I have yet to experience the multi-campus experience so I cannot comment much. But the experience of meeting people from all around the globe has been amazing.

I have been able to connect with people from different cohorts even before the programme started. It is a powerful networking platform.

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

INSEAD helps us from multiple angles: leadership in teams, personal leadership, leadership communication, and career coaching. It is a new experience for me as I have had very little mentoring throughout my career. My partner, close friends and families have felt a change in how I carry myself.

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

I always say that “we” applied to INSEAD, because it is very hard to do INSEAD without the help of your family (shoutout to my wife Devita, our parents, brothers, and sisters for their support). It is such a challenge to balance work, family, and study. MBA programmes have often been called “the widow-maker”, but I have yet to see that in GEMBA.

If you are not good in stakeholder management, trust me, you will be excellent after going through GEMBA.