Vladimir Leperlier

Could you share a little why you decided to pursue the MBA, and in particular, the INSEAD MBA?

MBAs had generally been on my radar for quite some time. I rapidly realised during my engineering studies that I lacked education on certain key business topics that I would eventually need to look into. 

Two years ago I took my thought process on MBAs a step further, looking into how I could match them to my career goals, in particular general management and international outlook. 
INSEAD was a great match.

The multiple campuses, the diversity within the cohort and the faculty members, and the fact that INSEAD places internationalism at the core of its values, all this came together into what I could only consider as the most international MBA experience I could hope for.

Can you share your thoughts about the class experience, professors, the curriculum so far?

INSEAD is uniquely skilled at selecting people, whether student or faculty. The professors are without doubt leading researchers in their field, capable of bringing amazing theories to the classroom. Nevertheless, they are also amazing teachers who have clearly placed the transmission of knowledge at the heart of their role. A was also amazed at how interconnected all courses are, making it an even more fulfilling experience. 

Where are you located and what are you most looking forward to during your time on the programme? 

I have spent the first four months of the programme in Singapore. I will move back to Fontainebleau for two months to enjoy the French winter (yes some of us do appreciate it!) and will be back here in Singapore to close of the final four months. I very much look forward to discovering the Fontainebleau campus, despite knowing the town pretty well now I am still not acquainted with the campus itself. It will also be a great opportunity to meet new people as the bulk of our cohort is currently in France. 

Have you learned any important lessons so far from MBA experience that have been especially useful?

Without any doubt each course offers pearls of wisdom which anyone from the business world should carry with them at all times.

But my greatest experience remains the startup bootcamp. Spending a weekend with amazing people to come up with real business cases to solve problems we had identified less than 72 hours ago and pitching to real-life investors was one of the greatest experiences in the MBA so far. There is so much you can do in the span of the weekend with the proper guidance and the proper team.

Any tips for those who are considering an INSEAD MBA?

Take your time and prepare.

Get very clear on what goals you aim to achieve and reach out to alumni and current students to discuss.

The community is amazing and will be glad to share their insights on the adventure. INSEAD offers a lot of options, campuses, the two batches per year, four rounds of admissions, and that is not even going into the actual courses and all the ecosystem that is around that.