Zaya Kadyrova

Why did you decide to do your MBA at INSEAD?

I see myself as a global citizen. I’d studied in North America and worked in Europe, but wanted exposure to Asia. INSEAD was a no-brainer. But I still did my research. Every INSEAD alum I talked to said it was the best year of their life. The alumni from other schools just weren’t so unanimous.

Did INSEAD live up to your expectations?

Even though I’d done my research, I didn’t expect people to be quite so open and high achieving or to hear so many similarly international life stories. Sometimes it feels like a big social experiment: you put a bunch of smart, ambitious people from 84 nationalities in a classroom and see what happens!

And what does happen in the classroom?

You’re thrown into the deep end and start learning from day one. But how you learn depends on the type of class. The quantitative classes in P1 are quite traditional lectures, but the “softer” subjects I’m doing at the moment, strategy and marketing, rely more on case studies. A surprising amount of the learning takes place outside the classroom - especially in your group, where you challenge yourself and learn more about yourself and other people.

What is your group like?

We have a Singaporean civil servant, a Colombian engineer, a Belgian EU administrator, an ex-banker from Canada and me. Everyone brings a different perspective to the table and it’s been a huge learning experience.

How have you found your exposure to Asia?

Living in Singapore is awesome. It’s hot and sunny every day and most of us live in apartment complexes with pools. And, after working incredibly hard during the week, most weekends we go travelling to Thailand, Malaysia and further afield. It’s a great way to get to know your classmates as well as Asia. So much has happened in two months, with so many priorities to juggle, that I feel I’ve learned how to stretch time.

How has INSEAD helped with your career planning?

One of the attractions of INSEAD, apart from the Asian exposure and the international environment was the structured support for soul-searching that it offers. I particularly wanted to take advantage of the entrepreneurship bootcamps and career treks. I was keen to do an internship at a top global bank and the process is extremely structured. Career Services provided special workshops and even a finance career trek to London to help us get to know the top banks.

What other activities are you involved in?

I’m a member of the Private Equity and Energy Clubs. And I’m also in the rugby team. I’ve participated in a lot of fun extra-curricular events, such as the Dash, the Cabaret, the National Weeks Bidding, Filmsead movie competitions, and helped organize the Private Equity conference and career treks.