Testimonials
If you are hesitating to embark in this new journey, just don't!
"Four years ago, I decided to pick up my career and started working at Suez. I'm at the procurement department, I operationally manage 100 million euros portfolio of energy expenditure. I am in a team of four people and we manage yearly up to 18 thousand contracts. A year and half ago, I decided to do an Executive MBA. After meeting the team in Paris, KEDGE became the obvious choice.
The two main reasons I have decided to do the KEDGE Executive MBA is…One, for my personal growth. I've been a year now to the program and I get the chance to improve my soft skills, my communication negotiation and put in leadership into practice. The second reason is to acquire new competencies, that I didn't get the chance to get while I was in an engineering school. For example, finance and also design thinking that I got the chance to do in Portland State University. I also did the digital China in Shanghai.
I have met very interesting people and very skilled people that helped me improve my soft and hard skills. The whole journey has been a very transformational experience. I've got the chance to meet brilliant mind. If you are hesitating to embark in this new journey, just don't!"
Finding flexibility and the opportunity to share
"For most of my career I have made video games, most notably I was the producer of Raving Rabbids. Later on I decided to build my own company, I wanted to be able to manage myself and my own business, to push it to the next level. The KEDGE Global Executive MBA gives me the opportunity to share my project and all that goes with it. Many things have evolved, I have met many people, the company has started to be known and my personal development has advanced. The EMBA is flexible with regards to my family life and fits perfectly with my professional schedule."
The EMBA and KEDGE helped me overcome my fears and revealing to me the way to build my project on my own.
Emmanouil have been part of KEDGE Global MBA’s 2016 intake.
Can you tell us more about yourself and your background?
I grew up in Milos island in Greece. Milos is part of the Cyclades islands and undoubtedly one of the most beautiful islands, internationally popular for its volcanic moonlike beaches. As a child, I participated in the local sailing club and spent most of my time on boats or doing activities related to the sea. I studied Automation Engineering and then got my first job in Greece.
My best memorie is the time that i spent with my classmates in China !
I'm a chemist and I'm currently the head of business developmentat a company called covestro which is formerly known as biomaterial science. My key takeway from the KEDGE EMBA is certainly that my own thinking in my own perspective is not the only one to take into account for any decision that you make in life and in business. My best memorie is the time that i spent with my classmates in China or the digital China class. It was really impressive and to see also how business is done in China and how the mentality and how business is completely different. And that was just amazing ! During the MBA i change positions so currently i try to gather more experience in the commercialrole that i'm currently doing in automotive business. Then, i'm hopefully going for a management career further in my company. Let's see ! I'm very really excited to see what the future holds for me.
Advance wine product knowledge
"The programme gave me advanced wine product knowledge through its challenging and extremely fun WSET 3, Business Field Trip, and related components. I also learned fundamentals about the wine business including marketing and positioning for wine, and staying up-to-date with market research. These skills are integral to my current job as Buying Coordinator at 67 Pall Mall Singapore, one of the world’s best places for wine. The course’s intensity prepared me for work life, helped me prioritise well-being and good practices at work, and taught me invaluable soft skills such as time management, efficiency, and effectiveness, through its numerous challenging assignments and research projects. The most interesting thing about projects in this course was that all of them had potential real-life applications and their focus on sustainability, which I try to put in practice wherever possible. "
High employability
Since August 2022, I have been a sommelier trainee at Jean Imbert's gastronomic restaurant. I immediately fell under the charm of this prestigious hotel.
By combining the learning of the MSc Wine & Hospitality Management programme with my skills acquired at the Plaza Athénée, I was able to implement the necessary opportunities to satisfy our customers.
A vision of the whole business
“The role of purchasing has completely changed… purchasing managers today must have a vision of the whole business. The importance is on design-to-cost, optimising costs whilst capturing innovation and ideas… finding suppliers who are a force of proposition. The MAI is at the forefront of training highlevel people for this strategic change”
A fastmoving and multicultural environment
“As an undergraduate I wasn’t sure what I wanted, but one thing was sure…I didn’t want to be stuck in an office all day long ! The MAI helped me realize my dream. I am currently working in packaging purchasing in Amsterdam in a fastmoving and multicultural environment. What I love is that I never have two days the same…and every day brings a new challenge !”
The leading edge of creativity
«In the top-of-the-range luxury goods sector the emphasis is put not only on quality but very much on innovation and speed. The role of purchasing today is to be the active interface between the artistic and marketing directors who are at the leading edge of creativity, and our strategic suppliers. The MAI focusses very much on the human qualities required to operate in this very demanding and fast-moving context.»
The excellence
“At a time when most companies are concentrating on their core business, and where value creation and innovation are the keys to success, the strategic role of purchasing has become enormous. To my mind the MAI represents excellence in this field and it is not surprising that there is a huge demand for their students.”