Do you want to know more about the ESCP MBA in International Management? Here is an interview with Mathieu Beau, who just finished his MBA. Read below about his experiences as a student of the 2018-2019 class.

Thank you very much, Mathieu, for taking the time to share your insights with us!

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background? Where are you from, where did you study, where did you work before you started your MBA in International Management at ESCP?

Mathieu Beau:

I am French, from Paris, where I studied and worked my entire career. I graduated in 2011 at ENSIIE, an engineer school specialised in IT, and then worked in consulting and IT services. My last position was at Le Point, a French media, where I was product manager in charge of the magazine’s digitisation and business model implementation.

2. Why did you choose to do an MBA? Did you have specific goals or a general idea of how you wanted to evolve?

Mathieu Beau:

I chose to do an MBA in order to complement my engineer profile with business skills, and to learn how to lead in an international environment. My objective was to be able to work in a completely different industry, with more responsibilities and international exposure.

I opted for an MBA rather than for a specialised master because of its general approach and its better fit for my experience: the relationship to professors and other students is completely different to what you have experienced before, and studying after having several years of work experience is much more interesting and participative!

3. Why did you choose the ESCP MBA in International Management specifically?

Mathieu Beau:

My choice was made according to two specific criteria: the brand and the European dimension. ESCP is a valuable name, associated with high-quality education and a large and active network. I knew I could leverage it easily at the end of the programme.

On a more personal note, I expected to work in a highly international environment and as I was missing this particular component in my profile, I considered that studying on two different campuses together with a very multicultural group of students was the perfect start.

4. Can you share with us a memorable experience that happened during your MBA that had a significant and lasting impact on your life, professional or personal?

Mathieu Beau:

This year was not about a specific memorable moment but more about many memorable encounters. I will never forget the inspiring professors and classmates I have met and the great friends I have made during that year. Actually, I have stayed in touch with most, and plan to share my next life experiences with them. We are a team and we will continuously provide support for each other and grow together. For example, we at once shared contacts and mutual support and trainings for our first interviews after finishing the programme.

5. Could you tell us what the most difficult challenge was that you had to face during the year?

Mathieu Beau:

Obviously, each course came with its challenges as most of the academic content was new to me! But if I had to select one moment, let’s be a bit more original… I sailed for the first time this year, at the ESCP Regatta in May… And it was very challenging to keep this boat afloat with our over-excited MBA crew! 😊

6. What were the main takeaways from your year as a student of the MBA in International Management at ESCP? Where they the ones you were expecting, or were there some surprises?

Mathieu Beau:

Looking back on my year at ESCP, I am really surprised by the outcome. I initially thought that I would leave this programme with new skills: finance, management control, strategy, marketing… And of course, we had great courses and I learnt a lot and acquired many new skills! But I also completely changed my perspectives: This programme is not only about hard skills and management competencies, it is also about self-exploration. Thanks to this specific format allowing you to travel, to meet new people each step of the way and to deeply think about your career, you have this awesome opportunity to become more self-aware and to prepare your future with a completely different, yet complementary, mind-set.

7. How did the programme help to improve your professional success? What features of the MBA do you think you will most apply in your career?

Mathieu Beau:

As I only left the programme a month ago, it is a bit too early to take a step back and assess my new professional success, but I consider that the MBA helped me to be more confident and genuine. I also have a better knowledge of my strengths and weaknesses, and I am completely comfortable with it. These are key points to becoming a better leader, as you can objectively rely on your true strengths while mitigating your soft points: the perfect way to make an impact and inspire others!

In addition, the high-quality content we were taught by our great professors this year makes me feel comfortable meeting every challenge I will be offered head on, and I am completely ready to pivot my professional life, just as I had hoped and expected would happen when I joined the programme.

8. Could you tell us a little bit about where you see yourself in the future, career-wise?

Mathieu Beau:

I aim to continue my career in leadership for innovative projects. I would like to continue to work abroad as this year was a trigger for me: despite the fact that I had always worked in Paris before, I cannot consider my life in the same city or country anymore. Adaptation, discoveries, new encounters… I feel I will need the change and excitement on a regular basis in my future. This atmosphere helps me to be a better leader and I feel like I will be able to make an impact on my environment and to be a source of inspiration for my future teams.

9. And finally, what types of candidates do you think should apply to this particular programme, and what would be your advice to these future applicants?

Mathieu Beau:

If you are excellent at what you do (of course!), hardworking, resilient and you want to learn a lot, meet unforgettable people and take a step back to analyse your career, you should definitely apply for this particular MBA in International Management. I would advise not to plan too precisely the outcome of this year but to remain open to new opportunities as you will discover plenty of them along the way.

Yet, stay aware of professional realities and don’t forget that this year will (unfortunately) go by too quickly, and so I also advise you to keep your eyes open for every opportunity that arises during the programme!

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