EMBA and International Entrepreneurship Opportunities

Executive MBA alumnus profile – Alexandre Benhamou 2011 graduate of the London Business School / Columbia Business School joint EMBA program

Alexandre Benhamou decided to pursue the joint EMBA program offered between London Business School and Columbia Business School because he wanted to open up to opportunities on an international level.  The French Brazilian had received a classic French education in attending some of the country’s most prestigious universities but he knew that he needed a world class education if he was going to take things to the next level in his career. What he got was much more than he had anticipated. 

The EMBA work life balance

Though he believed pursuing an EMBA was not going to be easy, he was surprised by the workload and the effort it took to create a work life balance:

“I didn’t realize at the beginning how difficult it would be to combine two crazy years mixing job, studies and family. Everybody warns you but you only realize it when you are inside.  For two years I was an EMBA-Global participant nearly full time at London Business School and Columbia Business School.

We had to attend week-long classes in London or New York every three to four weeks in order to follow the same amount of hours and electives as a regular full-time MBA, as well as the same kind of requirements in terms of exams, essays and work groups. When I added that to my own work load, which also required me to travel, it was difficult to keep a work life balance. I was home less than 10 days per month, leaving little time to enjoy life with my spouse and young daughter because I also had homework.

“I would advise any EMBA candidate to clearly anticipate this kind of situation and get the support of family, as well as planning the necessary quality time with them. Happily, we did get over this work life balance challenge thanks to my fantastic spouse, and also thanks to London Business School and Columbia Business School, who offered various opportunities for our companions to join us on a few occasions either in New York or London. This also allowed my spouse to gain new friends.”

Bespoke learning

Benhamou found that the program offered him the opportunity to create a bespoke learning experience through the high level of customization he could use when selecting classes:

“I was surprised by the huge amount of electives offered by both schools. Outside of the core teaching of the first year, you can build a bespoke MBA that fits your goals by carefully choosing the electives in your second year. For example, I wanted to do more marketing, consulting-related and international electives. The bespoke experience also allowed me to go to Hong Kong University for an elective on innovation, University College London for an elective on the telecoms business environment, and to a great international seminary in Bangalore where we delivered a full HR consulting mission for Sansera Engineering, a manufacturer of metal pieces for the automobile industry.

As Benhamou’s degree progressed, he came to realize that his intentions for what he would do with his degree changed.  It was no longer a matter of augmenting his skillset for opportunities with his current employer, he realized he was ready to go it alone and take things in a new direction of international entrepreneurship. 

For this, he credits the benefits he received from his EMBA studies, “I gained a lot of confidence in my ability not only to manage nearly any kind of business, but also to create and improve it.  I created a new circle of friends all over the world and built quality relationships with people who have truly international backgrounds and entrepreneurial spirits. 

Needless to say, I also learned solid business knowledge on the essentials such as leadership, finance, accounting, human resources and marketing. I also began using smart tools including business modelling, setting up ventures and raising funds.  And finally, I believe that my current company, KDH, was created thanks to my partners in Asia trusting the know-how and expertise I was able to garner from the London Business School and Columbia Business School program.”

The best time for an EMBA

According to Benhamou, It is probably “best to do an EMBA when you are around 30 years old, have a successful career and are looking to add on more responsibilities.   I believe that by going through this kind of educational background you will have the necessary tools for being successful in the next stages of your career.”

When deciding which school to choose, Benhamou offers this final advice: “Consider the geographical constraints for your particular situation.  Also look into the choice of electives and the quality of the content, and of course, look into the school’s reputation.  Finally, look at the recruitment style of the program.  Some are more specialized in working with 30 year-old promising managers while others focus on already-established executives closer to 40 years of age.”

It is sure that pursuing an EMBA takes careful consideration and hard work when in the program but in the end it can open you up to new networks, eye-opening ideas and a nice set of tools to add to your business tool box.  Perhaps you will even decide to try out the international entrepreneurship path as Benhamou has successfully done.