EMBA at ESCP Europe: Interview with Alumni

Laurent Sachs talks to TopMBA.com about his experiences on the EMBA course at ESCP, and how his career has progressed since. 

Laurent Sachs didn’t have to wait long to reap the rewards of spending time in the business school classroom. He experienced the impact of his Executive MBA immediately. “Right after the EMBA, I moved back to London in a new position in the City, and was also asked to teach financial markets and institutions on ESCP Europe’s London campus.”

A financial markets veteran, with more than 20 years’ experience working for American investment banks, Sachs has now set up his own company.

“I am the founder and CEO of venture capital firm, L.T. SACHS, a start-up to finance start-ups,” he says. “But I wouldn’t have had this opportunity had it not been for the EMBA. On top of the hard and soft managerial skills, the EMBA helped me become a better leader and coach.”

But there are further connections between Sachs’ company and his Executive MBA. “The company sourced its first two investment ventures through my EMBA program connections,” he says.

Sachs decided to step into the business school classroom because he wanted to improve his managerial skills, expertise and career prospects, and build a new network. “The best part of going through the program was meeting my fellow participants. If I had known how much I’d like connecting with my fellow [EMBA] participants, and how much I’d learn from alumni, I would have done the EMBA years earlier.”

Sachs has experienced firsthand the value of an Executive MBA and says managers shouldn’t rest on their laurels and rely on their early education and experience. “The EMBA is a great way to change from being a manager to being a leader,” he says. “An EMBA from a great business school is obviously a nice passport to have, but much more importantly, it’s what you actually end up doing with it.”