MBA Alumni Profile: Sevdalina Panova, IE

IE alumna Sevdalina Panova has been an outstanding example of an MBA graduate who has found her footing in the world.

Panova's outstanding academic and professional profile coupled with a truly global mindset made her the natural choice to represent IE. Her upbringing in Morocco and Bulgaria, followed by a hard-earned, summa cum laude, double major in International Economics and International Business Administration from the American University of Paris and a superlative performance in IE's international MBA programme in Madrid, promise a far-reaching cross-border career. Her fluency in Bulgarian, English, French, and good working knowledge of Spanish, Russian, Serbian and Macedonian bring a further international dimension, complementing her exceptional analytic mind and knowledge of information systems and technologies, rounded off by, in the words of one of her referees, "a high sense of duty, fairness and professional integrity."

Sevdalina achieved brilliant grades in mathematics at the University of National and World Economy in Sofia, but Eastern Block education left her hankering for a much more participative learning experience and the chance to meet the challenge of life and studies in the heart of Europe.

When an award gave her the opportunity to visit Paris, she resolved with characteristic determination to overcome considerable economic barriers to be able to study there. Top grades brought a scholarship for the American University of Paris, supplemented by work as research and IT assistant for the UNESCO Chair for the Establishment of an Arab-European Inter-University. Excellent results, including the university's award for Academic Excellence and Community Service, led to her being appointed as software developer for its central computing system, in spite of little formal training in this field, where she gave rein to her deep knowledge of business and flair for technologies while tutoring students in finance and doing volunteer work at the 5th International Symposium on the Impact of Technology on Intelligence and Security.

A strategic change in career focus brought Sevdalina to IE with the specific objectives of gaining confidence in soft skills and moving into a broader, global career. Highly positive feedback from classmates after her first presentation brought further confidence, completing an exceptional profile that includes A+ grades in finance and accounting.

She attributes a great deal more to said classmates, claiming they've helped her to develop her judgement, curbing her perfectionist tendencies in favour of a greater understanding of people's needs. For their part, they feel Sevdalina leads by example and sheer credibility, "she's a top performer in any facet of management, and a real people person".

Sevdalina's experience at IE has inspired her to want to play a catalytic role in the emerging trend in Eastern Europe for top students to set their sights on European business schools rather than the US. She sees it as a win-win situation for students, schools and Eastern Block countries, particularly new EU members and aspirants, and aims to mentor candidates faced with the tough choice of management training alternatives.

European business schools have thus acquired a powerful ally, with the intelligence, knowledge, adaptability, and determination to champion them.