MBA Student Profile: Anthony Levy, IE

Anthony Levy is studying at IE Business School in Spain. He speaks to TopMBA.com about the main factors involved in making his decision.

After university I got into web project management and ended up working in a departmental management role for a start-up that was developing specialist investor relations sites. By my mid-20s it meant that I'd helped grow a business and managed teams but I was missing exposure to such areas as finance, marketing and strategy, which I would need to move up the ladder. It was a choice between moving around to build up this experience, or taking an MBA. I chose the MBA.

I wanted a school with a truly international outlook and also I wanted to learn a new language - two factors that narrowed my search to Europe.

I looked at all the obvious players, but went for IE Business School because of a number of factors - its high ranking and strong reputation, the fact that there were over thirty different nationalities represented in the class, the interactive learning model and the commitment to working in teams, which a lot of other schools talked about but didn't necessarily seem to deliver. I was also impressed by the school's emphasis on the ethical approach to business. It fits exactly with my own view that running a company in a balanced way isn't just altruistic, it's a good long-term investment.

So far it's certainly living up to expectations. It's an environment that demands a lot of hard work and commitment, but you get a lot of support, both from your professors and your fellow students. And it helps to be based in Madrid - a really exciting place to live and work.