MBA Student Profile: Sebastian W. Philipp, University of Cambridge

Sebastian W. Philipp tells us how the MBA at the University of Cambridge offers many opportunities and skills for the graduate.

1. What were you doing before your MBA?

I worked as a senior consultant for KPMG Corporate Restructuring.      

2. What were your main reasons for deciding to attend business school?

Being a lawyer by training, I wanted to broaden my economic and managerial knowledge, especially in quantitative skills.      

3. What research did you undertake in selecting your school?

- websites
- rankings
- word-of-mouth

4. What were the main criteria in your selection?

I was looking for a one-year programme in an English-speaking country that is highly ranked among the top MBA programmes.      

5. Why did you decide to study either in your own country or overseas?

I wanted to gain some international experience (and there are no top MBA schools in Germany anyway).      

6. How well do you think the MBA is regarded in your home country?

Although the Cambridge MBA is quite young compared to other top MBA programmes it is already very well regarded in Germany.  This is partly due to the strong brand of the University of Cambridge and the possibility to network with students from other faculties which differentiates the Judge Institute from stand-alone business schools.

7. Have you already been, or do you intend to become an entrepreneur?

Yes, actually I am currently investigating the feasibility to set up an own business together with a friend after graduation.      

8. Are there any well-known and/or successful entrepreneurs that are alumni of your school?

Yes, Cambridge has a very strong track record of MBAs becoming entrepreneurs, especially in biotech and other high tech businesses. The Cambridge MBA offers great opportunities to get in contact with graduates from other departments who require the managerial expertise provided by the MBA to commercialise their innovations.      

9. How much do you expect to earn on graduation?

Approximately - 100,000, although this will largely depend on the country and city I am going to work in.      

10. What do you expect to do on graduation and where do you expect to be based?

Probably in Germany, but I am also exploring the opportunities to work in the UK for a few more years      

11. How easy or difficult do you expect it to be to achieve these objectives?

Starting an own business is of course a difficult and risky task, but I think with hard work and the knowledge and skills I gained during my one year in Cambridge there will be a good chance to succeed.      

12. Any other comments?

Besides the challenging and highly interesting programme, studying in Cambridge goes far beyond becoming an MBA. Being a part of the 800 year old idiosyncratic University and of one of its old colleges is a unique experience and - last but not least - a great time.