IE Business School – International MBA

Join IE Venture Network Thursday, 17^th January 2013!

This weekly pitch slam is an invaluable resource for early stage entrepreneurs, a forum for engaging the entrepreneurial community, promoting your startup, and at best securing an investment from our Investors in Residence Wayra, Sodena, Big Sur Ventures, and Vitamina K.  The Venture Network is unique in that it is a very informal gathering where startups can meet investors in an informal setting over beers and snacks and focus on what’s important; building relationships.  The Venture Network is a great way to perfect your pitch, get feedback on your product, and meet the local startup community.   

This week’s panel of startup experts include:

• § José Miguel Herrero, Big Sur Ventures
• § Raul Valdes-Perez, co-founder Vivisimo
• § Catalina Labiano, Sodena
• § Ehud Levy, Managing Partner at Vertex Venture Capital

 The three startups that will present their project in 7 minutes will be:

1. Wayra Madrid Top 3

This week the ten Wayra Madrid teams are competing for a slot to pitch at Venture Network!  On Wednesday we will announce the 3 teams to pitch – either way they are going to be pretty exciting startups!

 IE Venture Network will be held every Thursday, from 7pm to 9.30 pm, at “AREA 31” María de Molina 31, CP: 28006 Madrid.

Agenda

7pm_8pm Pitch Slam – 8pm_ Networking 

To register, click here!!

The International MBA Program at IE Business School offers its students the opportunity to perform an internship for academic credit (IMBA in Practice) during the course of the 13 month program. This option can be particularly useful for those individuals wishing to gain experience in new sectors, build new networks, develop skills and gain industry insights. 

Guy Kfir, IMBA Class of 2011, created the original internship guide with the purpose of sharing recent students’ internship experiences with the new IMBA Intake. We are thrilled to continue with this initiative and share with you the original message created by Guy: 

So, you decided to become a student in one of the world’s top MBA program, which will lead you to be the next CEO of…

Check out the entire Internship Guide with several student testimonials here!!

The IE Community

Throughout the research, application, and decision processes in connection with attending IE Business School, there was an emphasis on the “IE Community.” I didn’t truly understand what this meant until recently.

First, a personal story. For the winter recess, I flew to Switzerland to do some skiing and I happened to run into a Swiss classmate in the boarding line. Though I had met this person just once previously, he invited me to dinner with his family before we even boarded the plane. Then, when my bag didn’t arrive in Geneva, he helped me file a lost baggage claim in French and then offered his home in the event my bags did not arrive and I could not continue to my ultimate destination.  This all based solely on the fact that we are classmates at IE.

Secondly, I don’t believe this generosity is limited to individuals. Winter break wrapped up three days ago, and since rejoining the class, I have noticed that a distinct camaraderie and common sense of purpose has already developed in our short time together. Students across various sections and groups are working together in study rooms, team members and professors are stretching entrepreneurial ideas, and the next slate of social events is collectively anticipated. The program is still in the first term, but it feels as though we already share a valuable experience. 

The intensity of the IE MBA program can have its downsides for sure, but one clear positive is the durable and diverse relationships amongst the intake. Working together daily has given us insight into classroom strengths, but also allowed us to understand each other’s personality quirks, senses of humor, and values. These bonds, more than any project or degree, will last throughout our careers.

My name is Deep Mehta and I am a current student of the International MBA (November 2012 intake) at IE. As some of you must have guessed, I am an Indian and an engineer (that’s almost obvious) by qualification; but a polymer engineer (we are a rare species) and not an IT guy. Post that I have also done a short course from India’s premier institute Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and a diploma in Marketing Management. After graduation I worked for a Dutch Multinational as Business Development Executive (for engineering plastics) for around 3 years. However, at the back of my head I always knew that I wanted to be an entrepreneur and be my own boss. After a lot of introspection and networking trying to find out what my true calling is, I quit my job in March 2012 to co-found Bombay Clothing Company. Bombay Clothing Company is a clothing company which has its own brand name TYGR (www.tygr.in) and also caters to corporate orders.

Choosing the right MBA program which caters to one’s specific career needs can be one of the most difficult tasks – I know it was for me. I remember spending hours researching, reading and talking to alumni from various schools to find out which school fits my needs.

When choosing a school my top three priorities were –

a)      Focus on Entrepreneurship – I fell in love with IE the moment I read “a school built by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs”. Coming from an entrepreneurial background and always wanting to build my own company, I wanted to go to a school that would help me do just that. The courses, the venture lab (an accelerator/incubator), and the venture network (every Thursday 7pm there are three or more start-up who pitch to Venture Capitalists on campus) are amongst the things that attracted me to the school.

b)      Diversity – IE’s focus on diversity is one of the best facets of the IMBA program. In the November 2012 intake we have 68 nationalities – it’s a little odd when you meet someone and don’t know where that country is or you don’t know anything beyond “oh ya I have heard of it”. IT ADDS MANIFOLDS TO THE LEARNING. Also, IE during its launch program and the study groups ensures that you don’t have more than one person from one nationality in one study group. This means that you learn from people from different educational backgrounds, work experiences and cultures.

c)      Course Flexibility – For me it’s amazing to see how IE has miraculously fitted in a whole bunch of options in its 13 months program. In term 4 and 5 I could either do a long exchange at one of the most revered universities in the world, I could put my project into the Venture Lab and get a dedicated mentor for 4 months while taking some elective subjects, or I could choose from a whole bunch of electives and tailor everything to my requirements, which is especially interesting for people looking for a career change, or I could do an internship among other options. The things to do are numerous but everything depends on what YOUR SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS ARE.

The above mentioned points were my top 3 reasons for selecting IE as my school. However, I forgot to mention that “it has been RANKED EUROPES #1 BUSINESS SCHOOL” and “RANKED #8 for its MBA PROGRAM in the world by the Financial Times in 2012”…  

STAY TUNED FOR MORE!!!!!!!

Have you ever wondered what really happens during the IE Venture Days and what ideas come out of the IE Venture Lab? If you are curious, check out the two presentations below, to get an understanding of what goes through students´ minds and what entrepreneurship is about at IE Business School. People might agree that everything starts with an idea; the rest is determination and endurance and maybe, being at the right place at the right time – such as IE Business School.

Holidays are approaching; time to reflect and to get together with friends, loved ones and family.  As a little pre-Christmas present, check out the video below that was composed by a few of our alumni, such as Carlos Garcia, to welcome new members to the IE family.  Be inspired, get ready for the break and be excited for what lays ahead!!

To increase networking between the different master programs, IE has started an events series for students to come together in an interactive forum to discuss topics of interest, share their experiences, and feed off of each other’s points of view in an intimate setting outside the classroom. ieTalks usually hosts 3 speakers (current students and/ or alumni) that share their thoughts related to popular topics such as education, personal and professional growth, life, economy, society, technology – anything that helps different people to engage with common and/ or new ideas and more importantly, with each other. Please check out the videos below to get an idea of what ieTalks is about!

Gain an understanding of the IE experience by reading what current International MBA student Jonathan Riskin has to say about IE after having become part of its family in November 2012.  

Six weeks ago I was sitting on the 28^th floor of a skyscraper in downtown Manhattan, my emotions fluctuating between anxious excitement, self-doubt, and genuine happiness. It was my last day of work and my flight to Madrid, to IE Business School, was just days away. That day feels like a distant memory. 

I hope these blog posts will provide helpful insight into the IE IMBA Program for prospective students, while also offering a glimpse into daily life in Madrid. By way of background, I’m a 30yr old American male who previously worked as a corporate attorney focusing on mergers and acquisitions, and I’m now seeking to transition into a strategy/business development role. 

Monday, November 12, 2012

The pre-program Quantitative Analysis course commences and a sense of exhilaration passes through me as I realize that I’m a student again. The material is difficult for me (I was a lawyer for a reason!), but it feels good to be uncomfortable.

 Wednesday, November 14, 2012

After class ends at 3pm, I head over to the bank to set up an account. As I pass one empty storefront after another, I realize I’m smack dab in the middle of siesta and the banks are closed for the day.  I figure the locals know best, so I stop for some croquetas and head home for a nap.

 Monday, November 19- Friday, November 23, 2012

Orientation commences at the Segovia campus, a fantastic experience and ideal setting to meet my new classmates. Throughout the week we participate in workshops, seminars, and information sessions to acclimate us to the program and city. It’s a bit like testing the water with our toes before jumping into the deep end, a much appreciated transition period.

Monday November 26- Thusday November 29, 2012

LAUNCH begins and I’m inspired.  The lineup of speakers is quite impressive and the entire MBA group is pushing creative and analytical boundaries. Over the course of the week we’ve pitched two imaginary products, worked on teambuilding with a professional basketball player, and deduced the population of Segovia during the Roman Empire knowing only the width of the aqueduct.

 Friday, November 30, 2012

Tapas and wine at Biotza with seven other students from my LAUNCH module. We discuss the merits of the current Venezuelan, Brazilian, and Bolivian leadership, potential travel destinations for the winter holiday, and of course, the Atletico Madrid v. Real Madrid game taking place the next day.

As I conclude my first post. I’d like to explain why I chose IE Business School.

First, I believe that the majority of US business schools narrowly emphasize investment banking and consulting to the detriment of students desiring other professional destinations. While IE still provides ample opportunity to enter these fields (my inbox is already crowded with internship opportunities from Credit Suisse, JP Morgan, E.On and others), the entrepreneurial spirit pervading the community provides access to multinational corporations, venture-backed start-ups, and a host of management positions within a multitude of industries. 

Secondly, IE is diverse and life is short. For me, the personal development afforded by a year in Madrid surrounded by students from 84 different countries couldn’t be compared to staying in the U.S., spending time at the same places with the same people.

I’ve been here less than a month, but I am confident I made the right choice.

Madrid, December 3, 2012. IE Business School holds the No. 1 position in the 2012 Financial Times ranking of European business schools. The FT’s annual survey of business schools in Europe is based on results obtained by leading European schools in the rankings drawn up by FT throughout the year of MBA, Executive MBA, Masters in Management and Executive Education programs.  This latest result further consolidates IE’s position as one of the world’s top business schools.

In order to prepare its rankings Financial Times employs criteria that include the career and salary progression of business school graduates, the international slant of programs, the percentage of international students and faculty, and the fulfillment of expectations of students and client firms

IE’s program portfolio includes the new Executive MBA + and Global MBA +, which comprise a management component combined with a choice of specialization in the areas of Global Management, Advanced Global Management, Corporate Finance, Information Technology, Marketing and Sales, Tourism Management, Sports Management, Biotechnology Management or Digital Marketing. The new program design means that students can create their own bespoke MBA+ experience with more than 100 possible combinations.