The benefits of the EMBA network
In the Global EMBA cohort there are 107 students with an average age of 40. They have 15 years of work experience on average and hail from 20 different countries.
They come from the professional services industry, energy, manufacturing, real estate, technology, automobile, and healthcare, among others.
Xavier met classmates who worked for his suppliers and direct customers. But more interestingly, the network you gain has a direct impact on the way you think professionally.
“When you are talking to friends or classmates who are outside your immediate sphere, you see how different industries approach similar problems.
“You realize which issues are cross industry and which are industry specific, and it makes you think about why your industry does things a certain way. You understand your own industry better.”
Xavier’s industry is changing rapidly. Learning from his classmates expanded his ability to look at traditional business methods and question them, to adapt to the new demands of technological advancement.
“Besides the more direct business connections you get that everyone comes to an EMBA looking for, there are also a lot of indirect benefits that you get from exploring different perspectives and people working in different industries that don’t tie into what you do directly.”
Why China is the place to be for emerging technology
As Xavier says, China is one of the key markets for autonomous vehicles. The approach to technology in China means the industry is set for quick expansion.
The market is big, Xavier explains, but there’s also less inertia. There’s an openness to technological experimentation, and that breeds innovation.
“There’s more government support. They pour money directly or indirectly to supporting this area and it shows.”
There’s direct funding available, strong research and development, and regulations that allow for rigorous road testing—“these are things that make the adoption of the technology and application of it a little faster and more varied in China,” Xavier says, adding the importance the Global Executive MBA program had in immersing him in this environment.
“I think CEIBS for me has been a really good gateway for coming from a tech background to more of a business environment, and also as a way for me to move from the US to China. It does a very good job of that.”
Read more CEIBS Executive MBA stories:
How My Executive MBA Helped Me Become A CEO
Award-Winning Consultant Uses The CEIBS Global EMBA To Build His Own Business
