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26 Aug 2016, 02:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Photo blog – Sneak peek from the first days in Mexico |
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As Kunal mentioned it in his post, we are having a blast in Mexico. Here are a few pics from our first couple of days here  More to come soon! Fouad  
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26 Aug 2016, 15:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Memories from Shanghai |
When someone as gifted as Nicolas is sharing his pictures, enjoy and drift back in memories…  
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27 Aug 2016, 08:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Photo-blog – Mexico Navigaing the future and other (fun!) activities |
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As we said it earlier, Monterrey has been a lot of fun. Wonderful speakers and visits, a social project to help the poorest, and, yes, we went to see Lucha Libre!  We hosted the Navigating the Future conference with great guests and, ended it with Mariachi!   A great thank you to the MBA office and David, our irreplaceable MBA Alum, who made it all happen. Stay tuned for San Francisco news! Fouad  
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27 Aug 2016, 11:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Singapore: not a melting pot! |
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Wow, our week in Singapore went by so fast! Intense program full of company visits and insightful sessions. Singapore is indeed very unique. For me it felt sometimes as a “business Las Vegas”. A lively city with majestic constructions, light and sound everywhere and constant invitations for consumption. For sure not like our quiet Lausanne  It was impressive to visit some offices such as Samsung’s and Expedia’s and see their very international and modern installations. Some sessions like the Urban Redevelopment Authority City Gallery showed us a lot about Singapore’s history and challenges. Coming from Brazil it was interesting to see how they handle challenges related to space and water constraints, very contrasting with ours and insightful for a future we will all face sooner or later. In an unconventional city tour, a very knowledgeable local guide took us not to the landmarks such as Marina Bay Sands or the super tree gardens, but to a cultural and historical tour of how the island was populated – mainly by Chinese, Malay and Indians. We went to different parts of the city and had an overview of the different religions of the island – Singapore has no official religion and an impressive policy of respect among them, rooted in the people’s culture and enforced by a Harmony Act. At one point someone mentioned Singapore was a “melting pot” and the guide politely disagreed: We don’t like to say that Singapore is a melting pot because in a melting pot everything merges together to create one flavor. And here we respect and maintain each different “flavor”. Somewhat like a mosaic – my classmate Patrick concluded – the beauty is in the combination of the individual parts. Loved their perspectives! Last night we had the Alumni event – very interesting to meet such different stories of alumni from 1994 to 2017 (Yes, they are coming and served as reminder to make the most of our time)! I also had the chance to meet one of our blog readers and enjoyed my Warhol’s 15 minutes of fame:  Good luck with your application, Yu! Thank you, Singapore! On our way to Dubai as we speak. Stay tuned, Silvia  
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29 Aug 2016, 00:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Photo blog – Memories from Shanghai |
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When someone as gifted as Nicolas is sharing his pictures, enjoy and drift back in memories…
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29 Aug 2016, 01:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Guest entry – Real life, real learnings in Mexico |
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Today’s guest entry is by Denis Kuzmenko, from Kazakhstan, who was instrumental in organising the social activity that the MBAs completed in Mexico. No day is the same in Mexico and our discovery trip to Monterrey was full of memorable events. We started with the legendary Lego manufacturing plant and Walmart Central American distribution center, where we discussed their future development plans and potential and learned about worlds’ best operational practices. We met outstanding people, like Ramon Alberto Garza, Luis Chapa, Juan Gonzalez Morales, Carolina Garza and many others who not only built their careers successfully, but also changed the way the business is done. It was a great learning, however we wanted to leave a footprint here as well. The MBA 2016 class with the help of the MBA office initiated a series of social activities to give back to the communities around us. We thought our discovery of Mexico would not be complete without giving back to the local society that greeted us so well. Thus, our group has volunteered to contribute to the social initiative of Carolina Garza, founder of Dignificación en Acción, who helps people under the poverty line to make their houses more comfortable to live in. IMD supported the initiative and provided us with the necessary equipment. This is how our journey began. On the way to Santa Catarina, one of the poorest districts of Monterrey, we were shocked to see the sharp difference between the districts we were passing by. A 15 minutes’ drive from the richest neighborhood gets you to a district with cartoon houses and total absence of fresh water and necessary facilities. Our mission was to improve the cartoon walls of the houses with tetra pack materials to make them more resistant to extreme weather changes, but what was more important – to give them hope, show them that they are not forgotten and that there are always people who care, think of them and want to help. It took us 3 hours to complete the improvement of 2 houses. Working under 35C made us really feel how is it to be inside. Nevertheless, the tears of gratitude in the eyes of an old lady – owner of one of the houses were priceless. We hope that our participation will help Carolina attract more attention to the problem and make her city a better place to live for everyone. I am very happy we could make it. The contrast we saw was impressive and helped us learn about the other side of the successful and rich business city. However, another discovery for me was to see the importance of having a dream and goal in your life. Those people have almost nothing to lose but so many things to gain and I was glad to see our visit and short talks gave some of them new dreams to follow and lit their eyes up. Denis Denis Kuzmenko MD MBA 2016 Candidate Denis.kuzmenko@MBA2016.imd.ch  
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29 Aug 2016, 11:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: First days in Japan (Kyoto) |
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Hi there, Here are a few pictures about our first days in Japan where we experienced the “traditional Japan” in Kyoto. Local folklore, maikos and geikos, shrines, temples, fish markets, food… Japan is so amazing!!!   
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30 Aug 2016, 01:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Photo blog – First days in Japan (Kyoto) |
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Hi there, Here are a few pictures about our first days in Japan where we experienced the “traditional Japan” in Kyoto. Local folklore, maikos and geikos, shrines, temples, fish markets, food… Japan is so amazing!!! Nicolas
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30 Aug 2016, 10:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Kyoto and “Poetry of Gardens” |
Good bye, patchy gigantic Shanghai! Hallo, ordered and secret Kyoto, our first stop in Japan! Upon our arrival, our kind and marvellous hosts from the Institute for Strategic Leadership led us to the Buddhist temple, where the Temple Master spoke about Japanese history and Buddhism development. Discussion about some of the universal values brought me into a reflective mood, that lasted throughout the whole stay here; for instance, if life is full of suffering, one can be happy in taking care of others… Later that evening, we met a member of the parliament, who elaborated on the history of Japan from the viewpoint of traditions, values and people’s behaviors. We’ve heart that Japanese people are very friendly, hospitable and approachable, but, at the same time, quite independent and loyal to their country. Our schedule in Kyoto was very packed. The following morning, we paid a visit to a 220-year old tea company, Fukujuen. The president of the company shed some light on the business strategy and innovation: imagine a beautiful picture of a nicely served table with a gracious wine glass, filled in with… some green tea! Of course, green tea here is a staple: it’s not just tea, cold or hot in a great variety of sorts and blends, but also an ingredient in bread, cakes, ice cream, traditional deserts and what not. After the official part we had a privilege to participate in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Every single movement and word of a host and a guest have their meaning, and we could only touch the surface of this beautiful tradition. Later during the day, the president of Hosoo, a textile company, hosted us in his office, in a traditional Kyoto house. The history of his business goes back to more than 300 years, from a supplier of precious and luxurious silk for imperial needs to an exclusive producer of unique and splendid fabric for the selective players in the Haute Couture industry, who might willingly wait for their orders to be produces, sometimes for even longer, that one would wait for a Ferrari. We were stunned by the stories, mindset, vision, beauty, hard work, patience… In both cases, the business leaders were very humble, paying a lot of attention to our comfort, questions and requests. Amazingly, they didn’t consider their businesses to compete in the related industries; later I realized, that it was due to innovations, that they brought, be it technological uniqueness of products, distribution models, relationships with key stakeholders etc., and cultural specifics, implying that rather than compete, they collaborate. Another interesting finding for me is, that despite the fact that these are family businesses, where steering wheel is passed from generation to generation over the centuries, it takes sons ages to get their education, learn the business and gain the fathers’ confidence, and I believe they care for the business longevity at least as much as, if not more than, for the bottom line. The three days in Kyoto were full of colorful impressions, among those fantastic food, meeting people, sightseeing, Zen meditation and even a chance to meet Geishas. Japanese culture is amazing and, I guess, through our IMD experience we were honored just to scratch its surface. What I know is I will have a lot of food for thought after this trip, for the upcoming weeks and even months, and I definitely want to come here once more to explore this country and its people. Till soon, Aysylu  
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31 Aug 2016, 01:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Photo blog – Dubai Discovery Expedition |
Another guest entry, by Rakesh (captainimd.tumblr.com) as he explores Dubai with his group.  
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01 Sep 2016, 02:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: San Francisco asks “why not?” |
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We, the American contingent, have concluded our discovery expedition. You have already read a lot about the Mexican leg of the trip which stood our for its contrasts, social entrepreneurship and gigantic manufacturing and supply chain operations. Now was the turn of America. The land of the free and the home of the brave. No better place in America than SFO to witness the “free and the brave” mindset. We had the chance to hear from some of the most exciting companies of the present times. Uber stood out for the enormous scale that it has attained in such a short period of time. Twitter stood out for its ability to analyse and dissect data like no other. They could actually tell you people in which street in Istanbul talk most about coffee. Such capabilities are game-changers in transforming the way the business is done. SalesForce stood out again for its unthinkable growth rate roster of clients that boasted of some of the biggest names in the Fortune 100. When you come to think of it, none of these companies existed as late as 15 years ago. And now, not only do they exist but also they set the tone for everything from the way we travel to the way we talk to the way we engage with customers and everything in between. IDEO, the one of its kind design thinking firm, had the most fun office one has ever seen, complete with a toy lab and fabrication workshop. The informality of the atmosphere at IDEO, highlighted the pointlessness of the facade that many professionals and companies adorn even in the present day. There motto was simple – to be human centric and to have fun. Their portfolio of impressive projects ranged from designing the first ever mouse to completely revamping the voting mechanism in LA. There was a lot more but I will leave that for my classmates to share through guest entries. However, I would like to highlight the success of our Navigating the Future Conference in SFO which was received very well by the audience and generated a lot of high quality discussion. Even on my repeat visit to the city, SFO did not fail to inspire me and fill me with energy as I walked through the city and explored its many attractions including a ride in the famous cable car. Some of us also manage to squeeze in a long drive north and south of SFO – a drive we will remember for a long time. And we will remember that what makes SFO a great city is the fact that when every one asks “why” SFO asks ” why not” Signing off from Schipol enroute to Geneva. Take care! Kunal  
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02 Sep 2016, 04:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Guest entry – The lure of the Bay Area |
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Today’s guest entry is by Singaporean MBA participant, Vivien Tan, who joined the Discovery Expedition to Mexico/San Francisco. Sitting in the holding area of SFO, as we await our flight back to Lausanne, I thought I should take the chance to pen down my thoughts on the past 4 days we had in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Touted as a vibrant city and the place where I have seen friends live in and not want to leave, I always wondered what was the lure of San Francisco. I think I have found my answer. The lure of SF is not in its foods and its Californian wines, which no doubt I enjoyed too, but I think the true answer lies in its spirit of possibilities- where people talk about ideas instead of what would not work. In it lies a culture that is open to failures and I think that is what makes SF such a unique and attractive place to live in. This spirit is like a virtuous cycle that encourages talent to try, fail and help others like them. This in turn pushes VC investments into the city simply based on the law of probability, as something is bound to take off when you try, fail and learn over and over again. No wonder Silicon Valley has been at the heart of technology innovation since the birth of the Internet to the founding of unicorns today like Uber and Twitter, both of whom we had the opportunity to speak with on this trip too. I liked the description of Silicon Valley that the Design Director of IDEO gave when we visited, as simply: One message that resonated throughout the meetings we had, was the importance of trust through transparency, and customer centricity. These companies are razor-focused on customer experience, putting user experience at the center of their business design. Companies like Salesforce not only embraces design thinking but also helps their clients do so through their tools. We had the opportunity to experience Salesforce’s Ignite workshop, which is a customer driven innovation program, that we had a hand in identifying orthodoxies in a simple scenario like a tourist visiting a restaurant in a new city that he/ she is in. With 6 persons in a team and in just 30 mins, we came up with an idea on how we could enhance the experience of tourists through an online platform where you could record your food preferences/ restrictions and have menu items introduced to you, instead of the usual restaurant recommendations because every tourist is different! Given tools like these to generate ideas, coupled with secure and malleable platforms like Saleforce/ Tradeshift, it is easy to bootstrap a startup today with little required upfront investments. Seeing this changed my opinion on the potential of disruption that tech could have on traditional businesses like healthcare. With the sheer number of possibilities and people willing to try these days, I think big pharma and medtech companies do need to keep a closer watch on these smaller tech start-ups. Of course, we never forget to have a little bit of fun on our trip too, after all these trips are good opportunities for us to bond! Our warm and friendly Peruvian colleagues, Victor and Andrea, introduced us to their local delicacies at La Mar, located right by the picturesque San Francisco pier. Chatting and laughing over a glass of pisco sour, I learned more about Peru and found similarities in its food and diversity to Singapore where I am from. I would definitely need to learn more about Latin America from our friends… perhaps over another glass of pisco J  Finally, checking off my checklist for this trip: Meet with leading tech companies √ Immerse in the vibrant start-up tech scene √ Visit Golden Gate Bridge and Napa Valley √ Fun with colleagues √ Alright, time to board my flight home! Till next time, signing off, Vivien Tan @SFO  
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02 Sep 2016, 07:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: …and the last days in Tokyo |
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Hi all, Here is the post that will conclude our trip in China and Japan. We are back in Lausanne since yesterday indeed, exhausted but very happy! We finished our trip in Tokyo, where we could experience the more “modern” Japan. From the J-Pop culture to the Fish market and from the Rooftop bar with a view on Tokyo Tower to the running sushi restaurants and from Dentsu to Toyota, we tried to see everything! We enjoyed also a nice reception where we could meet alumni as well as prospective (or already enrolled) 2017 MBA candidates! We even could have a glimpse on Mount Fuji! Can you find it ? Regards, Nicolas   
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02 Sep 2016, 23:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Photo blog -When we actually navigated the future in San Francisco |
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As my friends brilliantly highlighted it in their posts here and here, our San Francisco trip was full of interesting discussions and workshops around technology and the future possibilities it brings. Here is a look into our activities, including a great design thinking we were lucky to do in the Salesforce offices.   Thank you Kardyhm for organising this and all the other fabulous activities we did in San Francisco. Salesforce was kind enough to also host our Navigating the Future conference in San Francisco, which generated very interesting questions and animated discussions with our guests.  Tell next pictures, Fouad  
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05 Sep 2016, 01:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: …and the last days in Tokyo |
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Hi all, Here is the post that will conclude our trip in China and Japan. We are back in Lausanne since yesterday indeed, exhausted but very happy! We finished our trip in Tokyo, where we could experience the more “modern” Japan. From the J-Pop culture to the Fish market and from the Rooftop bar with a view on Tokyo Tower to the running sushi restaurants and from Dentsu to Toyota, we tried to see everything! We enjoyed also a nice reception where we could meet alumni as well as prospective (or already enrolled) 2017 MBA candidates! We even could have a glimpse on Mount Fuji! Can you find it ? Regards, Nicolas
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11 Sep 2016, 04:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Photo blog – High performance leadership in action |
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Last week, we had two full days of high potential leadership, and I can truly say it was mind blowing! A moment we will all remember for a long time. Here are a few pictures of what the dynamic class looked like.  Stay tuned for more pictures of our journey Fouad  
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15 Sep 2016, 06:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: OMG OCR |
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Time is flying and in a jet. 9 months are behind us and OCR in front. Recruitment season has begun and the batch of 2016 has begun to “get placed”. We had our first career fair earlier this week and loads of interviews in the past few days. I know you want to know the companies that are here and trust me I am keen to share as well but we will have to wait for that a little bit longer. Lets just say everything from the digital economy to the industrial economy is represented amongst the recruiters. Many companies continue to hire for talent and that makes the interview process very interesting. To put it in expert speak they conduct “behaviorial interviews”. Such interviews entail looking at your own life experiences from different vantage points and drawing out stories that help demonstrate your leadership potential and style. I had the chance to go through 5 rounds of such interviews over the past few days and boy is it tough? – you bet! But then it was fun too and helped me put my experiences in context. Did I get the job? Well – we will have to wait to find out. Hate to cut this short but I better be preparing for my interviews tomorrow. A lot is happening here on campus and we will continue to bring the updates. Stay tuned and get your leadership thoughts flowing. Take care! Kunal  
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22 Sep 2016, 03:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Photo blog – Career Fair #2 |
Various on-campus MBA recruiting events and interviews have been the focus of the past couple of weeks. Here a few photos taken during the second MBA on-campus career fair.  
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04 Oct 2016, 02:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: OCR (On-campus recruiting) completed! |
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Today’s blog entry is written by guest writer, Shashank Upadhyay, one of our Indian participants. We have completed the so called OCR period! OCR (On Campus Recruiting) is actually a lot more than just a 2 week intense period of on campus company visits and interviews; it’s also a tough emotional journey that we as a class, along with the career services team, go through during this challenging MBA year. Personally, I think that while job interviews with some of the biggest brands in the corporate world are important, a lot happens outside those 1 hour interviews which is equally, if not more, important for a person. Firstly, there is the happy side of OCR: people getting job offers, moving to the second round of company interviews and some identifying companies and roles which they hadn’t really thought of before. But perhaps more important is how you react to all this – do you get complacent after getting that first offer or does it give you the self-confidence to reach out for even stiffer goals? Do you take the first job offer you get to be sure you can pay off your loans, even knowing it is not your dream job, or do you hold out and remain optimistic? How do you continue the level of energy and focus in the rounds to come? For a lot of us, landing that dream job you have worked for and focused on over the last 9 months is the true test of your own strategy and what you have learnt. On the flip side, however, how easy it is to beat yourself up over that one silly mistake made in an interview the day before, realising that it has cost you your dream job when instead you should be focusing on the task at hand and getting ready with the perfect smile and firm handshake to make a killer first impression in the next interview. The way one handles a success or a setback tells a lot more about the kind of person one is. Although a lot is written and said on this topic, I think it’s a matter for introspection. A few months from now most of us won’t remember the interview we didn’t get through, but the reaction we had to that will probably remain the same in the face of the next failure. I have seen people being very cautious and sensitive in celebrating their success around classmates knowing that some have not yet experienced the same success, a sign of maturity and the sense of being one as the class of MBA 2016. On the other hand, we have also had people who have yet to receive a job offer throw parties to celebrate a friend’s success in securing their dream job. As the end of the program approaches, so these dynamics between those who have secured a job versus those who have yet to receive their desired job offer will surely become more challenging – we will need to be able to continue to find that balance of celebrating successes while helping and motivating those still interviewing, negotiating or waiting for final contracts and visas. If IMD teaches you one thing it’s about understanding your reaction to events – do you use the learnings from experiences and continue to pursue your dream or do you just give up? The one thing to remember is that you always have a choice! Shashank with Daniele Semenza (MBA 2015) Recruiting for Danaher   
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09 Oct 2016, 12:00
| FROM IMD Admissions Blog: International Consulting Projects and delighted clients |
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ICP’s or international consulting projects, that over the years have become a hallmark of IMD’s MBA program, kicked off on the 26th of September. ICP’s are real consulting projects where we, MBA students, in teams of 5 or 6 are expected to develop solutions to real world strategic, operational or organisational challenges facing our clients. The rolodex of IMD clients is envied by even some top consulting firms. The list this year includes a large telecommunication firm, a leading automaker, top pharma companies, and many more. Many of my classmates are already flying to places far off and nearby to meet clients or visit their markets. Copenhagen, Zambia, London, Madrid – evey place is on the map. Two weeks into the project and it is clear to me that ICP’s are one of the best ways to round-off the MBA program. ICP is an opportunity to put all the different skills learnt during the MBA in practice. These are not some simulated projects but real life projects with real clients, real issues and real feedback. Delivering on these projects successfully will definitely boost our confidence as we re-enter the business world and tackle some of the challenges that top MBA’s are expected to deal with. The team and leadership skills learnt throughout the year are also being tested in this environment. While clearly we all are getting better at these skills, these projects provide another opportunity to hone these skills further. Time management is another skill that is being tested extensively. How to divide and delegate work? How to set client’s expectations and deliver against those? What about missing data? What about complicated stakeholder management? These and many more such questions make ICP’s an exciting journey and hopefully all of us will take this experience in our stride and delight our clients. Because at IMD “satisfying” is not enough – we must “delight” our clients. Watch this space for more personal experiences from my classmates as they continue on their roller coaster ICP rides. Take care! Kunal  
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