1st EFMD America Conference: Executive Education and the Corporate Perspective

At the 1st EFMD America Conference in Sao Paulo, a panel of corporate experts from  Valor Econômico, Avon, PwC and General Electric animate at lively and informative discussion on the state of education in Brazil and how executive education can help the business world. 

“Don’t get smart person’s disease.” says Anne Mulcahy, former CEO of Xerox

“They called me ‘The Master of ‘I don’t know!’” confesses Anne Mulcahy with a warm smile. For someone who didn’t know much, she certainly knew how to save one of the world’s largest companies. Ms Mulcahy was appointed CEO of Xerox in August 2001 when the company was in dire straights. Xerox had so dominated the world of photocopying that its name had even become a verb. By the time Ms. Mulchay took over however, this corporate giant was two weeks from bankruptcy. Despite the weight of expectation on her shoulders from the various stakeholders, Ms. Mulcahy claims that leaders should not give the impression that they know all the answers. 

An American View of Studying in France: Anuja Parikh, a student from University of Florida talks about her international exchange at Grenoble EM

Since my first year of high school, when I took my first French language class, I knew I had to study abroad in France. Having lived in Florida my whole life and only traveling within the United States, France seemed like a whole other world to me. Every year for the next five years, I told my parents that I was coming to France for college so they would get used to the idea. Choosing to come to Grenoble was as easy as decisions can get. My mentor at the University of Florida had come to Grenoble Ecole de Management to study a year before my arrival, and she had nothing but amazing things to say about the city and its people. Most students at my school chose more popular, tourist locations to study, especially Paris, but I knew that I would get a more balanced and true French environment in the city of Grenoble.

STUDY ABROAD / INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE : Australia, Brisbane

Charlène Daubenfeld, a graduate management student from Grenoble EM, talks about her experiences at Queensland University of Technology.

Brisbane is the third largest city in Australia, and the capital of Queensland. There is a very active cultural life in Brisbane, with a lot of festivals, museums and exhibitions, concerts, and a lot of possibilities to go out with friends. You can also enjoy the artificial beach in the city center along the Brisbane River, where you can have a swim or do a barbecue, after you went in the famous shopping mall in Queen Street.

  

Photos and text by Charlène Daubenfeld

STUDY ABROAD / INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE : Singapore

Jessica Grenat, a graduate management student from Grenoble EM, talks about her experiences at Singapore Management University.

With a thriving environment, Singapore is an amazing experience to live, willing to preserve its traditions in an advanced society! Symbolizing the Asian golden coast by excellence, it is quite Americanized, focusing on shopping, but also impressively developed in terms of growing companies and infrastructures. And, at the same time, Singapore is alive keeping a deep Asian culture celebrating each tradition and religious event in the streets.

   

Photos and text by Jessica Grenat

  

Olympics 2012 : Inspiration from Champions

  

The Olympics is the fabulous event because each nation can find its own heros. Last night in the 400m women’s final Camille Muffat became one of France’s new heroines by taking gold. She narrowly defeated Allison Schmitt of the USA. 

Britain’s Rebecca Adlington took the bronze medal in the same race adding to her two golds in the Beijing Olympics. Last November, I posted an article about the inspiration that I had found from sources such as my own students, Howard Schultz the CEO of Starbucks and the young British swimmer.

Time to reflect once more on those thoughts.

Christine Lagarde becomes head of the IMF: Will this inspire future female business leaders?

Christine Lagarde has landed the job she so much wanted (and the Europeans wanted her to have) as head of the IMF. If she were a man, then everyone would be discussing whether her professional background will have adequately prepared her for the world’s second most important position.  But she isn’t. So, gender has become an issue. 

The Riyadh Women’s University: A major step in the right direction

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has just inaugurated the world’s largest university for women, the Riyadh Women’s University.  40 000 women will be able to attend. This is an excellent move to support reforms already taking place within the country.