“Why you go to Moscow? You will have nothing and sleep on the floor!” A regional bank head just offered me his deputy position and hardly appreciated my preference of a black slope to the cross-country trail. “I should be striving to reach the center, not the periphery” – I felt then; I feel that still.
My center is to enrich Russian business with international expertise. I tried consulting – Big 4 and in-house but while supporting my husband in start-ups, I got mesmerized by the Internet’s impact on opportunities: smashing geographical limits and empowering women to combine successful careers and family. Born “Before Internet”, I see fundamental changes in the way people create values and access resources. To embrace this wave in developing markets, we desperately need infrastructure to smoothen the commercialization of pioneering ideas. And this is where I will stand up – create an incubator to fast-track ideas to market, by providing infrastructure, consultancy and investors for start-ups.
Apart from passion and proven ability to make things happen, I need to refine my competencies before I can become a game-changer. First, I must upgrade my knowledge on general and entrepreneurial management. Second, I need entrepreneurial experience myself. Hence, along with studies, I will start projects to simplify e-business launch. This will build the foundation of future incubator infrastructure, team and network. Moreover, I have to improve my leadership personality to a level that will fascinate investors and partners across the world.
I believe LBS EMBA can provide an ideal mix of the expertise, support and international exposure. The program core will provide comprehensive framework of general management knowledge, while electives will fuel me with nuances on how new ventures are managed, evaluated and built. Strategy courses such as “New venture development” by Prof. John Bate and “Understanding entrepreneurial management” with real e-business guest speakers will provide me an over-arching view on entrepreneurship. Furthermore, “Managing the Growing Business”, “Financing the Entrepreneurial Business”, and “Venture Capital and Private Equity” courses will nurture my abilities to analyse and formulate the strategic direction of new ventures.
With cutting-edge knowledge on venture development, I will use the Summer School to test an idea. Active start-up clubs and angel investor network will help me to establish connections with potential partners and investors. Considering my global plans, I anticipate work in outstandingly diverse teams to discover differences in various countries’ decision-making, management practices and culture. Finally, the location advantage is another factor. I am excited to earn globally recognized degree within 4 hours’ flight from family and still have the chance of international exchange experience.
To ensure LBS EMBA is right for my personal and professional development, I attended school’s on-line sessions, met with program alumnae Alex Garmash, enjoyed students’ blogs and BSR. But LBS Global Event in Moscow became the final call: I was impressed by the quality of preparation and staff level. I am 100% sure LBS is exactly the step I need to take on the road to my center.
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