The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

Chief Market Officer Kai Stenzel and Admissions Manager Sofia Syed Nasir discuss what makes the Mannheim MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Program Highlights (3:50) | Admissions (25:15) | Financing & Working in Germany (35:40) | Careers (48:30) About Our Guest Kai Stenzel is the Chief Market Officer for Mannheim Business School where he has worked for over 6 years. He is responsible for Marketing, Admissions, Career Development, and Alumni Relations. Kai got his MBA from Mannheim Business School and Essec Business School. Sofia Syed Nasir is the Admissions Manager for Mannheim Full-time MBA, Mannheim Business School. She got her Masters in International Business from Grenoble Ecole de Management. What is unique about the Mannheim MBA? Ranked #1 MBA in Germany by Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek and the Economist Ranked #1 in Business Administration by German HR professionals 14 years in a row (Wirtschaftswoche University Ranking) Targets and consistently ranks top 10 worldwide for ROI 1 year MBA starts in September with ~60 students per intake Admissions looking for collaborative mindset, teamwork abilities, and unique point of view that could benefit other classmates  10 core courses taught in terms 1-2; electives, social sustainability project and business master project offered in terms 2-4; students can extend with a term 5 to get a management analytics certificate, study abroad or pursue a business idea or internship 80% of graduates stay in Germany to work Graduates get a job seeker's visa that lasts 18-months  Mannheim MBA fast facts, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/mannheim-mba-program-admissions-interview-kai-stenzel-sofia-syed-nasir

MBA Recruitment Manager Alex Jones discusses what makes the Bayes Business School MBA (formerly Cass), City, University of London unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Program Highlights (4:10) | Admissions (19:30) | Financing & Scholarships (33:40) | Careers (37:30) About Our Guest Alex Jones is the MBA Recruitment Manager for Bayes Business School (formerly Cass), City, University of London, where he has worked for over 8 years. Alex got his Bachelors in Communication from the University of Leicester and his Masters in Media Production from Birmingham City University. What is unique about the Bayes Business School MBA? 1 year MBA starts in September with ~90 students per intake City's campus is in the heart of London’s financial district, which helps with career-related events, meetings and recruiting Core curriculum is taught in 4 blocks through the first 6 months of program: 1) strategy & organization 2) the financial environment 3) creating management advantage and 4) knowledge and policy, followed by a week-long international consultancy, electives and business mastery project Looking for minimum of 3 years professional experience and experience working multicultural teams with international outlook Hosts week-long London Symposium elective that gives a behind-the-scenes look into the economic drivers of London Has an MBA Expeditionary Society, which includes MBA and EMBA students, and explores leadership through stretch experiences, delivered by renowned mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington MBA alumni can take one free elective each year Under revised UK visa system, international students can get 2-year post-study work visa to look for employment in UK Ranked #2 globally for corporate strategy by Financial Times (2020) Ranked #1 in the UK for Entrepreneurship by Poets & Quants and Inc Magazine's 2021 50 Best MBAs for Entrepreneurship Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/the-business-school-city-university-of-london-mba-program-admissions-interview-alex-jones

Anastasia Georgiou, Director of Admissions at Melbourne Business School, discusses what makes the Melbourne MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Program Highlights (4:38) | Admissions (19:00) | Scholarships (31:20) | Careers (34:00) About Our Guest Anastasia Georgiou is Director of Admissions at Melbourne Business School. Anastasia has worked in higher education and admissions for over 20 years. What is unique about the Melbourne MBA? What are its key advantages? Highest ranked Australian MBA by Financial Times, Economist and QS Offered Australia’s first MBA program starting in 1963. Melbourne Business School is 55% owned by Australia’s leading companies and 45% by the University of Melbourne Melbourne was ranked the world's most livable city for 18 years straight and is the multicultural capital of Australia MBA can be completed in 1 or 2 years Well-known for marketing and finance, and has recently set up Centres for Business Analytics and Sustainability & Business Prides itself in offering a high-touch MBA experience for 40 students/year Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/melbourne-mba-program-admissions-interview-anastasia-georgiou

Job hoppers, this episode is for you! Darren shares three strategies you can use to mitigate your track record of job hopping. How can you present this as an asset to your target MBA programs? Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/mba-positioning-strategies-for-job-hoppers

Gilbert Chua, Deputy Director of Marketing, Recruitment & Admissions at Nanyang Business School, discusses what makes the Nanyang MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Program Highlights (2:30) | Admissions (11:50) | Scholarships (31:45) | Careers (34:20) About Our Guest Gilbert Chua is the Deputy Director of Marketing, Recruitment & Admissions at Nanyang Business School. Gilbert previously served as Head of Recruitment & Admissions for Singapore Management University's Postgraduate Programmes, where he also got his EMBA. What is unique about the Nanyang MBA? What are its key advantages? 1-year program includes 9 core courses + 4 electives + 1 leadership module + 1 business study mission + 1 strategy project, with option to add a summer / fall exchange or get Double Masters with Waseda (Japan), St. Gallen (Switzerland) or Essec (France) Offers 5 concentrations in Banking & Finance, Strategy & Innovation, General Management, Marketing Management, Human Capital Management, and Strategy Projects Admissions looking for academic capacity, those with "T-shaped" leadership potential, ability to contribute in classroom, and cultural adaptability The Nanyang MBA was ranked the 35th worldwide by Financial Times (2020) and 73rd worldwide by the Economist (2019), and Nanyang Technological University was ranked 48th Worldwide in the Times Higher Education's World University Rankings (2020) Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/nanyang-mba-program-admissions-interview-gilbert-chua

James Kent, Marketing Manager for the MBA Admissions & Marketing Team at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), discusses what makes the CEIBS MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more. Program Highlights (3:00) | Admissions (23:40) | Scholarships & Covid-19 (39:40) | Careers (49:30) About Our Guest James Kent is the Marketing Manager for the MBA Admissions & Marketing Team at CEIBS. James got his Bachelors in Chinese and Management from Sheffield University and has worked in recruitment and marketing for 10 years. What is unique about the CEIBS MBA? What are its key advantages? China's top-ranked MBA lasts 18 months and focuses on "China Depth, Global Breadth" CEIBS was co-founded in 1994 by the Chinese Government and the European Union, and has campuses in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Accra and Zurich CEIBS is looking for proactive candidates with a pioneering spirit Mentoring program matches each MBA student with a CEIBS EMBA alumni CEIBS 70 faculty members are 1/3 from China, 1/3 from the US and 1/3 from Europe, many of whom consult for MNCs and Chinese Companies in China CEIBS has three coordinated degrees options as well: CEIBS-Fletcher (Law & Diplomacy), CEIBS-Cornell (Hospitality), CEIBS-Johns Hopkins (Public Health) The CEIBS MBA was ranked the 5th worldwide by Financial Times (2020) Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/ceibs-mba-program-admissions-interview-james-kent

This episode is from my new podcast, ASE, which explores making a living and life as a solopreneur. I bring on artists, social entrepreneurs, and solo founders to explore the self-employed, creative life and how to do your best work. A number of my salsa friends in their 20s and 30s have found it helpful, so I thought I'd share it with you too. ASE showcases a different, more personal side to me (with some cursing, so be warned!). And for those of you who are looking for more MBA admissions content, don't worry, I have plenty more MBA episodes coming your way - including more interviews with MBA Admissions Directors - so stay tuned. Live the Questions A month ago my salsa friends and I shared our personal challenges over smoothies. Most revolved around feeling more whole and complete with ourselves and our lives. I've thought about that conversation for weeks. Here is my unsolicited advice to friends in their 20s searching for purpose, work, home and satisfaction. More than anything, this episode is a reminder to myself to love and live the questions - cause they never go away. Questions Satisfaction (6:20) Home (9:35) Work (13:30) Purpose (17:10) Subscribe to the ASE Podcast Email / Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher / Google Podcasts / YouTube Show Notes ASE #18: Live the Questions  Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging (Sebastian Junger) The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake (David Brooks) The Labyrinth of Solitude (Octavio Paz) Man’s Search for Meaning (Victor E. Frankl) Xiu Yang: The Ancient Chinese Art of Self-Cultivation for a Healthier, Happier, More Balanced Life (Mimi Kuo Deemer)

How did Henry Nguyen, who graduated from Kellogg 20 years ago, launch Vietnam’s first technology venture capital fund, Vietnam’s first professional basketball team, and Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC), a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise? Henry recounts his journey from travel writer to MD to MBA to Wall Street and then back to Vietnam, where he has built a career as an entrepreneur and venture capitalist. Henry also gives a behind a scenes look into putting together a winning bid for LAFC, building a 22,000 capacity outdoor arena in downtown Los Angeles, and growing a raving fanbase before LAFC’s first game in 2018. Henry shares what he gained from his Kellogg MBA, as well as his advice to young professionals and entrepreneurs considering business school. "Being an entrepreneur is sometimes just saying 'Why Not?'" - Henry Nguyen Questions Introducing Henry Nguyen (0:00) Henry’s unanticipated MBA and business career (6:30) Henry’s heads to Wall Street (11:00) The travel writing experience that changed Henry’s life (14:45) Henry’s journey back to Vietnam (21:15) Starting IDG Ventures Vietnam – “My life is a serendipitous series of fortunate circumstances” (26:30) From “funny money” to “startup” – the growth of entrepreneurship in Vietnam (30:30) Breaking into venture capital (34:10) Henry’s thoughts on the value of a MBA for career changers vs. entrepreneurs, and what he learned from Kellogg (39:30) Henry’s foray into the business of sports, and starting amateur and professional sports leagues in Vietnam (49:30) Behind the scenes of Henry’s winning bid for LAFC (1:01:27) Growing LAFC’s fanbase – “the 3252” – in a city with 11 sports franchises (1:15:10) Opportunities for MBAs in sports (1:17:35) How Henry manages his businesses and engagements (1:25:20) Henry’s last advice to MBA applicants and students (1:29:40) About Henry Henry Nguyen is the Chairman of Phoenix Holdings, an investment company with operations in consumer, media, retail, food & beverage, and financial services sectors, and Managing General Partner of IDG Ventures Vietnam. He is the Developmental Licensee of McDonalds Vietnam and Chairman of XLE Group, which develops sports at the professional, collegiate and grass roots level in Vietnam. He is also Founding Owner of Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) and one of the Founding Trustees at Fulbright University Vietnam. After majoring in classics at Harvard University, Henry earned his MD and MBA from Northwestern University Medical School and the Kellogg School of Management. Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/mba-careers-vietnam-venture-capital-sports-lafc-henry-nguyen

Why did a Colombian civil engineer choose to do his MBA in Israel? Manuel Fajardo shares his journey to the Tel Aviv University’s Sofaer Global MBA, and how the program’s focus on new venture creation has helped him pursue his business idea. About Manuel Manuel Fajardo will graduate from the Sofaer Global MBA this Fall. Before getting his MBA, Manuel worked as General Manager of EDS LA PAZ, and as COO and Chief Engineer at Agregados el Rodeo in Colombia. Manuel got his degree in Civil Engineering from Universidad de Los Andes. Questions Introducing Manuel Fajardo (0:00) Why Manuel decided to study in Israel (3:38) Is Israel safe? (10:18) Attending a young MBA program (12:10) Tel Aviv University’s ties to the start-up ecosystem (13:55) Manuel’s business idea (17:45) Sofaer’s entrepreneurial curriculum, competition and opportunities (19:00) What Manuel found surprising about studying in Israel (24:05) Being in a small MBA class with less than 40 students (27:20) Working in Israel post-MBA (30:25) Manuel’s post-MBA career plan (31:50) Manuel’s biggest takeaways from the MBA (32:45) Is it tough to get a job in Israel as a foreigner? (35:20) Episode summary, show notes and more at:  https://touchmba.com/sofaer-global-mba-manuel-fajardo

Darren invites Dirk Hopfl from IE Business School to share how Covid-19 has affected its MBA program and IE's plan moving forward. IE, based in Spain, is one of Europe's leading business schools with one of world's most international MBA programs, regularly admitting 90% of its students from 75 countries outside Spain. Its response offers one possibility for how MBAs will evolve to meet student needs during a pandemic. About Dirk Dirk Hopfl is Regional Director South East Asia for IE Business School. Dirk got his MBA in 1999 from IE and has over 20 years of leadership experience in international management education. Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/how-is-covid-19-impacting-b-schools-dirk-hopfl-shares-ie-business-schools-response/