Linda Ferstl is kick-starting her career with an Executive MBA at ESADE Business School in Spain.Linda is senior export area manager at the Festina Group, a luxury giant at the forefront of the watchmaking sector. There, she manages relationships with distributors in Eastern and Central Europe, Scandinavia and Russia. In charge of the key accounts of major duty free and inflight clients, she’s increased sales by an impressive 30% over the past three years.
She has vast international experience working in Asia, Europe and the US. But even so, the ESADE EMBA has opened up her horizons. During her studies, she’s travelled to Brazil, India, and undertaken an entrepreneurship and innovation program in Boston, USA.
Plus, her class is truly international, comprised of leading executives from over 19 different countries.
Previously a global brand manager for Esprit Watches in Hong Kong, Linda relocated to Barcelona and took up a role at Festina. Now, with an EMBA at ESADE, she wants to strengthen her knowledge of global strategic management and take her career to the next level
Why did you decide to pursue an EMBA at ESADE?
I have always planned to go back to university, waiting for the right time and city to combine work and studies. Having more than 11 years global working experience, the International Executive MBA was the most relevant to my level of experience and my career goals.
Besides location and reputation of the university the most important factors for me were how international the course is and how the schedule is compatible with my work. On top of this, I was looking for a mix of theory, case studies and practical application, as opposed to purely focusing on case studies.
ESADE was the school that best met my criteria. The monthly format gives me the necessary availability for my job and the entrepreneurial focus of the university was also attractive to me.
What should EMBA applicants consider when deciding on a program?
The main criteria I would recommend are the language of the program, schedule, financial investment, teaching method, and specializations of different programs, and of course rankings are also important.
After that, the choices become more the matter of personal preferences, such as choosing between online, in-person, weekly, bi-weekly and monthly MBA, EMBA, GMBA programs. Once shortlisted, visit the top universities of your choice, participate in welcome days and sit in the lectures to experience first-hand the atmosphere. Talk to other students, alumni and get as much personal feedback as possible.
What have you gained from your EMBA experience so far?
I have gained a tremendous knowledge upgrade and I have received insights into different business areas and functions. We have learned new business strategy and leadership methods all of which I can apply directly in my daily work.
I also served as a class delegate for two consecutive terms, which allowed me to engage actively with the university and improve diplomacy, negotiation and social skills. The MBA has provided a safe haven to take on different roles and responsibilities, get feedback, and step out of my comfort zone.
I have learned a lot about myself–about my strengths and weaknesses, about how my actions impact others–all of this forms a stronger, more conscious and empathic me. I can see my growth with every month into the program, both personally and professionally.
What international experiences are on offer?
I have been in one week in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Mumbai /Hyderabad (India) and did a three-day elective seminar in Corporate Entrepreneurship at SDA Bocconi.
During the summer break, I participated in a two-week Entrepreneurship and Innovation study tour to Boston where we visited incubators and accelerators like Mass Challenge and Venture Café, MIT MediaLab, Harvard Innovation Lab and other members of the Boston community. Getting such first-hand insight into an incredible eco-system for innovation and entrepreneurship was mind blowing.
Next, I will do another elective in Digital Marketing at Rotterdam School of Management and will close the program with a week in Georgetown, USA.
What are your plans for the future?
I seek to gain more international experience – change gives me drive and opens new perspectives. I am targeting a position where I can lead a team and work cross-functional. I seek to be involved in the creation of new business divisions, organizational units or finding new business opportunities. I want to see the impact of my work, build and guide teams.
One option is to pursue my career in the luxury, fashion sector. Besides that, the EMBA at ESADE has also broadened my vision to see outside of my current role and sector. The corporate sustainability lecture in the MBA was very engaging and made me curious about exploring potential opportunities in this increasingly important business field.
Student Reviews
Transformative Journey at ESADE Business School
My time at ESADE Business School has been beyond remarkable. From the moment of the application process, the staff has been super helpful and responsive on every single email! The faculty are highly engaging, the peers collaborative and the curriculum cutting-edge, encouraging me to push my own boundaries and broaden my understanding of business. With practical learning at its core, ESADE has provided me with crucial skills for success in the real world. Not only is this school an ideal place to develop yourself; it's also home to so many fantastic opportunities, friendships and growth. If you're ready for change and want to thrive in the business world then this is definitely the university for you!
Esade review
As I am just starting off in September, I do not have any hands-on information about the education or the university itself. However, I can tell you about the experience I have had with the admin staff, which was always extremely positive. As I am a scholarship student, I had some hardships with reserving my place as I needed to wait for the result of my scholarship application, otherwise, I would not have been able to attend the university. They kindly offered me to hold my place without paying which was a big help for me. Additionally, any time I had problems with the IT system or any administrative task they would always help me in a day or two.
Bachelor Business administration
ESADE University stands as a beacon of academic excellence and innovation. With its dynamic programs, world-class faculty, and vibrant campus culture, ESADE offers a transformative educational experience. From cutting-edge business education to a commitment to societal impact, ESADE surpasses expectations. It's a remarkable institution that nurtures tomorrow's leaders.
Excellent education.
ESADE is a quality university, the professors are the best in the area and this is evident in the student's academic progress. Additionally, the university is responsible for providing opportunities to access the world of work. It is a university internationally recognized for its quality and excellence. It is located in the best neighborhood of Barcelona.
Excellent teachers and classes and a superb international experience
If you are looking for a law specialization master's degree (LLM) in the non so traditional areas of law, and you are seeking for an international fully enriching experience, ESADE is your best choice.
ESADE started as a business school so the MBA and other business degrees are their core. Nonetheless, law education and in particular the specialisation master's (international business law and intellectual property and ICT law) are also on the top Europe's LLM of their fields. They combine an excellent program, with the best teachers available in Barcelona and with a more than enough amount of resources to study and help the student to get initiated in their career field. Also, this is the best international experience out there; personally, I got to share a classroom with other 25 students, where only 6 of them were Spanish, the other 19 including myself were a mixture of different nationalities, especially from Latin American countries.
What an enriching experience!
The program was super complete and touched on all the key points I considered important in a Master of Law, Intellectual Property and Technology. In addition, I was able to take advantage of business, communication, leadership and other disciplines, so important in the training of a complete and multifaceted professional. It is also great that all teachers are lawyers, so they can practice the knowledge they teach us on a daily basis. In this way, they are able to transmit theoretical knowledge to us with a much more practical approach, super useful for our future. In this way, we are able to penetrate the network of contacts in our areas, which can be extremely beneficial for our career.
I also believe that the University is really concerned with the students, in helping them in everything they need, which can be demonstrated, for example, in the current pandemic situation, since it has always tried to act in such a way as to harm the students as little as possible, providing the support and compensation that they considered fair.
In conclusion, I would like to thank ESADE for providing me with one of the best experiences of my life, in which I have made friends for life, and from which I leave with excellent academic preparation, ready to face the challenges of a professional career.
The online platform and the involvment of students and teachers
The online platform is very agile to work and gives you great flexibility to follow the program. Secondly, I was surprised by the involvement of students and teachers. This has made the program very interesting with links to extensions of the agenda. Quite a good surprise. I would clearly recommend it.
Great class cohesion, superb study location, super professors
I loved the class cohesion with plenty of international students from all over the world. Great to have that mix during a practical business project to do with the local economy of the Costa Brava.
Studying in Barcelona is simply amazing, and even though the university is not directly in the center, it is in a really nice part of the city with great views over the old town and the sea. I always enjoyed my walk from the metro station to the school.
The professors were nice and motivated, and as classes were small, it allowed a very good learning atmosphere.
Amazing experience!
The professors are qualified, passionate, and dive deeply into the topics while always making class engaging. Hands-on experience with companies to solve real issues - offering a great opportunity to apply the learnings and gain more relevant experience. The study tours and minor class trips are also adding value to the course, along with many career and social events, which help create a good environment. Would highly recommend!
ESADE Business School allows me to build amazing and long-lasting friendships.
ESADE Business School has successfully created an environment where engaged, open-minded, passionate and problem-solving individuals can proliferate both academically and professionally as they establish friendships with students/professionals from all over the world.
Career Pivot
I decided to pursue the executive MBA at ESADE after speaking with several alumni about their backgrounds and reasons for choosing this program. Coming from tech, I wanted to learn about other aspects of a company and get assistance in creating my own business plan. The open day was well planned and informative complete with a sample class and case studies. If you’re in doubt, I recommend you attend one of these events.
