The beauty industry is big business in Brazil. After leaving an engineering career with BT behind, Ayan Mukhopadhyay studied an MBA at ESSEC to help boost his entrepreneurial venture!
Those big on beauty will have heard of a Brazilian. But after an MBA in France, this ESSEC graduate is running a business that leaves customers bare.Ayan Mukhopadhyay is a partner and owner of Brazilian beauty franchise Nao Mais Pelo - a company uses technology called Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) to remove body hair, permanently - “Kind of like waxing, but not laser treatment,” Ayan explains.
Originally launched in Spain, Nao Mais Pelo has more than 1,300 units in 15 different countries. Ayun was keen to take advantage of the opportunity to set up a franchise and started the business from scratch, with no prior knowledge of the industry.
Although enjoying a decade of encouraging growth, Brazil’s economy has stalled. 2013 growth targets were reduced in August, and the agriculture industry has responsible for most of this year’s expansion. But Ayan is not fazed by gloomier economic statistics – IPL services are in high demand.
Health and beauty is big business and in Brazil. According to new figures released by Canadean, the industry is expecting to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11.7 per cent by 2017.
After outperforming the other franchises and doubling revenue in the first four months of opening his store, it is surprising to hear that Ayan started out his working life as an engineer. Like many b-school students, he is studying an MBA after engineering.
His transition from a four-year engineering career with BT in India to running a beauty business in South America is seemingly a rarity. The two industries could not be farther apart. “It was very different to what I was doing before,” he admits. “I was contracted out by BT, working for a consultancy services company.”
Ayan decided to move out of India and look for a job in the region with his wife, who is Brazilian. But things didn’t work out and he was inspired to create his own company. IPL is a worldwide health and beauty treatment, a craze that swept through Brazil with some speed.
Ayan and his wife knew it was the right decision after speaking with other franchise owners. “We didn’t have any knowledge of the industry but we heard from people that this is something new,” he said.
“We went to the stores and talked to owners, and our decision was more or less made by their feedback; that the treatment has high demand in the market and the feedback from customers. There is competition and at the moment there are around three companies in the same market operating with this technology.”
After running the business for around a year, Ayan decided to study an MBA in France. He wanted to differentiate himself from other Indian students who commonly study in the US and UK, and wanted to understand how big businesses operate - skills that can be transferred to his entrepreneurial venture in Brazil.
In 2011, he enrolled on the Global MBA program at ESSEC Business School. He was enticed by the fact that his old friend from school designed the program. “When I started researching about the school I talked to him and it gave me lot of confidence,” he said. “I wanted to study an MBA to know how big businesses are run and what other criteria these businesses look for.
“I wanted to get more credibility for my resume, build a good network and meet new people; to talk to people who are intellectually much more developed.”
ESSEC is a b-school that prides itself on international diversity. Although based in France, the Global MBA seeks to integrate social and cultural issues in business. With over 90 nationalities represented across campuses in both France and Singapore, ESSEC also has 90 MBA exchange programs to destinations all over the world.
Ayan admits that the cultural differences between India and Brazil were a big challenge. At first, he found the language barrier difficult and he wasn’t fluent in Portuguese.
It was a risk and he and his wife had no idea where they would end up. “It was like jumping in a pool of water without knowing depth,” Ayan said. “We didn’t known how to make the processes more efficient, and learning how to market ourselves was one of the biggest challenges we faced.”
Like all entrepreneurial start-ups, Nao Mais Pelo was often a learning curve. “We knew that we would not be perfect and we made mistakes,” he said. “Slowly we started realising what we should do and what we should not do; how we should talk to clients; what we should tell them.
“We learnt what the processes are that the client has to go through. And even, for that matter, how to organise our staff so we have everything in a sequential manor.”
They have one full-time and two part-time employees working for the business.
After graduating from ESSEC in 2012, he used his MBA skills to make the important financial decisions. It made things easier to handle. “The financial decisions we were taught on the MBA gave me an insight into what we've done so far,” he said.
“It also increased my marketing skills, how we should reach out to people. After an MBA, stuff like this is easier to handle. I would have learnt it without business school, but over a much longer period of time.”
While his business grows in South America, Ayan is currently working for Accenture in India as a language expert, helping to speak to clients in Brazil.
He has made a remarkable career switch from engineering to hair-removal – an uncommon business path, most would agree. With the health and beauty industry in Brazil ripe for the picking, he is hoping to take a slice out of the market as it continues to expand.
MBAs know the challenges facing start-ups, and deciding whether to study at b-school is a big decision. But attending ESSEC gave Ayan to tools to make a successful business in Brazilian beauty.
As he says: “Now I know what needs to be done.”
Student Reviews
The best intercultural university
There are more than 50 nationality in the grade, so there are opportunities to interact with people from all around the world. In terms of academics, the BBA course offers diverse courses for the 1st
Creativity, adaptability and entrepreneurship
The Master in Management program at the ESSEC Business School allows the students to choose their courses accordingly to their preferences and their professional targets. We can also go through international exchange and take part in internships with companies that are also partners with the school. The school is also next to the city of Paris.
Top business school in France
Doing PhD in essec took some time, to be precise about five years. But the experience was very good and cost effective too. There are opportunities for the student for teaching assistantship and that helps both financially and in career. In the final year I could manage to teach marketing to M1 students and this helped shape my career
Great college
The program is well suited for early professionals with an engineering degree preferably or a degree in economics. I would suggest taking the ceasure irrespective of the experience level as it helps you take your time to adjust to the job market.
Good school in France
I am currently enrolled in M2 in Essec business school. I am specialising in marketing management. The Grande Ecole programme is valued in France and my school ranks very high up. There are a lot of opportunities for internships and CDD.
The program curriculum
BBA program. The program is really practical and useful, provide us many international opportunities. Like internship and humanitarian experience, and the flexibility is also really cool, we can choose different campus and tracks as we want.
International Course
This school is very international and business oriented. Highly recognized by the companies The campus has been renovated and is very functional and modern from now on. Excellent atmosphere. Reputation of essec is a plus
Friends, Career opportunities.
The program I did gave me the opportunity to start in Singapore. I got the chance to know all the students that started there and we bonded and made some friends for life. The career opportunities that ESSEC also gave me were unbelievable.
Practical and useful
I think the best thing about Essec is that it's not focusing on academics rather it emphasizes on future job mindset and professional experiences..
The classes are interesting and we have plenty of workshops attributing to different sectors..
The campus is very nice with a good cafe and wonderful library.
The only problem is the location of the campus. It's quite far from Paris.
Amazing experience! Must try
I think its a very amazing school with great and experienced faculty. Also the alumni network is very solid and useful. The school has a great balance of studies and work experience which is really essential for a student.
GBBA: Diverse, Enriching, and Career-Boosting
My experience at ESSEC Business School has been outstanding. The Global BBA program offers a rich academic curriculum and diverse learning opportunities. I appreciated the chance to study on different campuses, including an international exchange, which broadened my perspective. The social environment is culturally diverse and vibrant, enhancing both my personal and professional growth. The administration is attentive, constantly offering new academic and student life opportunities. The campus facilities and classrooms are excellent. I highly recommend ESSEC for its excellence, global exposure, and career opportunities.
ESSEC BS BBA REVIEW
The English track BBA program at ESSEC is simply exceptional. Courses are taught by internationally renowned professors who are experts in their field. The subjects taught cover a wide range of disciplines from marketing to finance, strategy and entrepreneurship. The English track is a major asset because it allows you to develop perfect mastery of professional English, essential in today's globalized business world. Some students love student life at Essec, which is one of the best in France, but it all depends on taste.
Great program, incredible school
I love almost everything about this school, from the student life to the academic program and the opportunities it provides.
I'm currently at the Paris campus, in Cergy, and I'm really enjoying it.
The BBA program is very rich and diversified, you can start with geopolitics and then finance, what I mean is that there's a great balance between the subjects in this program.
I was also lucky enough to spend a semester at the Singapore campus, and I loved that experience on the other side of the world.
ESSEC is also known for its dynamic and rich student life, with access to several parties a week and the various associations within the school.
If I could recommend just one school, it would be this one - I'm 100% satisfied.
Great experience
First of all, what I appreciate the most is the academic environment. The courses are extremely stimulating and are taught by high-level professors, often experts in their field. The diversity of subjects offered, ranging from marketing to finance, including entrepreneurship, allows you to acquire a complete and versatile education. The group projects, although sometimes stressful, are also an opportunity to learn to work in a team, which is essential in the professional world. One area that I feel could be improved is the management of student events. Although many activities are organized, I have noticed that some events can lack organization or communication, which can frustrate those who want to get involved. Better coordination between the different student associations and the administration could really improve the overall experience.
