Ex-firefighter and Platoon Leader in the French army Mikaël de Talhouët has used the ESSEC Global MBA to launch a corporate career
de Talhouët is a former firefighter and French army Platoon Leader who has used the ESSEC Global MBA to switch to the corporate sector. He graduated from the one-year programme in September and has landed a role at Air Liquide, a French multinational firm that is one of the world's largest suppliers of industrial gases.
Mikaël, 32, joined the French military in 2002 fresh out of college. He had just graduated with a Masters in History from the prestigious University la Sorbonne in Paris. He spent two years in the army proper, rising to the rank of Platoon Leader, before moving to the French Fire Brigade service.
Joining the French army was a move borne out of family tradition for Mikaël. Each generation of his family had passed through the military and that had a big influence on him. Furthermore, he wanted to experience the demanding operational roles as well as the opportunity to develop special leadership and management capabilities.
Mikaël was soon made Platoon Leader and was in charge of 30 officers. His responsibilities covered logistics, operations, sports and human resources. During his time he went on a mission to French Guyana to ensure the air defence of the Space Centre there, from where the European Space Agency's Ariane rockets are launched.
This involved some pretty exciting and demanding sessions including commando training in the South American jungle. Mikaël said it gave him a chance to learn more about himself and his capabilities.
He subsequently joined the Paris Fire Brigade in 2008 and was in charge of the general management of the unit. This was a totally different environment but he tok up the challenge, and received several honours for making crucial decisions during fire rescues. One was for rescuing 13 people with the help of his team from an engulfed building.
After spending three years with the service, he decided it was time to get into the private sector. An MBA, he thought, would provide him with a strong understanding of the major business concepts and analytical tools that he could apply in many business careers.
ESSEC appealed to Mikaël because he knew some friends who had graduated from the school, who had found it invaluable and were proud to be ESSEC alumni! He explored the rankings and programmes of various French business schools and selected the Global MBA because of the international exposure he would gain while being able to live in France with his family.
We asked Mikaël to compare the leadership skills gained on an MBA to those gained in the military. The difference, he said, was that on an MBA you are taught to not only be a team leader but also a team player. “It required a lot of humility to question myself and to work not as a team leader but as a team player and to understand how different people from different backgrounds can work to achieve a goal”, he said.
And how does the MBA schedule match up with adrenaline-pumping military and firefighting activities? It was more challenging mentally than physically, he said, but still very tough!
Mikaël said that the small cohort on the ESSEC Global MBA was just what he needed to be able to make meaningful connections with colleagues and professors while getting to grips with new business concepts. While on the ESSEC Global MBA, Mikaël went to Singapore, St. Petersburg and Moscow.
He also visited Venezuela while working on a corporate project for Total towards the end of his MBA programme. The real-life energy sector experience helped him during the recruitment process at Air Liquide, where he has been hired to work as a sales representative, starting in January.
He's expecting the sales role to be competitive and high pressure, which suits him just fine. Until he starts he's getting his daily adrenaline fix from his kids and his daily exercise routines!
Read more stories about students, alumni and programmes at ESSEC Business School, here
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.
