Laurence Keke worked as a consultant for GE during an MBA at France’s EMLYON Business School. Now, she’s looking to switch career track
Laurence Keke is a former nuclear industry project manager with a PhD in computer science. She decided to pursue a full-time MBA at EMLYON Business School to take a career switch.For Laurence, EMLYON offered the perfect combination of international experience, education and lifestyle. With a small cohort of 30 MBA students, Laurence received a personalized experience which allowed her to hone her skills and build her network while taking care of her four-year-old son.
Keen to work in renewable energy in Africa, she landed the perfect consulting project during her MBA – working for General Electric in the solar energy field. Laurence completed her MBA studies in June, and she already has job interviews lined up.
What are your career plans for after the EMLYON MBA?
I am interested in a business development position in the solar industry, specifically for mini-grids in Africa. There are a lot of challenges, such as lack of finance which forces companies to create innovative business models to succeed.
I’m also interested by management positions and the accountability of a profit center. I enjoyed my finance and management accounting courses and would love to put in practice the tools I learned.
How did you profit from your MBA consulting project experience with GE?
We helped GE analyze the Africa market and identify the best country, Tanzania, for a pilot project and of containerized solar hybrid power systems they have created for developing countries.
This project enabled me to acquire, in just a few months, lots of knowledge and experience of the mini-grid sector in Africa. I’ve also been able to develop my network. I graduated in June and I have some interviews lined up with companies in the sector.
Why did you decide to pursue an MBA at EMLYON?
I wanted to switch industries and my career track with the idea of going back in Africa some day and, why not, launch my own venture. The MBA program was a great complement to my technical background.
Before my decision to pursue the MBA program, I was already thinking of leaving Paris and moving to Lyon or Nantes for work. EMLYON soon became an obvious choice because they are among the top five programs in France and the price-to-quality ratio of its MBA is great.
I also appreciated the small size of the cohort as for me it means less competition and more accessibility of the teachers, as well as the diversity of the cohort, there were 16 different nationalities in my class.
Lyon is also a great city for family life. I have a four-year-old child and thought it would be easier for me to pursue my MBA while taking care of my son in this city.
What advice would you give to anyone considering an MBA?
I spent an amazing year doing my MBA. It was tough, especially because of my personal situation with a small child, even with the great support of my husband. My advice to anyone considering undertaking an MBA is that you have to be ready to work hard not because the courses are complex, but because everything goes fast.
You should be open-minded and learn from your peers. The quality of an MBA program has much to do with the sharing of experiences from all the participants.
Last, but not the least, you should learn to let go. You don’t have enough time to refine every assignment and make them all perfect. During the MBA, you learn that you can improve your decisions in certain situations and minimize risk by making sure you are using the most relevant data at the time.
Student Reviews
Intense courses, helpful professors
I am an international student in my 3rd year and I love going to this school and do not regret chosing it for my BBA.
The classes are helpful, professors are always there to help as well and we have a very understanding administration.
Leadership in an amazing city
I decided to do my exchange in Emlyon because I wanted to get out of my comfort zone, and I found a space with very capable People.. participatory, empathetic and full of leadership. I will never forget Lyon, apart from giving me an unforgettable experience, he gave me great friends
A lot of opportunities professionally and socially. A unique program in France.
You can choose your courses and do your internship, exchange whenever you want. It's flexible and adapted to the needs of each student. A great program and a great city! Professionally, it opens a lot of doors for you to find internships or jobs in France or abroad thanks to the network and career events.
MSc in Digital Marketing
Combining both worlds into one, this course gave me all the on-demand technical skills in data science while maintaining a business-oriented approach. Thanks to the strong academic profile of this university I was able to secure an internship and full-time job at Amazon.
Top Business School fostering innovative entrepreneurs
EMLyon is one of the best business schools. The campuses, associations and courses offered provide the students with the best options to build the future they have chosen. The various opportunities to study and work abroad also offer a deeper understanding of the world, not only economy-wise but social, which helps the student become as well a better individual and not only a pre-formated business school student.
Emlyon campus in Paris
It has a great international community and you have access to many international tools, courses and professors. I had many networking events and workshops for students. Campus and some details of the program could have been improved or need to be bigger in order to have a better student life.
Entrepreneurship
Overall good content and good activities.
Lack of administration but still ok.
Good flexibility and liberty offered to the students. Finally, the amount of internship is also a good way to improve qualifications.
Good Reputation and International Business School
The course was not well adapted but it was up to the mark.
The professors are very well experienced and their experience comes in handy while working on assignments.
The facilities on the campus are top class. Truly professional. I really like spending time in the learning hub and using all the available resources.
Lyon is an amazing city. You will never get bored.
MSc International Hospitality Management
The best educational experience of my life so far!
It’s been full of exposure and great connections. From Lyon to London, Paris, Los Angeles and Las Vegas! Truly an exceptional way to discover the world of hospitality.
Real networking opportunities
- meeting new people, specially professionals during seminars or evening meeting at school.
- going abroad to study luxury
- being involved as an ambassador to promote the school and the program I was into (MSc LMM)
- having such a great professional core
white baccalaureate in the world of work
I really appreciated the MS SDAI as a whole. The teaching staff, the different subjects, the university exchange, TEM... I started my internship in a consulting firm having acquired a solid foundation. Downside for CentraleSupélec, which I found far too academic for a program such as this.
Great
Pretty great !
Emlyon business school is a top educational institution known for its outstanding academic programs, nurturing environment, and state-of-the-art facilities. It fosters creativity, critical thinking, and leadership in students.
