IE Business School's International MBA gave Michelle Lanspa the opportunity to develop a business plan for a firm in her dream sector, renewable energy.
Michelle, who graduated from IE Business School in December 2011, is ready to deploy the project management skills earned on her MBA within the renewable energy sector.
Multilingual Michelle is from Omaha, Nebraska. She grew up there until she left for Georgetown University in Washington DC to study International Health. While at college, she nurtured her interest in international affairs and languages and even went abroad to learn Arabic.
On graduating, Michelle secured a role as a Peace Fellow on the Advocacy Project in Turin, Italy. She also worked as the International Project Manager for Tempep Association, a leading anti-human trafficking organization, planning and managing international projects under United Nations and European Commission frameworks. This role allowed her to organize and run training in Italy, Nigeria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece and the UK.
Michelle loved all the travel and was thriving in her career however she was also eager to improve her business knowledge and discover new ways of engaging with the renewable energy sector - something she is very passionate about.
IE Business School's top ranking, strength in social enterprise and social issues and its location in a big European capital instantly attracted Michelle. She could continue working on her Spanish while receiving a world class education.
“Aside from cooking and tasting new foods, I am really passionate about renewable energy. It is growing a lot everyday and many of the main players are based in countries I am interested in and they interact in the most exciting ways. Working to protect our eco-system and the environment would be a unique way to implement my business skills.”
At IE Business School, Michelle wrote two business plans for companies in the renewable energy sector. She was also particularly pleased to work closely with professors who had first-hand experience of the renewable energy sector. “It has been extremely useful to learn about the sector from someone very knowledgeable who has worked in it...being at IE has made my educational experience so much more fulfilling.”
Michelle also got a chance to build her leadership skills while at IE through the Emzingo NexGen fellowship programme. The NexGen fellowship provides students with the opportunity to act as consultants in emerging economies. Michelle consulted with three organizations in Johannesburg, South Africa as part of her fellowship. “Having a real break from a full-time MBA and the opportunity to put into use what I learned was invaluable. This was great for me because I did not have a business background so when it came to the final exams I had something more than case studies and presentations,” she says. “Emzingo was definitely one of the highlights of my IE experience.”
We asked Michelle to give us a taste of her big plans for the renewable energy world and she offered that she's been networking and meeting people in the sector. "Right now it is run B2B but I would like to explore ways to merge traditional and innovative digital marketing in renewable energy development. I have a solid plan but the business will not launch for a while.”
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