He may have studied in Europe, but it is in emerging economies that he sees the most potential.
“They are different,” he says of developing economies that he tries to break into. “The main focus has been on big European markets, but these regions have more influence.”
He has just landed an Account Executive role with Box, the internet file-sharing platform that has taken the industry by storm since its launch in 2005. Now, box works with more than 180,000 businesses, 97% of Fortune 500 companies and 20 million users.
Riadh has always had a passion for technology and, after studying at Grenoble, has a particular penchant for emerging market business. He studied a BA in International Business in London before taking up the MIB program, a year-long course connected to an MBA, at Grenoble in Eastern France.
“I started seeing the potential in tech when I was young, when I was exposed to TV, gaming, computers and mobile devices,” he says. “I began to see how technology affects people and companies because it’s the backbone behind any businesses.
“Without it, companies are not competitive, lose market share and disappoint.”
After working for a leading Chinese manufacturer of LED technology in Shenzhen, China, he decided business school would give him the best career opportunities.
“Grenoble is very good for focusing on technology and they are top ranking business school,” he said. “I always wanted to get into that area and Grenoble is the best to relate technology and business together.
“Business school helps you apply real cases to real life, and helps you get into real companies.”
Grenoble certainly lived up to that expectation. Riadh was recruited on campus by Oracle, a global provider of business software and hardware systems, and by September after his summer graduation, was working at their headquarters in Dublin, Ireland.
Three months later, he was promoted to Senior Business Development Consultant. His role covered the financial service industry across the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regions, helping to expand the customer base in emerging economies.
“At Oracle, you could see the growth,” he said. “There’s a lot of government expenditure in the area and it’s a very exciting region to work with.
“I spoke the local Arabic language - which helped. We were essentially building in the region from scratch and it was really exciting.”
But after a year, Riadh was headhunted by Box. It was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down. “The whole idea of Box excited me,” he said. “It was tremendous to see such growth. Box is a huge leader but also a small player that came out with a young CEO. I have very exciting and motiving people to work with.”
He is responsible for accounts across Africa, the Middle East, Turkey and other emerging economies and thinks there is potential for more growth. Working in emerging markets is a popular career choice among MBAs and the 94 per cent international student percentage at Grenoble held Riadh in good stead.
He had the chance to study a Harvard Business School course at Grenoble’s campus for a semester – taught by some of the best in the MBA education world.
“We tried to have a different overview on how to approach economic development in different cities and countries,” he said of Harvard. “It gave you a different way of thinking and was very stimulating.”
Riadh is merging a passion for tech and emerging markets at Box – seemingly, his perfect role. But he is under no illusions as to the role Grenoble played in helping him develop his business career.
“Without Grenoble I would never have heard about this company,” he confesses. “The quality of the teachers and students were great; they were bright and aim to achieve high. It’s like a small family.”
He may have been headhunted for the role, but it was the careers team at Grenoble that groomed him for his international career. “They gave me the career support,” he said. “It’s a competitive world but people at Grenoble help each other and keep good relations. It’s a great place to be.”
It is widely viewed that a benefit of b-school is the network and alumni connections that you develop. Riadh was given an entry into Oracle through an alumnus, and just recently recruited a peer who studied a Masters at Grenoble.
It would seem, perhaps, that you get far more than a business education at Grenoble. As Riadh agrees, he would not be in the position he is now without a MIB.
There may be potential in emerging markets, but it is at Grenoble that careers are developing.
Thanks to business school, Riadh is thinking outside of the box.
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